His Reasons
by AshleyH713
Summary: Amari Bakugo was Katsuki's greatest secret. The topic of his sister was only dismissed and forgotten by him for years. That is until Amari gets accepted into U.A. and meets the seemly mysterious boy that is Todoroki Shoto. Now her brother must face all of those feelings he had buried so deep in the first place while Todoroki seemly tries to figure out just what makes her so special
1. Chapter 1

Hello My Hero Academia people! This was just a little idea I had while watching the show, which is amazing by the way. Not sure if I'm gonna continue it so lemme know if that's something you'd like.

* * *

Katuski Bakugo was born at 1:10AM on a rainy Friday morning. When they weighed him he turned out to be irregularly strong for the newborn.

His parents cried for joy but soon realized everything was not over.

Amari Bakugo was born at 1:20AM and right away they noticed a drastic change between the two infants.

Where as Katsuki was abnormally strong, Amari appeared weak and stick thin, almost purple and blue around the sides of her face.

The doctors noticed this and sprang into action quickly, grabbing the child and attaching all sorts of tubes and wires while she remained silent.

The parents raced forward and asked what was wrong but the doctor were too busy trying to keep the newborn alive.

That was the start of Katuski and Amari Bakugo's very different lives.

* * *

After they stabilized her, Amari was forced to stay in the hospital so that doctors could monitor her health. It seemed her body was extremely unstable, and they knew exactly why. They didn't talk about it though, especially in front of Katsuki.

Katsuki himself was stronger than ever though, living his life like a normal preschooler would. He didn't pay any mind to his sister and just lived as he pleased.

He would sometimes visit her though, mostly because he was forced by his mom.

His mother pulled him inside the building, practically dragging him. "Now listen here young man! You are going to visit your sister and you are gonna like it!"

Although Bakugo had other plans. "Ugh I don't want to! It's gonna be so boring and she just sits there not doing anything. I'm supposed to go play with my friends! Let me go!"

But the woman wouldn't budge and soon enough they were face to face with Amari. She just smiled but he couldn't help but notice the tubes and machines hooked up to her. "Brother!"

Bakugo scoffed as his mom pushed him into the room. "Tch."

Pulling him even further, his mom smiled back. "Hello sweetie, how are you feeling?"

She looked down for a moment before nodding her head, pretending to flex her non existent muscles. "I'm good mommy! Soon I'll be all better!"

There was sadness in their mother's eyes then. "Of course you will. Now, mommy's gonna go downstairs and get you something delicious, okay? Katuski, watch your sister."

He grumbled at this. "Ugh. Do I have to?"

This caused her to narrow her eyes. "Katuski.."

Rolling his own eyes, Katuski scoffed again. "Fine, just hurry up."

Seeming happy with that, she left the two kids alone, hoping that this time would be good for them. They were practically twins after all.

Once the door shut, Katsuki strolled up to Amari and put his small boot on her bed, looking rather annoyed. "So what's your deal? Why are you stuck here?"

Putting a hand on her IV, Amari just sighed. "They said I can't leave."

Being a young kid, Katsuki didn't understand her statement. "So you can't even go outside or anything? What about go hunting for beetles or play superhero games?"

Amari shook her head. "No, the mean doctor said I have to stay cause I could get hurt real bad."

Crossing his arms across his chest, her replied. "Ahh how boring. So what do you do in here then? Just stare at the walls?"

She seemed to find this funny. "Sometimes. Sometimes I think about what my quirk will be."

This got him excited. Extending his legs, Katsuki stood on the chair next to him, his fists out in exhilaration. "I already know my quirk is gonna be the best so don't even think you can beat me! I'm gonna be the best of the best, like All Might!"

At the name, Amari perked up. "You know All Might?! I see him on TV all the time. Brother it would be good to be like him!"

He nodded his head in agreement. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna be the best!"

Laughing maniacally at his own statement, their mother peaked in and couldn't help but smile at the two. It seemed she was worried for nothing.

* * *

A couple years later, Bakugo was sitting in kindergarten when he felt a small spark ignited from his fingertips.

All of his classmates turned and gasped in awe at what they were seeing, even the teachers seemed impressed. "Oh! Congratulations Bakugo, you got your quirk, and a wonderful one it is."

Looking down at his hands, the entire class cheered and he felt amazing. Finally, after all these years he was finally going to be the best.

Then, he remembered something he once heard in class.

Leaning over to his teacher, Bakugo questioned. "Teacher, is it true that twins get their quirks around the same time?"

She looked confused but answered anyways. "Uhh yes that is true usually. Why do you ask Bakugo?"

It was obvious she didn't know about Amari. Heck, no one knew about her. It wasn't really something he brought up in class and because she was in the hospital that meant she basically didn't exist in the outside world. "No reason."

But internally, he was excited to show off his new quirk to his family, silently hoping that what the teacher said was true. Maybe then she wouldn't be so weak.

* * *

Rushing to the hospital, Bakugo threw the door open and Amari just looked confused. "Brother? What are you doing here?"

She didn't seem any different from usual but that didn't phase him much, instead running up to him and shouting. "Amari! Look, I got my quirk!"

He let his palms ignited with sparks and her eyes went wide. "Whoaa, cool! That's so cool brother!"

Nodding his head at the ego stroke, her brother stood proud. "Right? Now I can be the best of the best, the most powerful!"

Amari smiled happily for her own brother but it didn't last long. Her eyes then shifted from him to her very skinny arms, muttering under her breath. "I wish I could get my quirk too."

He stopped then, racing towards her bedside. "I heard my teacher say that twins get their quirks around the same time. If you really focus, I'm sure you'll get yours also!"

Seeming rather uncertain, Amari raised her brow. "You sure? The doctors said…"

But Bakugo just cut her off. "Screw what they say! You're my sister which means you also gotta be strong! Just try!"

A moment of silence filled the air and Amari thought about what the doctors told her, that she might never get her quirk because of her weak body. But on the other hand, she didn't wanna disappoint her brother who had never come to see her willingly before this.

Nodding her head, Amari squeezed her eyes and tried to focus, willing her quirk to come to the surface. She didn't know exactly how to do it but all she could think about was making her brother proud.

Suddenly she felt an odd heat in her fingertips and looked down to find them glowing a swirling gold color. This wasn't the power her mother or father had.

Eyes widening, Amari gasped and got her brothers attention. "Brother, look! I did it! I got my quirk!"

Bakugo just stared in awe at her power and watched her laugh, a small tear coming to her eyes. "Does this mean I can be a hero too?"

Her brother was about to smile when something unexpected happened.

Amari's eyes grew panicked as she began coughing excessively, heaving heavily and curling over her sheets in desperation. The glow in her fingers was gone and Katuski didn't know what to do. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

She didn't answer though as she put a shaking hand to her mouth only to find blood on her palm.

Suddenly, a dozen doctors and nurses came running in, dragging huge machines with them and rolling them to the side before eyeing the girl. "She seems to be having an attack. We need a C34 now"

They began hooking up a ton of wires to her while her body shook and seized underneath them, her small hand grasping the railing for deal life.

Now noticing the boy, one of the doctors put his hand out in anger. "Someone get this boy out of here! We need to operate!"

Bakugo felt a hand on his arm, pulling him away from the scene but he wasn't having it, choosing to curse at the woman. "Hey, what are you doing?! Get your hands off of me!"

But given his small size, he was easily pushed out as the door locked behind him.

* * *

After about thirty minutes, his mother showed up looking panicked and the doctors pulled her into a private room so they could talk.

Young Katsuki couldn't live with that though and quietly followed his mother so he could hear the conversation the two were about to have, although knowing what he knew now, he wished he didn't back then.

His mother put a hand to her mouth, whispering out her words. "How is she?"

The doctor picked up a file from his desk and opened it carefully. "It seems we were able to stabilize her condition finally. Her attack was caused by her quirk awakening."

She eyes grew wide in shock. "Isn't that a good thing though? You said she might not ever get her quirk."

Shaking his head, the doctor sighed. "Normally yes, getting a quirk is a wonderful thing but in Amari's case it's very dangerous."

Not understanding, his mother spoke up. "Dangerous, how so?"

Pulling out another file, he showed the woman the statistics. "In order to be able to sustain your quirk, you must have a strong body, the more powerful the quirk, the more the body must work to maintain it so it doesn't shut down. In Amari's case though, her body was so weak from birth that using her quirk could potentially end her life. That's why we didn't want her to have one."

Katsuki remained frozen at his words. What did he mean his sister couldn't use her quirk? Just because she was so weak?"

His mother made a choking sound with her throat and put a shaking hand to her forehead. "Oh god, so that means she can't ever use her quirk?"

The doctor just simply shook his head. "I'm afraid not. As you know, Amari was born weak because in the womb, Katuski took most of her energy and nutrients. It's a sad fact but it's not uncommon with twins. One just comes out stronger, and that one happened to be Katsuki. His quirk will surely be extra powerful because of that."

Leaning against the wall, Katsuki seemed dumbfounded at what he was saying. His hands grew unnaturally numb as the boy tried to process everything.

The reason that his sister was like that was because of him? No, that wasn't his fault. Yet it seemed like all the pieces were slowing sticking together.

The reason she couldn't step foot outside, the reason she couldn't play with anyone else and the reason she couldn't even use her quirk, there was no mistaking it, it was because of him unknowingly. His sister was sick because of him, because of his need to be better than everyone. The very realization made him sick inside.

Feeling the bile in his throat, Katuski ran away from the conversation, unable to hear anymore and fell to the ground, heaving at the reality that had smacked him in the face.

Time and time again he made fun of her for being stuck in the hospital and being weak but the ugly truth was, he was the one that made her that way. Everything was his fault.

A couple nurses came rushing to him and asked what was wrong but Kasuki couldn't hear them over the sound of his own despair.

What had he done?

* * *

Because Bakugo got sick, his father picked him up and brought him home, although the child had far too many other things on his mind.

He didn't eat much dinner and just crawled to bed without any resistance which was rare for him. Usually his parents would have to fight him every night to go to bed.

Laying down, all he could think about was Amari. Katsuki wondered silently if she would be okay. He hoped so, or else he didn't know if he could live with himself.

If only he wasn't so stubborn in the womb and didn't take all of Amari's strength, then she would be able to run and jump and go outside like everyone else. It seemed almost selfish that he bragged about his life to her, knowing everything now.

Gritting his teeth, Bakugo sat up from his bed, throwing the sheets off of him and stood up, a new sense of passion burning in his eyes.

He then realized that since he took all of Amari's power that he wouldn't let it go in vain. He would use that power to protect her and become the strongest number 1 hero the world has ever seen

Throwing the window open on the right, Bakugo sucked in a deep breath and screamed and the top of his lungs, all the pain and regret flowing out all at once. "I'M GONNA BE NUMBER 1 DAMN IT! I WILL BE THE NUMBER ONE HERO!"

He knew he had to, for her, and for himself.

* * *

Shortly after that night it was announced that Amari would study in America so that she could get away from everything and hopefully have a new start. The medicine over there was also better for her sickness so everyone thought it was best.

Bakugo hadn't seen her since that night and he wanted to keep it that way. He much rather shoved her existence and the guilt so far down until he could hardly see it. Yes, this was better.

Although one day, Bakugo and his friends were playing near his street when they caught a glimpse of a familiar shade of blonde hair watching them.

He turned to her and that sickening feeling rose up again in his stomach, all the painful memories and guilt rushing back.

One of his friends seemed to notice her as well and pointed. "Hey, who is that? She looks just like you Bakugo!"

Another friend snickered at her appearance. "Yeah expect she's like a twig. Are you related?"

The two twins stared at each other for a couple moments and Amari opened her mouth to say something when Bakugo cut her off. No, they couldn't know about what he did. "I've never seen her before in my life. You really think I could be related to someone that weak? Let's just go."

Then, he turned his back on her and walked away, not bothering to see her expression. He didn't want to see the damage he caused.

His friends also agreed. "That's true. Besides, Bakugo is an only child, remember?"

Nodding his head, the other friend understood. "Yeah that's true. I don't know what I was thinking. Let's go play superheroes!"

Then they all hurried behind their leader and left the street, leaving Amari alone once again.

And that was it.

That was the last time that Bakugo last saw Amari,and the last time he had to worry about her. To him, she was just something that didn't exist.

Or so he thought.

* * *

**10 Years Later **

Kicking off her shoes, Amari raced into the house and past the dorm leader who shouted at her angrily. "Amari, slow down! You are going to push yourself too hard!"

Amari just looked back and smiled at the leader before putting her hands up in forgiveness. "Sorry Vanessa but I got something waiting for me!"

Turning the corner Vanessa just sighed. "This girl, I swear.."

Running down the hall, Amari stopped when she reached her destination, the mailbox.

She then took the key out of her pocket and started muttering. "Please please please please let it be here please please…"

Amari put the key in the lock before opening it slowly, squinting her eyes in case she didn't want to see.

She paused for a moment when she saw a white envelope with a red seal on the back. Amari squeaked in delight at this, shouting happily. "IT'S HERE, OMG IT'S HERE AHHH."

The rest of the dorm shushed her but Amari didn't really seem to care, just putting her paper to her lips and smiling.

Then, ripping open the paper, a little hologram message popped up with All Might shouting gleefully.

Hello young Amari Bakugo.

It is with great excitement and pleasure that I welcome you to U.A.

Being one of the five recommendations this year, we expect great things from you.

But remember it isn't just about status but rather heart and determination.

That is all, can't wait to see you there

Alright, transmission out!

The transmission then cut off and Amari couldn't help but smile gleefully. Finally, she was going to U.A.

* * *

Okay so this is just a little idea I had while watching My Hero Academia. It's gonna be a Todoroki X OC story but I needed to set up some background on Amari and her brother's feelings first.

So Amari got accepted to UA through recommendations which means that she'll be seeing her brother again. Oh boy.


	2. Chapter 2

Bakugo's day just kept getting worse. First he had to sit through his teachers usual boring lecture while his childhood annoyance, Deku, muttered on about being a hero or some crap like that. As if he would ever be a hero. Deku was just a quirkless idiot.

And now to make matters worse he was being scolded by his "friends" for going too rough on the useless nerd."Hey Bakugo, you didn't have to go that far with the kid."

Bakugo just shoved his hands in his pockets though, not seeing the point. "Shut up. When have you all become such wet blankets? I was just trying to get it through his thick stupid head."

They were clearly overreacting. All he did was burn his little notebook and throw it out the window. It's not like he commited murder or anything like that. He had done far worse when they were kids. "It's his fault for getting in my way."

Feeling a sense of rage, out of the corner of his eye Bakugo saw a bottle on the ground and kicked it, having the object collide with the pole next to him.

His friend tried to reassure him to stop another anger blast from the boy, shrugging. "Don't let it get to you."

Of course it didn't work though as Bakugo recalled the conversation they just had in the classroom. That dumb Deku was so stupid, saying he wanted to be a hero even though it was impossible. "He's an idiot dreaming like a kid! Just watching him pisses me off!"

His friends laughed nervously and pointed away from them. "Hey, you wanna hit the arcade before we go home, get your mind off it?"

Bakugo thought for a moment before slowly nodding his head, still angry though of course.

Suddenly, the ground shook below them and a new voice emerged from the silence. "My, what a wonderful quirk!"

Turning sharply, Bakugo's and his friends face fell in terror. Standing behind them was a dark green formless blob. There was no doubt about it, that was a villain.

Bakugo barely had time to react before the slime dashed to the boy and swallowed his entire body whole.

Yeah, this day just kept getting worse.

* * *

Stretching her arms and giving a slight yawn, Amari stepped off the plane to finally see the sights of Japan. It had been so long since she'd been here.

She grabbed her suitcase next to her and popped up the handle before rolling it along the sea of busy people and carts trying to get from one terminal to the next.

Just then, her phone began to ring in her pocket and Amari pulled it out to answer. "Hey, sorry I just landed. Japan is so much prettier than I remember it to be."

The voice on the other hand didn't sound pleased though. "I didn't call you to hear about the sights. You took the supply before the left right? You know what happens if you don't take those pills…"

Sighing loudly, Amari asked back, patting her pockets just to be sure. Yep still there. "I know, I know, and I have them. Don't worry. I'm not that stupid."

The voice seemed to sigh back as well. Obviously he wasn't in the mood. "Well, that's to be decided.."

Amari stopped, feeling a slight twitch in her eye. Had he just insulted her? "Ha ha very funny. Now, as much as I would love to catch up some more I gotta get the next bus. See ya Doc."

She just got a grunt in response before the line went dead but that was to be expected. The Doc didn't usually love extended conversations. That worked for her though.

Putting the phone back in her pocket she started to look for bus schedules when the TV next to her spoke loudly. "We are here in downtown where a sludge like villain has appeared. It has already attacked dozens of indoor shopping centers and started fires in multiple areas. The heros have just been sighted on the scene."

Amari stopped at this as her eyes shifted to the screen. A sludge type villain? That must be really tricky. Ah well, it didn't involve her.

Just as she thought that, the reporter perked up again. "We are back. I'm just getting news that the villain has taken a middle school student hostage while reeking havoc."

She shook her head thinking that was rather unfortunate and turned away from the screen when the next words stopped her in her tracks. "We just got word that the student in question is Bakugo Katsuki form Aldera Junior High. We have visuals now."

Amari's eyes widened as she turned back towards the screen and saw her brother fighting against the sludge villain with all his power. Oh no. Anyone but him.

Taking a step forward, she pushed against the crowds who were very unhappy to be moved. "Hey, what are you doing little girl?!"

Given her short stature, it was hard to see but there was no denying it. That was her brother, and he was in trouble.

Not thinking about anything else, Amari pushed back through the crowds, grabbing her suitcase and sprinted down the halls of the airport to a nearby taxi below.

She quickly gave him the address on the TV and then, without a plan, Amari rushed to the location.

This certainly wasn't the situation she imagined to meet Katsuki again, but it would have to do.

* * *

Bakugo felt the sludge swallowing him whole, seeping into his skin but there was no way in hell he was going to be defeated by such filth.

Fighting as much as he could, the boy screamed, trying to tear himself away from the villain, igniting his explosions against the slime. "I won't let sewage like this swallow me!"

Though no matter how hard he pushed, his body, hands and feet were still stuck to the creature, it just laughing at the struggle. "What power! I've hit the jackpot! With this power I'll be able to beat him!"

The sludge grew closer and swallowed up Bakugo, proving his attempts useless. Was this really how he was gonna go? By some low level villain? It was stupid.

He paused when he saw a flash of green and locked eyes with Deku, who looked absolutely terrified. Why was he even here at a time like this? He was useless.

Slime, started to seep its way into his mouth and Bakugo began to choke on the substance. The burning liquid filled his throat until he could barely breathe.

Feeling his eye sight going, Deku's green hair stood out among the blurry blobs as for the first time in his life, he wished for help. He didn't want to die, not like this.

Deku felt the unsaid words and then without thinking, sprung into action, feeling an overwhelming need to save his friend.

He ignored the other heroes calling out to him as the boy ran straight up to the monster and threw his backpack in his face, causing Bakugo to break his mouth free.

Coughing out the sludge, the images were just blurry around him. "Deku? Why are you here?!"

Deku himself was frantic though, clawing at the sludge with absolutely no plan. "My legs just moved on their own. I don't know! It's just, you looked like you were calling for help!"

Bakugo's eyes widened at this when the villain recovered, throwing an explosion towards the green haired boy in anger. "Don't get in my way!"

Deku closed his eyes and waited for the impact and pain but nothing happened. Yes, it was true that there was a huge explosion, but it was almost like it bounced off of him.

He opened his eyes only to find that his skin was sparking gold and his entire body glowing for some reason. "What…"

Although he didn't have to wait long as another voice echoed behind him. She seemed to be out of breath. "Sorry for the wait. There was traffic."

Deku looked up and found a blonde haired stranger looking back at him. "Hey, are you okay?"

Nodding his head, the girl smiled and threw her hand out. "Good. Now I can deal with you. You know I just wanted a nice relaxing first day but we can't even have that. Now, let Katsuki go!"

The villain just seemed amused and raised up to defeat this newcomer. "You shouldn't have messed with me little girl!"

But the stranger just smiled, snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, the gold matter swirled around the three of them, creeping up the sides of form some sort of dome so that the villain can't escape.

The sludge hit against the dome and screamed, it's body now halfway burned from the impact. "What.."

Then her gaze fell on her brother and Deku watched her eyes light up bright red as she pointed as finger towards Bakugo.

Bakugo's skin then started glimmer like Deku's and slowly, the sludge slipped off his body, almost like the gold coating was protecting him.

Once his entire body was covered, Bakugo flopped out of the monster and onto the floor below, coughing erratically at the after effects. He didn't know what had happened, but he was free.

Amari then put her arm down and Deku could notice the slight shake in her hand. Was she okay?

The monster sprung to life again, this time with his intent set on Amari. "Little girl! You made me lose my jackpot! Now you'll have to take his place!"

Racing towards her, Amari pulled Deku behind her and braced for impact when something else stopped them. "It is fine now. Why? Because I am here!"

They looked back only to find All Might holding the attack back from the two of them. Then, in one swing, he punched the villain so hard it went sky rocketing towards the sky, never to be seen again.

The crowd was silent for a moment before cheering in absolute delight at their favorite hero. Amari just seemed dumbfounded.

She stuttered on her words, trying to form sentences. "A-All M-Might? Is that really you?"

Deku nodded his head excitedly, noticing another fan right away. "Yes! Isn't he amazing?"

Amari nodded her head while answering only to find her attention back on her brother. He looked like he was having difficulty trying to stand.

She raced over to him and placed her hand up to help. "Are you okay? Here, take my hand."

Silently touching his shoulder, Bakugo growled and slapped her hand away while shouting. "What the hell are you doing?! Don't fucking touch me!"

Deku didn't like this response. "Come on Kaccan, she just saved your life."

Amari seemed shocked for a moment before another voice interrupted her. "You were quite brave out there little miss. Thank you so much for helping, even though that was very dangerous. Might I ask your name?"

Turning around to find All Might, Amari tried to remain calm, bowing respectively. "Thank you for your compliment. My name is Amari Bakugo and it is an honor to finally meet you."

At her name, Bakugo sharply turned his head towards hers, his eyes growing hollow. No, it couldn't be. This was, his sister?

Thinking back to the last time he saw her, she looked completely different. Sure, she still looked thin and short, but now she looked so much older. That guilt suddenly seeped in again seeing her height. He did that.

Deku heard the name as well and looked confused. "I'm sorry, did you just say Bakugo?"

Nodding her head, Amari put her hands on her hips pointing to her brother. "Yep. I'm his sister. And you would be..?"

Staring into her eyes, Deku blushed. Now that he mentioned it, she did kinda look like Kacchan. "Oh, uhh I'm Deku..I mean...I'm Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you Bakugo-chan!"

At the name, Amari grimaced. "You can just call me Amari. It would be weird and confusing to have two Bakugo's around."

But his got him even more flustered. Could he really call her by her first name? "Uhh okay A-Amari-chan."

She just smiled at this but it slowed lowered when Katsuki spoke out. "What in the hell are you doing here?! I thought you were in America!"

Giving herself a breath of courage, Amari laughed nervously. "Yeah about that, I'm here to attend school…"

This made him raise an eye. "School?"

Amari lifted her hand behind her head and gave another nervous laugh. "Yeah. See, I wanted to tell you this later but I guess the cats out of the bag now ..."

Not liking the tension, Bakugo ran up and grabbed Amari by the collar and because she was so short, he was able to lift her off the ground. "Just spit it out already damn it!"

Then, looking him straight in the eyes, her face grew to one of utter determination. "I'm going to U.A."

At her words, Bakugo's hand went numb. There was no way she could go to U.A. From what we remembered, using her quirk could kill her. "Bullshit. You'll never pass the entrance exam."

Letting her go, Armari pulled out a letter from her pocket and flashed it in his face. "I don't have to. I was recommended."

Not believing what he was seeing, he grabbed her letter and sure enough, what she has said was true. How was that even possible?!

Crumbling the paper in his hands, Bakugo lit it on fire before tossing it away. "You're not going."

Amari's eyes widened as she raced forward to grab the piece. "I'm sorry, I think you just forgot who just saved your life. You're not my mom Katuski. In fact, she already said yes. So, I'm going."

This got him furious. She knew how dangerous it was. Why was she being so reckless?!

Reaching his hand down, Bakugo grabbed onto her collar again, this time with his quirk fully ignited. He needed to shake some sense into this girl. "You go to that damn school and tell them you are dropping out before I kick your ass into next week brat! You think you can compete with me?! I"m going to be the stronger hero and I don't want a weakling like you bringing me down! So drop out!"

Dangling her feet off the ground, Amari struggled against her brother, but still didn't back down. "I'm stronger than I once was Katsuki, and I am going to U.A."

The determination in her eyes was off putting to even Bakugo who just sighed roughly and let her go, the girl falling to her floor. If she was gonna get herself killed then it didn't concern him. "Whatever. Do whatever the hell you want. Just stay out of my way loser."

Then, he turned and left the scene while Amari brushed herself off. Looks like his ego didn't get any better. Well, that could've gone worse she supposed.

She suddenly saw the hand reach out of her and found Deku smiling. "Hey, don't worry about him. Kacchan is just Kacchan. I think he's actually really happy to see you. You know, deep down."

Amari accepted his hand and sighed, picking up the burned remains of her letter. "I knew it wasn't gonna go great. We are just too different."

Deku's eyes saddened when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Young Midoriya, if I might have a word with you?"

They turned to find All Might smiling at them and Amari knew it was time to go. "It's okay, go on. You are gonna take the entrance exam for U.A. also right? I hope we see each other again."

She smiled and Deku couldn't help but blush. He was never good with girls. "Uhh yess.. I mean.. maybe..I mean… I'll try my best Bakugo-chan! I mean, A-Amari-chan!"

Amari just laughed at this and waved her hand away. "See ya Midoriya."

* * *

Time had passed quickly and soon it was time for the entrance ceremony before class started. Everyone filled the auditorium, eager to see just who the top five recommended first year students were this year. It was a rare honor to be chosen.

Amari entered the hall uncertain and fixed the red tie around her neck before finding someone with a clipboard and strolling up to them. "Hello, I'm looking for the first year recommended section please."

He looked down at her given her height and chuckled a bit. "Of course. Follow me."

She knew he was judging her just from that one look and sighed. It must of looked weird for one of the top recommended students to be so short and skinny. Usually they build up muscle for their quirks.

Pulling the curtain back, he pointed to a chair that had the number 2 on it and answered. "You can wait here. They will call you by rank in just a couple minutes."

Amari nodded her head and sat down, eyeing the other students who just looked bored.

Although what caught her eye most was the student on her left hand side in the number 1 chair. He also looked bored but there was something else about him.

This boys hair was oddly two different colors, one crimson and one white. He had his eyes closed in a rather stoic position and there was also something up with his face.

Noticing her staring, the boy opened his eyes and turned to her, causing her to panic. Oh crap, she couldn't let him know she was staring! That would be really weird.

Rubbing the back of her head, Amari put her hand out and smiled to the stranger. "O-Oh, hello! It's nice to meet you! My name is Bakugo Amari"

He took one look at her hand and instead of shaking it, he crossed his arms against his chest and muttered. "Todoroki Shoto."

She suddenly felt stupid for putting her hand out and laughed nervously. "Oh, I see. Well it's nice to meet you Todoroki."

The boy just grunted in response though and Amari knew he didn't want to talk. Too bad her nerves got the best of her though and she couldn't shut her mouth. "So, you were recommended too, and the top recommended at that? I gotta say that's pretty impressive."

He eyes just looked distant at her statement before turning to her with utter determination. "I'm going to win."

Amari certainly was taken aback by that. "Uhh okay?"

Todoroki seemed confused by her statement, leaning on his chair. "Don't you want to win also? That's why you got recommended right? To be the best?"

His close contact made her feel really awkward as she put her hands up. Man, this boy certainly was intense. "Uhh well not really. That's not why I wanted to come here."

Her answer seemed foreign to him. "Then why?"

Looking closer at his eyes, she noticed them to be two different colors. One grey and one turquoise. It was like they were hypnotizing her into answering. They were so ... "pretty"

Amari watched Todoroki's face turn from one of intensity to one of pure embarrassment and she started to realize why. Oh god, had she just called him pretty out loud? Please tell her that wasn't the case.

But his eyes said otherwise, just looking confused and flustered. Oh no, she did say it out loud.

Watching her own face light up, Amari began trying to fix the situation, backtracking hardcore. "Uhhh I mean I don't really have a reason why or anything. You know, I just ha ha.."

Covering his face, Todoroki avoided her gaze and muttered into the floor quietly. "Weird."

Amari opened her mouth again but luckily was saved by one of the teachers calling down to them. "Todoroki, you are up next. Get ready!"

She let out a huge sigh of relief when he stood from his seat and turned to leave, but not before she called back to him. "Good luck!"

He stopped for a moment and she thought she really must of looked stupid. First she stared at this random boy, then she called his eyes pretty, and then she wished him good luck? What was wrong with her?!

The air hung in silence for a couple more seconds before Todorki just left without turning back to her. Yeah that proved it, he thought she was a freak. Good job Amari.

She silently hoped that not all boys in U.A. were this intense or her poor heart wouldn't be able to take it.

Putting her head in her hands, Amari let out a frustrated groan at her own stupidity which caught the eyes of the other recommended members, them all thinking the same thing

_They really let in some weirdos this year._

* * *

Soon it was time for her speech and Amari wasn't ready after everything that happened. Still, she had to clear her head and focus. There was a reason she came to this school after all.

The teachers called down to her and Amari smoothed out her skirt before stepping closer to the stage. She could hear Present Mic introducing her and Amari took a breath.

His voice echoed throughout the halls. "And now, we meet our number two most recommended student from this years first year class. Amari Bakugo!"

The crowds cheered and gasped at her name, quickly figuring out that she was related to Katski when she stepped on stage. She did have his red eyes and blonde hair after all. That was already really rare.

Katuski watched his sister and scoffed, one of his friends whispering next to him. "Hey, look at her! She's a hottie!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes in anger and let out a small explosion near the guys foot, causing it to catch on fire. "Shut your damn mouth before I set your entire body on fire."

The boy screamed and stopped talking as Amari walked up to the mic and smiled. "Hello, my name is Amari Bakugo and I hope to live up to your expectations this year. Please take care of me."

She then bowed and everyone clapped, whispering filling the area. "The number two most recommended is so small! I wonder how she even got accepted? She seems easy to beat!"

Bakugo ticked his brow at every comment before standing up and shouting to the entire auditorium "Would all of you shut the hell up!? I can't even hear through your damn whispers."

Amari stopped when she heard that and couldn't help but smile. She wanted to believe he did that for her.

She headed backstage after that and sighed a huge breath of relief. If today was any indication, this year was going to be really interesting.

* * *

Haha okay so now we have some plot. I wanted to make her character completely different to her brothers to show how they lived apart for so long. Also her freaking out about Todoroki, legit same girl. She's trying her best. Heh

Next chapter: Todoriki VS Amari in a sparring match. I wonder how that will go?


	3. Chapter 3

Amari rounded the corner of the hallways until she found a very tall door with the numbers 1-A on the side of the wall. It took awhile but she had finally found it. Man, this school was huge.

Pushing the door open she was met with about fifteen students, all waiting for class to start.

When she walked in, they all seemed to notice her presence but the only thing she could focus on was her brothers angry expression in the corner. "Oh you have got to me shitting me. No way. Go find another class brat!"

At his words the students gapped their mouths opened and connected the dots. "Hey, you are Bakugo-chan right? The second highest recommend?"

Amari smiled and awkwardly raised her hand up to greet them, ignoring her brothers words. "Uhh yeah that's me. Although you can just call me Amari. It would be way easier."

The class all shook their heads in agreement and she bowed once. "I can't wait to get to know all of you."

Everyone seemed stunned by this and looked at other to Bakugo, then back to her. "Hey Bakugo. Are you sure she's related to you? You two seem like polar opposites."

It was true. Amari and Bakugo were probably as different as they could be. Katuski was tall, muscular and had a big mouth while Amari was way shorter, reaching only to his lower chest with a skinny build and a kinda cute-sy attitude. It certainly was strange. The only thing that was the same was their matching hair and eyes.

Bakugo just scoffed at his classmates, obviously not in the mood. "Shut up."

Amari was a bit more kind though, nervously laughing. "It does seem that way, doesn't it? We didn't really grow up with each other. Is it that obvious?"

Everyone just nodded their heads without hesitation and Amari's eyes dropped a little.

Suddenly the door opened to her left and everyone turned to see who it was. The voice sounded scared and uncertain. "Umm hello?"

Focusing her eyes, Amari lightened up when she realized who is was. "Ah Midoriya! You made it."

Deku recognized her right away and went straight into a bow, clearly nervous. "AHH yes..hello Bakugo-chan...I mean..A-A-Amari-chan! It's good to see you too!"

She couldn't help but laugh at this. "If it's too hard, you don't have to call me by my first name. I don't want you to pull something."

But Deku put his hand out to stop her. "No it's okay! I'll get better, I promise! Besides, you seem really uncomfortable when I called you by your last name and I wanna be good friends so…"

Her eyes couldn't help but widened at this. The fact that he figured out that she was uncomfortable with her last name after just one encounter was surprising. This boy was someone to look out for. Definitely not to be underestimated.

Letting her lips curve into a small smile, Amari replied. "Well thank you, I appreciate it Midoriya."

Deku couldn't help but blush at this and Bakugo was getting really pissed off at the encounter. She really needed to stop being so nice to Deku. "Oi! You two are getting on my nerves already! Just find a damn seat and shut up!"

The two froze at his statement and Amari answered back apoligicelty. "As much as he's annoying, he's right. I better go find my seat. See you around?"

Deku nodded his head maybe a little too fast, and Amari just put a hand up to say goodbye. The teacher was gonna be here at any minute, she needed to do this quickly.

Finding a small nametag in the back row, Amari walked up to it and placed her bag on the desk. Then, she sat down at couldn't help but think about her speech back in the auditorium. She hoped it was good enough.

Somehow her mind slipped from the speech back to that boy who she had utterly embarrassed herself in front of. It was his fault in the first place for asking so many questions, and did he not know anything about personal space?

Ah well, now it was over. Now she wouldn't have to see him ever again. She could just focus on class never to see that weird tomato boy again…

Amari laughed to herself and began to pull the book out of her bag when felt saw a blur next to her, seemingly taking their seat. This must of been her neighbor.

Thinking about not being rude, she turned to person next to her and smiled, introducing yourself. "Hello! You must be my neighbor! my name is…"

But slowly her world stopped when she realized just who was sitting next to her. It was him, the tomato boy, Todoroki.

Then without thinking she gave out a huge scream, almost acting like he was a bug or a spider on the ceiling. "AHHHHHHHHH."

Everyone in class turned around to her, given the huge noise and stared, Amari feeling the heat rise up in her cheeks. _Why him? Why did she have to sit next to him of all people?!_

One of the students poked her on the shoulder because she seemed frozen and questioned. "Hey Amari, you are okay?"

Clicking her brain back into place, she tried to backtrack once again, although it kind of just sounded like unconvincing rambling. "Pfft, yeah, I'm good, so so good. Are you good, cause I'm really good. I mean aren't we all good? Who isn't good? Ha Ha Ha…"

It seemed that it didn't work though as the students all looked at her like she was crazy. "Right.."

Bakugo just put a disappointed hand up to his face. Was she always this spastic when they were kids?

Once they turned around Amari face planted herself onto of her backpack and groaned internally. _Alright, this was alright. She could just fix everything. Yeah that's right, it could of been an easy mistake. He might of not even heard it. _

Composing herself she turned back to him and put up an apologetic hand. "Hey, so I'm really sorry about what happened at the opening ceremonies. I guess I was just really nervous, you know?"

Todoroki looked down for a moment before turning to look at her with his usual piercing gaze she now knew. "So calling someone pretty is usually something you do when you're nervous? Good to know."

Feeling the sweat start to accumulate, Amari tried to brush it off. Crap, he did hear it. "Well, no not usually. It's just sometimes I say things before my brain can process them. They don't really mean anything though so don't worry about it."

He seemed in thought for a moment before she watched his lips curve into a clear sign of amusement. "I've noticed."

Well at least he was enjoying himself. Amari on the other hand was freaking out. "Right, so I was wondering if we could, you know, forget that ever happened and start over? Like maybe we could be friends?"

Suddenly his amusement was gone, left only with that usual stoic persona he liked to have. His eyes, they seemed distant. "I don't think so."

Blinking once, Amari laughed nervously and tried to explain herself. "Look, I know what I did was kinda weird but I promise I'm not like that all the time. Well, I can't really promise that but I'll try..."

Todoroki then put his hand up and cut her off. "It's not that. We can't be friends."

Not understanding, Amari turned her head to the side. "Why not?"

That's when his piercing gaze returned, this time more intense than usual. It was like he was staring into her soul with the amount of fiery passion there. He looked serious. "Because, you are my enemy."

Letting the words soak in, Amari pointed a finger to herself, not fully understanding. They was a slight chill in the air now and she couldn't help but shiver. "Me? How am I ...?"

Although she was cut off when a tall man in a bright yellow sleeping bag inch wormed into the class and called out in a boring tone. "Alright. I'm Aizawa Shota your homeroom teacher. Now, all of you get changed and hurry outside. We are gonna have a test."

Everyone in the class gasped at this, including Amari. A test on the first day of school? That was certainly odd.

One by one everyone stood up to go change and when she whipped her head back towards Todoroki, she was surprised to see him gone as well.

What even was that? He was so intense, more so than usual. She silently wondering what he meant when he called her his enemy. That's not how she saw Todoroki at all.

But she now knew one thing for sure, Amari was continuing to dig herself an even deeper hole than before.

* * *

Once they had changed, the class was escorted into some kind of training building. It was dome shaped with a protective layering on the sides. Must of been so people could freely use their quirks.

Lining up, Amari decided to stand next to Deku, rather then her brother or tomato head. Both of them clearly looked like they didn't want to talk to her. Fair enough.

Nudging her elbow, Amari whispered to her new friends. "Hey, what do you think the test is gonna be?"

Deku just shrugged, noticing that he was sweating more than usual. "I don't know. I hope it isn't anything too serious."

She nodded her head in agreement and watched Aizawa stand on the stage next to them. "Alright, it's time to start the test. I will be pairing you off in groups of two and you will have three minutes to defeat your opponent. If neither of you succeed it will count as a draw. A defeat is less points than a draw so try to stay in the ring as much as possible."

Everyone seemed onboard with the idea as the teacher continued. "The goal is to fight before the class discovers what each other's quirks are. In a real battle with villains this idea is more realistic."

Then he pointed to his clipboard and sighed. "The ones with the lowest points in battle will be punished with expulsion. Are there any questions? I sure hope not."

This got everyone riled up. What did he mean expulsion? So basically if you are the weakest in the battle you get expelled? That seemed a little rough.

Amari glanced to Deku only to find him literally shaking. "Midoriya? Hey, are you okay?"

Although it seemed he couldn't hear her, only listening to the sound of Bakugo's laugh. "Good. Now I get rid of you two useless weaklings faster than I thought!"

This caused him to shake more, Amari putting a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Don't listen to him. You are gonna do great, okay? I mean, there's a reason you were accepted into U.A, right?"

Deku thought hard about her sentence, remembering everything he did to get to this point. She was right. He could do this, maybe. Possibly. Okay, maybe not.

Aizawa's voice carried over the crowd once again, turning the page in his clipboard. "Alright, the first match will be between Todoroki Shoto…"

Amari watched him step on the stage and shook her head. _Whoever battled him was gonna have it rough. _

Just then, Aizawa finished his sentence. "And Amari Bakugo."

Her eyes widened at this as her mouth gaped open. Why was the universe this cruel?

Knowing she had to do something, Amari shakely got on stage next to Todoroki, Aizawa speaking over them. "We will start with our top two most recommended students. Now, go over to the ring."

Todoroki turned to leave when she called out to him, trying to even the ice just a little. "Hey, good luck out there."

He looked at her sharply for a moment before leaving the area. Wow, not even a word. He must really have something against her.

As she got in place, Amari felt a rough hand on her arm and turned to find Bakugo staring at her in anger. "You better not use your quirk damn it."

His fingers tightened around the area and she looked up to meet his eyes. What was he even talking about? "Uhh I kind of have to. That's the whole point."

Gritting his teeth, he pulled her even closer, now gaining the attention of the entire class. "Did you lose a couple brain cells?! I won't let you!"

Amari narrowed her eyes when the teacher called out. "What is it Bakugo?"

Turning towards him, her brother twisted her arm just slightly, showing him. "She's not fighting. I'm withdrawing her."

Her eyes grew wide at this. Now he wanted to be the protective big brother? It was kinda funny. "Katuski, let me go. I'm doing this."

With a bored expression, Aizawa's replied. "If she doesn't fight, she'll be expelled."

Bakugo's brow lowered and answered. "That's fine."

Twisting away, Amari protested. "No, it's not fine! You are overreacting. I'm fighting Mr. Aizawa."

Nodding his head, he pointed back to the ring. "You heard her Bakugo. If you don't let her fight then I'm going to have to expell you as well."

Bakugo thought about the possibilities that lay before him and realized that this was stupid. As much as he wanted to protect his sister, he also didn't want to get expelled. Then what help would he really be?

Reluctantly letting go, Amari rubbed her arm and moved away from him, but not before looking him dead in the eyes and speaking. "Watch me Katsuki."

Then, she turned back to the ring to find Todoroki looking rather bored. That altercation must of took awhile.

Stepping to the edge, the teacher spoke. "Alright. You have three minutes to defeat your opponent. The countdown starts now."

A large clock above them started counting down from one minute and the two challengers took a step closer to each other.

Knowing she didn't have a ton of time, Amari reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small bag before choosing a white colored pill and swirling it around in her hand.

Amari stared at the pill for a moment before looking up to Todoroki apologetically. "I'm sorry Todoroki."

He seemed confused by this. "For what?"

She just sighed and placed the pill between her teeth before swallowing it. "I'm sorry I can't go easy on you."

The boys eyes widened as her face quickly changed into one of absolute intent. "My brother is watching me."

Suddenly, the bell rang and Todoroki wasted no time throwing a huge wave of ice towards the girl, hoping that this would be over quickly.

It crashed into her and he was about to relax when a shimmering gold substance caught his eye. She looked to be coated in some glowing gold matter.

He let another ice wave go but it just bounced off of her, like she was using some sort of protective coating against quirks. Oh, so that was it.

Todoroki didn't have time to process though as Amari raced towards him, her smile was completely gone. Ah yes, this was the face of the number two recommended.

Racing forward to punch him, he took the chance and turned just in time, grabbing her arm to throw her away from him.

She crashed into the ground and groaned before picking herself up and trying again, in the exact same manner.

He thought she was foolish for trying the same attack twice but when he touched her arm, he was met with a burning sensation throughout his whole body. It was like the gold coating was scalding hot.

Grunting, Todoroki pushed her away with a blast of ice, causing her to reach further and further away from him. Close combat was not the way to go with her.

Amari crashed into the wall and her protective coating faded away. There must of been a time limit on that, he marked in his mind.

He started to attack her with shards of ice but she was able to dodge under and over them with ease. Who even was this girl?

Todoroki tried a different strategy then, stomping his foot on the ground and covering the entire floor with ice.

It creeped up the sides and Amari wasn't fast enough, causing her foot to be encircled in the trap. She cursed to herself, feeling her foot slowly growing numb from the cold.

Knowing he had won, Todoroki called out to her. "Say you give up. I'm not great at monitoring the temperature so your foot could fall off."

Amari gritted her teeth, feeling the cold seep into her bones, her teeth began to chatter. "Alright. I-I.."

Suddenly, the gold matter swirled under Todoroki's feet, creating a circle around him. That circle then crept up, creating a dorm, isolating him from the rest of the area. "What.."

Amari's lips curved up into a small smirk before pointing. "I needed you in one spot. Thank you."

Then she started to close her fist the the dome began to shrink smaller and smaller.

Deku gasped, realizing this was the same move she did during that sludge villain battle. She was cornering him.

Bakugo watched the fight with hollowed eyes. When did she learn to fight like that? It was almost as if that girl he saw as a child was a completely different person to the one standing before him now.

Todoroki touched the top of the dome only to have him pull back and curse. This was the same sort of matter as the gold coating her had before. It burned him to even touch it.

The area grew smaller and smaller and when the edges touched his back, he gritted his teeth in pain. Soon his whole body would be burned if he didn't stop this.

Amari forgot about the feeling in her foot and locked eyes with the boy, mocking his words. "Now you say you give up. I really don't want to barbeque someone today."

Todoroki grunted as the dome touched his bare skin and knew he had to do something, and that wasn't admitting defeat.

Using his hand, he pulled against the dome, letting his ice shoot into the top while screaming at the intense pain it brought.

Her eyes widened at this move when suddenly the dome shattered to pieces and Amari felt a pain exploded in her chest. No one had ever broken her barrier before.

She felt the pain rise until she began to cough aggressively. It felt like something within her had broken.

Whipping her mouth, Amari found blood but quickly shook it off, feeling the absolute intent off of Todoroki. This guy, he was a monster.

Bakugo's eyes widened at the sight of blood, wanting nothing but to race into the ring and pull her out before she killed herself. Although, he knew he couldn't which pissed him off even more.

Amari looked down at her foot before willing the heat to melt the ice, it shattering beneath her.

Putting up a protective shield, Amari ran at him just as Todoroki did the same. It seemed neither of them wanted to back down. Both of them were disappointed at that.

They both reached their hands up only for the buzzer to go off above them, the teacher shouting back. "Alright time. It's a draw."

The two of them froze as they realized that the three minutes were up. Glancing towards the class everyone seemed shocked as well. They had completely forgotten about the timer.

Whipping a drop of blood that had formed, she turned back to find Todoriki leaving the circle, and there was no way she was going to let it end like that.

Amari raced after him, pulling his arm to get the boy to stop. "Hey, hold on."

Todoroki ripped the arm away, seemingly mad for some reason. "What, you wanna gloat?"

Not really understanding, she put her hands out. "What? No, I just wanted to say, you looked so cool out there!"

This got him to pause. Usually an opponent would either yell at him for winning or gloat for beating him. What was this girl thinking?

Noticing that she got his attention, she raced forward, jumping like a small dog and nodded excitedly. "Yeah, you were so amazing! I've never had anyone break my barrier before. And that floor freeze move was also super cool! You're amazing Todoroki!"

He was taken back by her words, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "What are you, a fan?"

Amari paused for a moment before rubbing the back of her head in an awkward fashion and smiling. "I guess so. Guess I've joined the Todoroki fanclub."

Todoroki wasn't expecting her to take his sarcasm so seriously and grew even more embarrassed. "That's not even a thing.."

He looked back on this girl and wondered if she was the same one that he fought just now. Todoroki hated to admit it but, if that fight went on, he wasn't sure if he could've won. Her moves, they were so calculating and precise. He knew he shouldn't have underestimated her.

A thick silence grew before Amari spoke again. "Hey so, what did you mean by I'm your enemy?"

She seemed really bothered by it which confused him. Did she really not know? "Because if I want to be the number one hero, than you are my biggest threat."

Amari blinked a couple times, soaking up the response he gave before laughing. "Oh that, you don't have to worry about that. I don't want to be the number one hero or anything. That's not why I joined U.A."

That was the only reason anyone went to U.A. What other kind of reason was there. "Then why? You never answered my question earlier."

She thought for a moment and Todoroki could see a bit of sadness in the eyes at the question. It was the same during opening ceremonies as well. What was she hiding?

Then, seemingly the sadness was gone, replaced by the playful tone. "I'll tell you, if you practice with me this weekend."

He obviously wasn't expecting this. "What? Didn't I already say we are enemies? I can't train with the enemy."

But Amari just pouted. "And I'm telling you that we aren't. Come on, I could use the practice and I want you to show me some of those cool moves. You are really good Todoroki, maybe a little too good."

She smiled just then and Todoroki tried to figure out her alternative plan. Maybe she wanted to spy on him to get closer in the ranks, or steal some of his moves and practices. This had a terrible idea written all over it.

But then he thought of something else. If he trained with her, then he could find her weakness as well, being able to use it in future battles. It was risky but he had the guts. This could be the opening he needed to beat her and then eventually his father. This could work.

Sighing heavily, Todoroki replied, swinging his bag over the shoulder. "Fine. Leave Saturday free."

Amari's face lightened at this and squeaked, jumping around before hugging him tightly. "Ahh thank you thank you thank you! You won't regret it, I promise! I'll get there super easy and try really hard and it will be great!"

The close content caused him to blush and push her away, slowly understanding what he had just agreed to it, muttering. "I'm beginning to regret this already."

Then he walked away before she could attack him again. He just had to be patient. This girl was the key to finishing off his father, he just knew it.

* * *

Heheheh they have a date! Well it's not really a date but I count it. Amari really is a spazzy dork, especially in front of Todoroki. Also protective Bakugo making a short appearance.

Thank you so much for liking this story and favoriting it! I didn't think it would do very well. Don't forget to comment because it motivates me to update faster!

Next Chapter: The "not" Date.


	4. Chapter 4

Todoroki arrived at the meeting spot in the center of town only to find Amari already waiting for him. She had her hair in a ponytail while wearing some basic grey sweatpants and carrying a large crimson duffle bag. He was already ten minutes early. How on earth was she here already?

She spotted him through the crowds and excitedly waved over to him like a small puppy would do when his master came home. Now that he thought about it, that was a good comparison to her. Annoying, loud and jumpy. "Todoroki! Over here! Hurry up slowpoke!"

Sighing and already regretting his decision, he strolled up to her. She obviously didn't notice the people staring around her. "How long have you been here waiting?"

She looked at her watch and verbally counted in her head before grinning. "Two hours!"

His mouth dropped at that. "Two hours? You said one of clock, right?"

Nodding her head, Amari just waved him away. "Yeah, but I couldn't help it! I'm just really excited to hang out with my new friend!"

She slapped his back playfully and Todoroki just pulled away. "What did I tell you? We can't be friends."

Amari put a finger to her lips and smiled, like she knew something he didn't. "We'll see. Come on, I booked us a room already."

Then without looking back, she turned on her heels and started walking to the destination, leaving the boy behind.

He soon realized this and ran to catch up to her. "Hey hold on, wait a minute."

* * *

Once they reached the training room, Amari threw her stuff on the ground and stretched her arms. "Alright what will it be first tomato? Ah, I mean, Todoroki."

At the name he raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call me a tomato?"

Laughing nervously, she pulled out a water bottle and waved her hand away. "What? Pfft no. That would be really weird. I think you're hearing things."

Although he wasn't buying her case. He didn't know her for long but that totally sounded like something she would've said. "Right…"

Then got down to business, pointing to the circle. "We should start with some sparring since that's what comes natural. That way I can see your techniques"

Amari nodded her head put out a hand, stopping him from starting. "Hold on a minute."

Pulling a small packet out from her pocket, Todoroki realized she was grabbing the same kind of pill as last time. Did she take one before every fight?

She quickly put it up to her lips and swallowed it, causing him to ask. "What is that?"

But Amari remained silent, that is until a familiar smirk overcame her face. "I think you should focus on other things Todoroki."

Then, without another word, she raced towards him with intent, causing the boy to be shaken. Why had she just avoided the question? No matter, he had other things to handle.

Bringing his hand out, a wave of ice launched to her only to have her block it with her gold matter shield. "Nice try tomato."

Noticing the nickname, he couldn't help but smirk while firing a sheet of ice below her. "See, you lied."

Amari just acted appalled by his comment, quickly jumping over the spot before she touched the ground. "I'm offended. I would never."

They were face to face now, as Amari launched a fist towards his face, only to have him block it easier. Height was definitely not on her side.

Height may not have been, but the ground was, she thought as Amari kicked Todoroki's legs from underneath him, causing him to fall to the floor in a thud.

A large dome covered his body and Amari stood over him, proudly. "You give up?"

As he was grunting under the pressure, Amari had thought she had won, that was until he smirked at her.

Not understanding, she followed his gaze and noticed that a sheet of ice had blocked her circle, leaving an opening for his powers to seep through.

Then, in a flash, Todoroki pressed his hand to the ground, the ice creeping up to her foot and slowly covering her entire body.

She shivered at the contact and the shield went down because of the shock.

Feeling the temperature rise, she could feel her lips turn blue as Todoroki stood without difficulty. "We'll stop here because I know you won't give up."

Using his left hand, Todoroki touched the ice surrounding her chest, causing the area to melt and thaw.

Amari gasped as she was set free from her chains and tried to catch her breath. He had learned from their last fight already. Man, he was good.

His voice echoed in her ears while standing above her. "You have talent but you are too proud and let your guard down easy. A villain wouldn't have been as nice as me."

Finally gaining back her breath, Amari stood up to meet him. "Yeah, believe it or not, I've been told that before. That was a good round though."

He nodded his head in response but changed the topic. "What else do you want to practice? That is, unless you wanna tell me why I'm not your enemy now?"

Realizing where was going with this, Amari smirked. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I think I have a few ideas."

* * *

The practice went on for a couple hours before they decided to call it quits. It was around dinner time now and whether or not they liked it, the two were getting worn out.

Breathing heavily, Amari grabbed her towel and whipped the sweat. "You aren't too bad Todoroki. Well, I knew that already though."

He sat down on the bench and ran a couple fingers through his hair. "You aren't too bad either. Course, I still won. Now are you going to tell me why you joined U.A.?"

Amari was silent for a moment before jumped out of her seat and pointing. "Wait right there."

Then she hurried off while grabbing her duffle bag, leaving the poor boy confused.

Although he didn't have to wait long as she emerged in a simple white lacing off the shoulder top and a galaxy blue skirt with small ribbons on the side. It looked like a complete 180 from her previous outfit.

She twirled around for dramatic effect and posed. "What do you think?"

Although, Todoroki seemed dumbfounded. "What are you doing?"

Frowning, Amari grabbed reached down and grabbed his hand before pulling from out of his seat. "Come on, let's go have some fun!"

Todoroki just looked confused and pulled away his hand. "You never answered my question."

She looked away for a moment before winking and pressing a finger to her lips. "I'll tell you after this. Come on, pleaseeeeeeee."

Her eyes turned sparkly and bright which caused him to cave. He just had to endure it, everything would be worth it. "Fine."

Amari squeaked in happiness and pulled him along outside into the streets and down the busy sidewalks.

* * *

The first place she dragged him to was a small cake shop on the edge of town where she picked out two huge slices and eat them at the table. "MMM this is so good!"

Although, he just seemed lost about this whole thing. "Now are you going to tell me?"

But she just shook her head and passed him a piece of cake, smiling. "Here, you try it!"

Todoroki groaned internally as she accepted the cake. What was her master plan in all this?

* * *

The second place she took him to was an indoor mall of sorts. He watched as she strolled through the aisles without a care in the world, feeling a sense of irritation in his throat.

He should have just gone home, why hadn't he? Was he really that curious to learn why she claimed she wasn't a threat to him? Why did she want his friendship that badly, it didn't make sense.

Amari called over to him then and flung some clothes in his direction before pushing him into the dressing room. Hey, try these on. I know they'll look good."

Before he could argue, he was inside the room, looking down at the clothes she had picked. It was okay. It was all worth it.

At least that's what he kept telling himself.

* * *

After the tenth place, the two of them were walking into a nearby park when Todoroki snapped. "If you aren't going to tell me then I'm going home."

He turned away from her, feeling frustrated when she reached out to him in desperation. "Wait. I'm sorry, I've been avoiding it."

He could clearly tell that much as the tone in the air grew more somber, Amari patting the head next to her. "Fine. Gonna have to do it sometime since I promised you. You might want to sit down."

Todoroki complied and sighed, asking the question he had been wondering all day. "Why do you keep claiming I'm not your enemy?"

Amari smiled to herself and looked at her hand before answering. "Because, your goal to be top hero, by the time you accomplished that, I'll probably no longer be here."

The air grew thin at her words as he wondered the meaning. "What do you mean by that? Are you moving away?"

She seemed to find that funny. "Something like that. Let's just say, I can't really think about long term goals like that."

Todoroki was silenced at that, letting her continue. She sighed and pulled out the small box that she always carried with her, gazing at the pills. "You asked what these were. You see, when I was born I was very weak, still am. When my quirk awakened, I almost died because of it. My body, just isn't strong enough to maintain it."

Picking up one of the pills, she swirled it around in her hand. "These pills, they are filled with nutrients and energy. If I take one before using my quirk, it can sustain my body for a short time. That's how I can fight."

He looked down at the pill, a new question came to mind. "What happens if you fight without taking one?"

Amari paused and stared at her feet before answering. "Then, I'll die. It's as simple as that. My body can't handle my quirk so if I use it without the pills, I wouldn't survive."

Todoroki's eyes widened at this. The risk was so great. How could she be okay with using something that could potentially kill her?

Stretching her hands out, Amari then chuckled at some unseen joke. "Ah well, it's not like it matters if I take them or not. It's just a fact, someday my quirk will kill me. The pills are only a temporary solution. It's almost guaranteed that one day, they'll just stop working and then I'll be out of luck."

Gasping at his, Todoroki realized what she had just said and connected the dots. She didn't have any long term goals because she knew she wasn't going to live that long. That's why she said they weren't enemies. He didn't know why, but it made his chest ache.

He then realized that maybe he shouldn't have been so rough on her during their fights. What if he pushed her too hard?

She seemed to have read his mind though, only smiling sadly. "You must be wondering why I would do something so dangerous, right? That I must have a death wish.

Amari then took his silence as an answer, swirling her finger in the grass carefully. "You see, I could very well live a normal boring life without using my quirk, sitting on the sidelines being happily until I grow old."

Then she turned to him and Todoroki couldn't help but notice the emotion in her eyes. "Or I could live with just a few years and do something worthwhile with my life. You know, saving people, helping others. I could be what I always dreamed to be and make a difference in this world, I could be a hero."

The stars shined around her as he felt her true passion and determination. She was willing to give up everything for just a few years of doing what she loved. It was tragic. It seemed She had already had come to terms with her death.

Todoroki remained speechless at this, not knowing what to say. Finally, his voice came out in a soft whisper. "Aren't you afraid?"

She thought about his for a moment before sighing heavily. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't but I realized a long time ago that if I wanted to accomplish my goal, then I would have to do myself. That's why I don't want to be the strongest hero. I just want to be remembered somehow. "

He recalled his bet with his father and realized that all of that seemed foolish compared to this. In fact, if he was given the same circumstances, Todoroki wasn't sure if he would be able to do what she was doing.

For the first time in his life, Todoroki thought someone was fearless and he wanted her to know it. "You're amazing."

At his words, her cheeks lit up, obviously not expecting that response. "W-What? I mean I wouldn't call it amazing. You know, I'm just playing the cards I've been dealt and everything and uhh.."

He couldn't help but smile at her flustered nature, a new question popping into his head. "Is that why you joined U.A. then?"

Just then, her smile fell. "Oh, uhh not really. I mean, that is part of it but that wasn't my real reason."

This got him more curious. "Then why?"

The air stood silent and Todoroki knew she was at war with herself in that moment, debating if she should tell him or not. "You don't have to tell me if it's painful…"

But she just put her hand up and sighed. "No, it's fine. You've already heard this much. I guess I've just never told anyone this before."

Putting her head in her hands her smiled bitterly. "See, this is why I wanted to get that cake first. It's not the happiest of conversations."

He recalled the places she dragged him to and instantly regretted feeling annoyed by that. She was just trying to avoid this conversation as much as possible. This must of been really hard for her.

Breathing in a shaky breath, she answered finally. "I joined U.A. because of my brother, Katsuki."

Amari then looked down at her hands, remembering something unpleasant. "When we were kids, Katuski used to always say that a Bakugo needed to be strong, the strongest of them all, and I just wasn't. Hell, I was on the verge of death once or twice. I just couldn't be what he wanted."

Closing the hand, she continued. "Before I left for America, I saw him playing with a couple of his friends and they asked if he knew who I was, and he said no. Katsuki was so ashamed to have me as his sister that he never mentioned me to anyone, and I thought at that time I deserved it."

Todoroki just listened as she poured her heart out, noticing a slight crack in her voice. "So, when I went to america I tried my hardest to become strong like him, so I could be worthy. I underwent dozens of surgeries and high level trainings just so I could stand next to him"

Pulling her shirt up slightly, he gasped when he saw the overlapping scars and cuts on her body. There were even a couple of burn scars. What the hell even happened to her?

She must have noticed his look of horror and pulled it back down. "I'll save you the details. Trust me, you don't wanna know."

Then, she pulled her legs up to her chest and continued. "I could care less about being the number one hero, I don't care about the social status. You see, all I want is for my brother to finally be proud enough to acknowledge me as his sister. Then I can die happily."

Todoroki thought about her interactions with Bakugo until now and a heavy, furious heat started to rise from within. This girl was literally breaking apart for him and he was still treating her like trash. He didn't know how much she really loved him.

Amari wiped the side of her face and he realized that there were tears in the corners of her eyes. That's when she noticed him staring and turned away. "Ah crap. I promised I would stay cool. Look at me, I'm such a mess haha."

He didn't know why, but Todoroki wanted to clear those tears himself, although he stopped himself with another question. "Does he know? You know, about everything?"

Amari knew who he was referring to and shook her head. "Katsuki knows that I'm not supposed to use my quirk but he doesn't know that I'm shortening my life everything I do activate it. I think he'd probably pull me out of U.A and kill me if he found that out and oh boy, that would be scary."

She laughed to herself but Todoroki could see the sadness in her eyes. He now knew what that meant and he hated it even more.

Suddenly, Amari slapped her face and stood aggressively. "Ahh well! That's just how it is! Not like I have time to be sad about it or anything! Hey, can we get some milkshakes on the way home? I'm having a craving."

Usually he would have found her outburst as annoying but now he knew better. Standing up as well, he replied. "Sure."

Amari jumped for joy before realizing something. "Wait, does this mean we can be friends now that I proved we aren't enemies?"

He thought for a moment. Before today he was so ready to turn her down no matter what her explanation was but it seemed she was right. He couldn't say no after all that. "Yeah. We can be friends."

Amari's face widened in a goofy grin and threw her hands up. "Yayy! Now let's have some milkshakes new friend!"

He watched her hop down off of the hill and couldn't help but smile at her childish nature.

This girl, she was the strongest person he had ever met.

* * *

Oops. We got some feels. So Amari is basically on a time limit and all she cares about is the acceptance and love of her brother. That's why she joined U.A. Poor Todoroki got more information then he asked for.

Next Chapter: Todoroki deals with what he just leaned at school.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day came quicker than expected as Amari drudged into school, her feet scraping the bottom of the ground from the lack of sleep last night.

Once she got home she realized that maybe she said too much last night with Todoroki. He just wanted to know why she was at U.A. Why had instead had she poured that much information on him? She could've just lied. It would've been easier. He probably found it annoying. Amari realized she should properly apologize.

Moving towards the classroom, she spotted his two tone hair from afar and raced up to meet him. It was better to say something now rather than later, you know, before things got even more awkward.

Reaching her hand up, she pulled the back of his backpack, causing him to tip backwards in surprise. "What.."

Then his eyes met hers. "Amari? What are you doing?"

She just smiled and awkwardly rubbed her hand behind her head. It's okay she could do this. "Hey Todoroki. I just wanted to apologize for last night."

His brow went up at this, not understanding. He didn't see any need to apologize "For what?"

Silence echoed for a couple seconds before she replied, sounding rather uncertain in her tone. "Uhh well, you know, I feel like yesterday I might have overshared a bit and I just wanted to say that if you want to forget about everything then that's totally fine."

Todoroki thought about the conversation they had last night and knew he couldn't forget it even if he tried. That wasn't something you could just forget. Of course, her whole life wasn't any of his business so maybe it was better to not talk about it. "Alright."

She nodded her head in acceptance when a new question came to mind. "But before that, why did you tell me all that in the first place? We hardly know each other."

Amari casted her eyes away, thinking about something before smiling softly and shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, I guess I just really wanted to be friends with you. I'm part of the Todoroki fan club remember?"

Her response sounded so honest so it was impossible to say she wasn't telling the truth. But why would anyone want to be friends with him this badly? He wasn't anything special. It didn't make sense.

At the last part of her sentence, Todoriki groaned, feeling that slight bit of embarrassment in the back of his throat. "I told you to stop saying that…"

But Amari just giggled in response, knowing that it annoyed him. "I recall no such thing."

He opened his mouth to speak again when someone appeared in front of them, shoving Amari aggressively in the shoulder backwards and splitting the two of them apart. "Get out of my way nerd. You are a nuisance."

She regained her footing before wobbling and was going to call him out for being so rude when she realized just who it was, her brother.

Without another word, he slipped into the classroom and Todoroki watched her hand curl into a small fist. He silently wondered why she would risk everything for a jerk like him. He literally just pushed her out of the way. Todoroki didn't know why, but it made him angry.

He stopped his thoughts when a small whisper echoed up to his ears, repeating the same phrase over and over again. "It's okay, you can do this Amari. It's okay, I can do this."

Glancing at her, he could see the slight fear in her eyes as the girl turned on her heels and into the classroom. What was she doing?

Amari waved her hand at a few students before strolling up to her brothers seat and smiling. Todokori couldn't help but watch everything. "Good morning Katsuki."

Bakugo took one look at her before purposely turning his head away. "Why are you talking to me brat?"

It was obvious that he didn't want to talk but Amari pushed on. She needed to talk to about their fight during class yesterday. "I don't know. I just wanted to chat I guess. Yesterday was kinda rough and I wanted to see if you're okay."

Her brother ticked his brow in annoyance, remembering her defiance and hissed. "I'd be even more okay if you dropped out like I told you to."

Amari's eyes saddened then, placing a hand on his desk. "I can't do that Katsuki."

Slapping his hands on the surface, Bakugo had reached his limit. He stood up at her words, staring her dead in the eyes. "Why the hell not?! Just looking at you makes me sick! Go back to America so I never have to see you again!"

The classroom around them turned silent, everyone obviously getting mildly uncomfortable. Deku spoke out first though. "Hey Kacchan, you should be nicer to your little sister."

At his words, the two siblings turned around to look at him like he was crazy, Katsuki especially. "Shut up. You don't know anything."

Deku backed away slightly, not knowing what got him so riled up when Amari decided to shed some light on the situation. "Uhh Midorya, Katsuki is only ten mintues older than me."

It took a couple minutes to process everything before the entire class gasped in absolute shock. "Wait, so you're twins?!"

Amari nodded her head slightly and everyone didn't know what to say. It seemed practically impossible.

Mineta seemed especially freaked out by the reveal. "What?! That's impossible. You two look and act absolutely nothing alike! What the heck happened?!"

Uraraka also seemed confused. "I always thought you skipped a couple grades Amari."

Shaking her head, Todoroki could see her hand form into that first again. "Ah nope. Seems kinda hard to believe, huh?"

She laughed to herself, trying to lighten the mood but Todoroki could tell she was uncomfortable. She was making the same expression as their talk last night.

Mineta opened his mouth again when Bakugo slapped his fists on the desk, causing everyone to stop. "It's none of your damn business so stop talking about it already before I kick your ass through this wall! Twins? What a fucking joke.."

At his words, Amari's shoulder fell, trying to ignore the sting that his comment had brought. Instead she played off the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Yeah that word doesn't really seem right for us."

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Amari was glad when the teacher walked in. Any more of that and she might have cracked under the stress. She couldn't fall apart in front of the whole class. "Alright, the bell rang so get in your seats, would you?"

Amari dropped the conversation, noticing that Bakugo had already sat down and turned to find her own seat.

Todoroki watched her pull out her books and couldn't help wondering how much she must of been hurting right now. All she wanted was her brothers acceptance but he treated her a nuisance, like a bug on the ceiling. He wondered what Bakugo would do if he found out Amari was risking everything for him. Maybe then he would be grateful for once.

But as soon as those thoughts entered, he cleared them from his mind. She told him to forget about everything so that's exactly what he was gonna do. He had more important things to worry about anyways.

Just then, the door slammed open again and a loud booming laugh echoed throughout the space, getting everyone's attention. "I'm, coming through the door, like a normal person!"

Deku and Amari's face light up especially when they realized who it was. "All Might!"

He smiled, strolling to the front of the class. "I am teaching hero training. This course will help you train in the different ways to be a hero. So, let's get right to it! The first thing we will focus on is, combat training!"

At those words, Deku and Bakugo rose out of their seats, for different reasons. Deku looked scared to death while Bakugo was pumped up more than ever before. "Combat training!?"

All Might nodded his head and pushed a button on a remote, causing the wall to expand into four separate sections, all with briefcases lining the sides. "These are the costumes based on your quirk registrations and requests you send in before school started. After you change, gather in the Ground Beta."

Everyone cheered and raced forward to grab their costumes, excited to see just what this training would bring.

* * *

Amari looked at herself in the mirror as she zipped up her costume and smiled. This was something she had always dreamed about. Being able to wear a hero costume and go to U.A. It couldn't help but make her feel really happy inside.

The outfit she chose was rather simple, gold and black in design with a sleeveless hoodie and matching black pants with wrist cuffs. It was absolutely perfect.

Strolling out towards the ground beta, Arami caught Uraraka's eyes and she gasped. "Uraraka, your costume looks really cute!"

Uraraka seemed a bit uncomfortable though. "Are you sure? It's a lot more tight then I imagined it to be."

It was true that her outfit was a white and pink bodysuit but Amari thought it kinda fit her. "Not at all. I think you look good."

They both smiled at each other when Amari was pushed to the side again, her brother scoffing. "Stay out of my way brat."

Amari rubbed her arm were the impact was and just got into place. She couldn't worry about this now. She had to focus.

When they reached outside, All Might was waiting for them. "For this class, you will be split into villains and heroes and fight 2 on 2 indoor battles. The villains will have a weapon somewhere in the building and it will be their job to defend it. The heroes on the other hand will be in charge of either capturing the enemy or recovering the object with little to no damage We will decide your pairs through a drawing."

Everyone listened as All Might pulled a tiny slip of paper out of the box and exclaimed. "The first battle will be between Midoyria Ikuchu and Bakugo Amari VS Ida Tenya and Bakugo Katsuki."

Amari's eyes couldn't help but hollow, feeling the stare on her back from her brother. Crap, she didn't think she would have to fight him this soon.

Although she tried to remain positive, turing to Deku and smiled. "Let's do our best Midoriya."

Yet it seemed all Deku could do was shake. "Y-Yeah okay Arami-chan."

She sensed his anxiety and sighed, putting a reassuring hand to his arm. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I mean, you have me as a teammate, right? We can win."

He followed his eyes to her hand and nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, you're right."

Amari nodded her head, not wanting to tell him that her words were probably lies. Katsuki was strong. It was gonna take everything to beat him. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she could do it.

* * *

Everyone got into position, Bakugo and Ida heading inside the building to prepare while Deku and Amari waited outside. The air around the area was extremely thick.

Realizing she had to come up with a strategy, Amari touched Deku's shoulder. "Alright. I'll distract Katsuki while you go unnoticed and receive the object. I'll try to capture him but just in case we need a backup plan. That's where you come in Midoriya."

He thought about his for a moment before shaking his head. That just sounded like he was running away. "No Amari-chan. It's okay, I can fight him too."

Sighing heavily, she then grabbed his wrist, all the sense of amusement now dropped from her face. She looked really serious. "Midoryia, look me in the eye right now and tell me that you think you get beat Katsuki the way you are now."

Deku stared into her eyes and knew that she was right. The reality was that he just couldn't control his powers right now. "No, I can't You're right Amari-chan. But, do you really think _**you **_can beat Kacchan?"

She thought about this for a moment, looking down at her hands before squeezing them.

He was already petrified to fight Katsuki, if she also told him that they couldn't win, he wouldn't be able to fight. "It's alright. I don't need to win. I just need to distract him long enough for you to get the weapon. Katsuki gets distracted easily so if I keep talking to him, he'll forget about the mission."

Her plan seemed smart and Deku had no choice but to go along with it as well. Maybe this could work. He just had to try his hardest as well.

Suddenly the timer went off and it was time to start, Amari reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pill before swallowing it. "Alright, let's go."

As they hurried inside, the rest of the class watched their movements from a separate room, excited to see what kind of battle would unfold.

Todoroki watched as well, crossing his arms and staring at the screen. He couldn't help but feel a tiny ball of anxiety in the back of his throat because of it. He really needed to forget that conversation the two of them had last night. It was messing him up.

Amari and Deku quietly walked through the abandoned building, hoping to catch Bakugo first before he attacked them. It was important to get the first hit.

Just then, a loud voice echoed through the halls and the two looked up to find Bakugo above them, absolute intend in his eyes. "Found you."

He let an explosion go, falling towards them quickly. Amari saw this and before the poor boy could think, she grabbed Deku and kicked him away from the blast area, using her back to block the blow. "Midoriya, look out!"

Deku fell into the hard floor only to find Amari with the usual protective gold coating covering her body. The smoke dissipated and she looked unhurt. Good.

Hearing him groan, Amari turned back to him and shouted, pointing to the empty hallway on their right. "Go Midoriya, now!"

Deku nodded his head and headed the opposite way of the fight, hoping that she would be okay. Kacchan wasn't going to be easy to beat.

Bakugo stood up and saw Deku leave, racing after him when a heavy hit in his back caused him to pause. A smooth voice echoed behind him carefully. "Your fight is with me Katsuki."

Feeling a rage in his stomach, Bakugo stopped for a moment. He didn't want to hurt his sister. If she would just listen then all of this could be over. "I'll give you one chance. If you drop out of U.A. and give up your delusions of being a hero, then I won't hurt you."

His words seemed funny to her somehow. "I already told you that I can't do that Katsuki."

This made his even more angry. Why was she pushing herself like this?! Why was she so god damn stubborn? "Fine. If you won't admit it, then I'll show you just how useless and weak you actually are! Get ready to die!"

Then he started to come after her with full force, a right handed fist aimed for her head and she was just barely able to block it. Oh, so he wanted to do hand to hand combat? This was gonna be interesting.

Another fist came, explosions lighting up his palm and Amari ducked under them, letting her break free from his attacks. She knew she couldn't beat him in strength. "Stop running away brat! What, are you starting to realize you can't beat me?!"

Growling at his words, she put a hand up and came at him again, this time with her protective shield glowing around her body.

Katuski tried to grab her arm but pulled back when a scorching heat touched his palms. She used this to her advantage and threw a punch into his stomach, causing him to groan at the heat. "Sorry, not quite."

She jumped up in the air as he let off another explosion and landing behind him before running down the hallway. She needed to get some distance between them and Midoryia. Amari didn't want Bakugo to think anything was a miss.

He heard his voice rounding the corner, shouting. "You should've stay in America brat! Did you think I really wanted you here?! You'll never be able to beat me. Where are you!?"

Feeling an irritation at these words, Amari narrowed her eyes, stepping out so he could see her. Maybe she couldn't beat him but she could keep him talking. "What I do is none of your business. You have no right to decide what I should do with my life!"

The minute he saw her, he attacked again. He needed to wake her up, to realize all this was meaningless. "It is when you suddenly push your goddamn way into my life! You make me sick! Just leave already so I can forget about you again!"

His words soaked into her, feeling the absolute anguish of his tone. She knew that he was ashamed of her but actually hearing it brought on a whole new world of pain.

Todoroki and the classmates couldn't hear what was happening but they couldn't help but notice her face turn to one of devastation. What would have caused her to make that face? Todoroki didn't know, but he didn't like it.

Because of the shock, Bakugo's fist was too fast for her brain to keep up with and Amari felt an incredible pain in her jaw, falling to the floor roughly.

She coughed at the impact and a few drops of blood leaked out from her mouth, yet still trying to process everything at once.

Just then she heard his voice taunting her again from the ground. "Have you learned your lesson brat?"

But Amari just hissed, slamming her hand on the ground and causing the entire area to turn the same burning gold color as her body once was.

Bakugo felt the burn in his feet and jumped up to get away from the substance, aiming his fists towards the ground.

Noticing this, she rolled away before the impact and watched as Katsuki's armor broke part of the floor.

She used this advantage and kicked the armor with her power, causing his grenade cuffs to become cracked.

That when he lifted his arm up, Katsuki's finger touching the pin holding his explosions in place. "Nice try."

Then, without letting her think, he pulled the pin and a massive explosion went off throughout the entire floor of the building, pushing Amari back and burning her skin.

She groaned and rolled onto her back when she saw his outline cut through the smoke, picking her up by her collar and smirking. "Now, say you'll give up."

Amari struggled underneath him, pushing her hands into his arms in a desperate attempt to break away. "No.."

Frowning, Katsuki then took the hand that was holding her and slammed her body into the hard floor, causing the area to crack. "Can't you see you've lost! Admit it and give up already!"

Her eyesight was starting to become blurry and Katsuki could see she was a lost cause, instead letting go of her and turning to find Deku. "Pathetic."

Amari watched him walk away and knew it couldn't end like this. She needed to get up. Why the hell weren't her legs working?! She needed to show him she wasn't weak.

Using all of her strength, she shakely dug her nails into the pavement, itching her closer to continue the fight. "Not..yet…"

Bakugo heard this and couldn't help but turn around, looking at his sister desperately trying to get up. "What are you doing? You've already lost."

But Amari wasn't listening, just continuing to crawl on the floor. Bakugo noticed something different about her now. Her carefree attitude was completely gone and all that was left was an utter determination to get up and fight.

Her voice started off small, having a sandpaper tone to it before coming to a booming shout. "You bastard...I didn't go through everything I went through to just give up and walk away! I can still fight! Come at me Katsuki! This isn't over!"

Just then, Katsuki's eyes widened as the girl got to her feet, a sudden chill now in the air. Her eyes, they were like looking into a mirror. "What?! If you want me gone then you'll have to drag my cold dead body out of here yourself! I'm not dropping out of U.A and I'm not finished with you, you asshole!"

Her brother couldn't help but stare. That sweet little girl he once knew was completely gone. Earlier today he was wondering how they could even be related, that they were nothing alike, but here in this moment, she certainly looked like a Bakugo.

The entire class watching was in absolute silence, their eyes glued to the screen above them, that is before Denki whispered under his breath. "She can still stand after all of that? I really wish I knew what they were talking about. It seems really heated."

Todoroki felt his hands squeeze his arms in anxiety at the display, knowing he was the only one that fully understood why she kept getting back up. It was making his head go crazy just thinking about it.

Then, he watched Bakugo raise his fist as if to attack and Todoroki knew this was going over the line. Wasn't All Might supposed to stop this?

Quickly moving closer to the screen as if on instinct, he tightened the hold on his arms even harder and hoped she would be okay.

Katuski raised his fists and Amari did the same, although with a slight shake to them. This was going to be rough.

Then, they started to race at each other when a voice over the speakers caused them to stop. "Recovery a success! Team Midorya and Bakugo-chan are the winners."

Amari listening to the words and stopped, lowering her fists and sighing in relief. _She had done it. She stalled long enough. Good job Midoriya. _

Todoroki as well let out a heavy breath he didn't know he'd been holding and let go of his arms, now noticing a tiny shake to him. Was he really this concerned about that girl?

Amari quickly realized she didn't have the need to force herself anymore and all the feeling in her legs disappeared, causing her to flop to the ground.

Bakugo's eyes widened but when he noticed she was alive, he stopped himself and silently left the building by himself,but not before punching the wall and thinking about what he had just witnessed.

* * *

Soon it was Todoroki's turn but all he could think about was Amari. He watched the screens as the nurse took her away and silently hoped that she would be okay. Todoroki didn't know her very well but that didn't mean he wanted her to die because of this. He thought he was going to go crazy just thinking about it. What if she pushed herself too hard back there?

Just then, someone tapped his shoulder and he turned to find his teammate Tokoyami staring at him. "I'll use dark shadow to find the weapon while you stay behind and help distract the other teammates."

Thinking about his plan, Todoroki realized that would take way too long. Who knows what could happen to her if he waited that long. "No, I'll take care of it."

After that, the bell rang and Todoroki was gone in a flash. The faster he got this done, the faster he could calm his uneasy chest pains. Somewhere deep down he knew they wouldn't go away until he saw her alive and well.

So that's why he had to get this done quickly.

And just as expected, Todoroki finished the exercise in record time which had everyone impressed, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the display. "Wow Todokori, that was amazing!"

But he just turned on his heels and started to walk away, confusing the other students. "Hey, wait, where are you going?"

Throwing one hand up in the air, he replied plainly. "Infirmary."

They all seemed surprised by this wondering why he would want to go there. That is, until Ochaco spoke up, smiling under her breath. "He must be really worried about Amari-chan."

* * *

When he entered the infirmary, he found Recovery Girl completing some paperwork on the computer. She then noticed his presence and turned to him. "Oh hello young man. Do you need some help as well?"

Shaking his head, Todoroki put a nervous hand to the back of his neck. "No, I'm here to see Amari."

At the girls name, Recovery Girl stood from her chair and pulled back the curtain on her left, to reveal the girl in question. "Poor girl tired herself out."

Todoroki got closer and realized the slight bruises and cuts on her arms and legs, grimacing at the sight. "Will she be okay? You can heal her, right?"

But Recovery Girl just saddened, pulling out a piece of paper from her desk. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything. Healing requires stamina and a strong body but Amari Bakugo doesn't have that. I've been instructed to perform basic First Aid but that's I'll I'm authorized to do for her."

Did that mean she couldn't ever be healed after a fight? She would always have to live with her injuries? That sounded terrible.

The woman must of noticed his distressed face and touched his arm carefully. "Oh there's no need to worry young man. She only suffered from a couple bruises,cuts and a sprained ankle. Nothing too serious."

He nodded his head and the nurse smiled. "Now, I have to drop off this paperwork before the end of the day. Would you please look after her for me?"

Todoroki agreed and watched the woman leave before focusing his eyes on Amari who was still sleeping. Everything was really hard for her, huh.

Thinking back to the fight he had witnessed, she seemed really fired up. He wondered what Bakugo had said to her to make those expressions?

Then, he slapped himself back into reality and realized that he was supposed to forget about all this. It wasn't his business to be involved in their family drama. He needed to stop thinking about her.

Amari groaned just then and Todoroki leaned forward, wondering if she was okay. "Amari?"

Just then, she reached her hand out and grabbed onto his shirt before settling back in and smiling. "Mmmm"

Todoroki's eyes widened as he gazed at her hand and sighed heavily. She really was like a child sometimes. It was hard to believe that the girl he saw on the battlefield and the girl in front of him were the same person.

Seeing a chair next to him, Todoroki let her keep her hold on him as he sat down, not really knowing what to do next. He wasn't going to stay here all night like this, right? He needed to get back.

That's when she muttered something again and he was defeated. She looked so peaceful like this. If her life was really that crappy then he could at least do this for her. "What am I going to do with you?"

Then using his free hand, Todoroki wiped a hair from her face before realizing it was already too late.

He couldn't forget about this girl even if he tried, and oh boy had he tried. There was just something about her that made him want to unintentionally get closer to her. Maybe it was because of her hardships or because of that fight or because he saw her true self.

He didn't know what it was but Todoroki also knew he couldn't leave her alone.

* * *

Amari groaned, feeling the heavyweight of her limbs. Bakugo didn't play around in the slightest and it showed.

Slowly opening her eyes, she rubbed her face before noticed someone watching her. She felt a little on guard and turned her head only for her to find Todokori sleeping in the chair next to her.

Her eyes widened at the sight, now noticing that her hand was wrapped around his shirt and flushed with embarrassment. _Oh no, please tell me I didn't grab onto him in my sleep! That would be so embarassing! _

Letting go of the fabric, she screamed at the very idea. "AHHHHHH."

Her loud noise shook the boy awake, frantically looking around to see what was wrong while answering groggily. "What? What happened?!"

She looked at him in utter shock. "What are you doing here?!"

Noticing that she looked fine, his shoulders grew less tense. "I was checking on you."

At his words, a light feeling filled her chest. He was really sweet to do that for her. Not like anyone else would have. "Oh.."

Then he pointed to her hand and stated. "Also I couldn't leave even if I wanted to because someone was holding me hostage with her hand."

Realizing what she had done, Amari's face fell, face planting herself into the pillows in utter embarrassment. "Ahh I'm so sorry! It's a reflex. How long have you been waiting?"

Todoroki then looked at the clock and sighed. "About an hour."

This made her even more freaked out, slamming her head in the pillows once more and groaning "You must hate me so much right now. I'm so sorry!"

Seeing her this flustered was kind of amusing and Todoroki couldn't help but smile slightly, although he covered it with a cough. "It can't be helped. Now come on, I'll take you home."

Amari then sat up and gasped, shaking her head. "Oh no no it's okay. You don't have to do that. I already put you through so much. You can just go home. I'll be fine."

But he just sighed, already trying to lift her off of the bed. "I would like to but you can't walk like that. You twisted your ankle, remember?"

Realizing his was probably right, Amari's eyes fell. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to cause you trouble."

She put her foot on the ground and leaned into Todoroki for support who just replied plainly. "You're the one that wanted to be friends, right? Somehow I feel like you'll always be causing me trouble."

Amari wanted to deny it but knew he was most likely right, muttering her voice into his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

But all he did was grab her bag from the corner and steadied the girl so she could walk. "It can't be helped. This is what I agreed to. Now, come on. Let's go."

Amari nodded her head and leaned on him for support as they hobbled down the hallways and out the doors. It was already sunset when they reached outside.

Todoroki then turned in the direction he always saw Bakugo walk when Amari stopped him. "It's this way."

He looked down in confusion, pointing in the opposite direction. "But isn't that the way Bakugo lives?"

All she did was nod her head sadly, not turning around. "Yeah, it is. Come on."

Then, she started leading him in the opposite direction, much to Todoroki's confusion.

* * *

After about ten minutes, Amari stopped in front of a set of apartments and pointed. "Here we are. I can walk from here."

Todokori just seemed completely confused. "You live here? You don't live with your brother?"

But Amari just smiled, the sadness now evident in her eyes. "Is it really that surprising?"

Honestly yeah, it was. He thought it was completely obvious that they all lived together. Apparently not. "Why? Don't your parents live there also?"

Looking towards the building, she sighed. "He told me that he didn't want me there and I didn't want to make him uncomfortable so I told my parents I wanted to live separately."

Another question entered his mind then. "So, you live alone?"

Amari just nodded her head and that uncomfortable anxiety filled his stomach again. They couldn't even live together? She didn't have much time and she was spending living alone? It was devastating to say the least.

Just then, she perked up like usual, slapping him on the back playfully. "What's with that face? I'm fine. I can eat all of the sweets and chocolate I want without anyone telling me no. It's great."

She laughed half-heartedly and Todoroki didn't believe her for a second. He knew how badly she wanted to live with her family, to live with her brother. That wouldn't fool him.

Carefully detaching herself from him, Amari then smiled and turned towards him. "Now, I better get going. I wasted plenty of your time already."

Looking down at the hand that had held hers, he sighed. "It's fine. I needed an excuse to stay out anyway."

Amari didn't understand his words but realized he wasn't angry with her, so that was good enough.

Smiling slightly, she waved. "Goodnight Todoroki. See you tomorrow."

He put his hand up in response and watched her hobble into the apartment building, keeping his eyes on her to make sure she was okay. How lonely must she have been all alone like that?

Once she was gone, Todoroki realized that he wanted to fix that.

* * *

AHHH we see the beginnings of a ship on the horizon. So as you can see, Amari does have a bit of a temper issue like her brother but it only comes out when she's really upset, like at the fight. She's a tough cookie.

Next chapter: Amari's birthday and all the drama that brings.

.


	6. Chapter 6

Katsuki sat alone in the hospital waiting, when a voice echoed next to him. He turned and found Amari standing in front of him. "Brother, are you okay?"

Placing his hands on his lap, Katsuki shook his head, not wanting to worry her. "Yeah, it's nothing."

Amari smiled and this and turned her head towards the window, her only view of the outside world. "It's so pretty outside today. Was the weather really warm?"

He just shrugged his shoulder at this, noticing the IV sticking out of her arm. "It's average."

Nodding her head, her eyes saddened. "I wish I could feel it."

Katsuki felt his own heart drop in his stomach, his next words pouring out without meaning to. "Then why don't you?"

Just then, the air grew incredibly thick as her voice rang in his ear, smooth and cruel. "Because you took everything from me."

His eyes widened only to find her a few inches from his face. "What.."

She smiled at this but now it was empty and mocking. "It's your fault I"m like this Katsuki. Why must you be so cruel? I can't even live a normal life because of you."

He felt hypnotized by his sister, unable to look away but still hearing her insults as clear as day. It was too much.

Katsuki let out a shaky breath whispering. "Stop it…"

But Amari only continued, running her hands through his hair. "It's your fault I can't ever go outside, it's your fault I can't use my quirk."

The words continued and he pounded his hands across his ears, trying to block it out. "No, stop it…!"

Yet they only returned, even more cruel than before. "It's your fault that I'm made fun of, and it's your fault that I'm going to die."

At her last words he pried his eyes open only to see blood dripping down the corner of her face, pooling on the floor in a soft splat. He looked on in horror, shaking his head. "No.. I'm sorry…"

But Amari only smiled, touching his face and suddenly more blood appeared on her arm. It was like his touch was killing her. "It's too late for sorry. I'll never forgive you for what you did brother. You ruined my life."

Just then, she lost all color in her eyes, collapsing to the ground as if she was a broken rag doll, the blood pooling around her body quickly.

Katuski screamed and raced forward, shaking her body and begging her, pleading her to wake up. He had to do something. The tears poured down his face as he held his lifeless sister in his arms. "No! I'm sorry Amari, I'm so sorry..this is all my fault..no! Please don't leave. NOOO."

* * *

Suddenly, Katsuki sprung out of bed, desperately reaching for the ceiling in a crying shout. "NO!"

He focused his eyes but found his sister nowhere to be seen. It was just him alone in his bedroom, sweating profusely.

Feeling his heart hamming in his chest, Katsuki put his head in his hands. That nightmare was even more vivid than usual. It truly scared him.

Just then, the door slammed open at her mother shouted loudly. "What the hell are you screaming about so early in the morning Katsuki?! You're giving me a headache!"

Trying to brush away the terrible visions, he frowned. "Shut up already you old hag!"

His mother just seemed displeased by his response. "You're lucky it's your birthday today or else I would be kicking your ass!"

Then she threw a bunch of clothing in his face and replied. "Now get your ass up! You're going to be late for school!"

After that, she slammed the door in his face and Katsuki scoffed, looking at the fabric before jumping out of bed. That's why he had that horrible dream. It was his birthday, aka the worst day of the year. It was a day he ruined Amari's life.

He was just about to change when his mother burst through again, the boy looking annoyed. "What is it now?"

She just put her hand on the doorframe and answered straightforward, the anger completely gone in her voice. "Oh, also when you get to school convince your sister to come for dinner tonight. I called her earlier but she didn't seem interested."

Katsuki just waved his hand away and his mother knew that was all he was gonna get out of him so she took that as a yes and closed the door once more.

Looking down at his hand, Bakugo sighed, not wanting to see her after that dream, and now he knew dinner tonight would be even worse.

* * *

Amari pulled out her phone as a ringtone echoed through her apartment and her eyes fell at the caller ID.

Carefully picking it up, she answered. "Hey Mom, what's up?"

Her mother answered back in the usual loving tone she always did. "Nothing sweetie. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Your father and I are planning a dinner tonight, you should come."

Staring at the calendar on her desk, Amari sighed. Truly she wanted to go but she also knew that it would make Bakugo uncomfortable if she went. The answer seemed obvious.

Amari laughed back into the phone, trying her best to make her seem genuine. "Oh, I would love to but I really have to study tonight or else I'll fail my next test. Thanks for the offer though."

Her mother seemed disappointed at that. "You are going to study on your birthday? Come on, have a little fun."

But Amari just shot her down, coming up with another lie so she would drop the conversation. "I'm not going to study all night. I'm going out with my friends later to celebrate. I would cancel but I already promised I would go and…"

The woman seemed to understand that, buying her routine. "Oh no, I completely understand. Go have fun with your friends then. We can always have dinner another night."

It was really easy to sway her mother like this, mostly because she knew that Amari wasn't going to live long so that meant she basically let her do whatever "made her happy". She was sure Bakugo didn't get this treatment. "Thanks Mom, I gotta go get ready for school now, Bye."

Her mother said her goodbye's and when Amari hung up the phone, she sighed heavily. If only she could celebrate with her parents. That would of been nice.

Finishing getting ready, Amari pulled out her bag and headed for the street when a familiar shade of red and white caught her eyes. "Todoroki? What are you doing here?"

He stood from his spot before staring back at the apartments blankly. "I didn't know which apartment was yours so I ended up waiting here instead."

Amari seemed confused by his statement, stepping closer to him in question. "Why do you want to see me? Is everything okay?"

Thinking for a moment, he put a hand towards the back of his neck and shrugging. "I don't know, I thought we could walk together."

She seemed shocked by his statement, Todoroki looking at her face and realizing this might of been a mistake. "You don't want to?"

Coming back to reality, Amari shook her head, putting an embarrassed hand in front of her. "Uhh no, not at all! I mean, I want to! I mean, It's not like I really mind or anything but uhh sure, yeah. Let's do that."

In actuality, Todoroki didn't want her to be alone anymore and this was the best solution he could think of at the time. "Are you always this nervous?"

Taking in her flustered expression, Todoroki couldn't help but smile in amusement which earned him a slap on his shoulder. "Whaa no! You just asked so suddenly and I didn't know how to respond and everything."

Nodding her head, the boy finished his teasing and turned to the school. "Then it's alright then. Let's go."

Amari agreed at they started walking side by side silently, not knowing exactly how to make this less awkward. Why had he wanted to do this anyways? Didn't he find her annoying?

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Todoroki spoke first, seemingly low in tone. "I've been meaning to ask. What did Bakugo say to you yesterday during class? You seemed upset by it."

This caused her to freeze, stopping her steps and falling behind slightly. He looked at her in concern, turning around. She looked hurt. "Amari? Never mind. You don't have to tell me."

But after a few minutes, she just laughed, catching back up to him. "It's alright. It wasn't anything I haven't heard before, you know? I guess it just caught me off guard. I better be careful next time, right?"

She elbowed his chest and Todoroki realized that she never answered the question. "What did he say?"

This time, her smile returned but it was sad and distant. Moving a hair from her face carefully, she answered. "He just told me what I already knew, that he wanted to forget about me as soon as possible. Too bad I'm stubborn, right?"

His eyes widened at her words, feeling that unpleasant pit in his stomach again. He really wanted to punch Bakugo for saying such thoughtless things to her like that. He didn't know how bad they hurt her.

Todoroki looked at her sullen stance for a moment before taking his hand and pushing her head down playfully. She looked at him like he was crazy and shouted. "Hey! What was that for?"

But he only shrugged, picking up his pace so he was ahead of her. "No reason. I just wanted you to stop thinking about it."

Amari stopped then, realizing why he did that and smiled, running up to meet him before taking her hand and doing the same thing he did. Todoroki also seemed surprised. "Hey!"

She just laughed and stuck her tongue out, mocking. "Bet you can't beat me to the gates tomato boy."

Catching up on the nickname, he felt the challenge of her words and couldn't help but accept. "I guess we'll see about that."

Then, they took off running, trying to beat each other. Amari couldn't help but laugh the entire time, thinking about this wonderful new feeling that was brand new to her.

Was this what friendship felt like?

* * *

As they reached the gates, she saw Bakugo coming from the opposite direction. Gaining a little bit for courage, she strolled up to him smiling, trying to forget the fight yesterday. "Good morning Katsuki…"

He took one look at her before pushing his way past her, not even saying one word as he left. Just seeing her face brought up those terrible nightmares again and he wanted nothing more than to get away.

Amari's hand fell and Todoroki noticed her disappointment, wanting to make it better. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he just didn't notice you."

She smiled but knew that wasn't the case at all. He obviously stared at her. Maybe he didn't want to talk to her today.

Class continued like normal and when the bell rang, Deku rose out of his seat and moved over to Bakugo carefully. "Hey Kacchan, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday! I made you a card and…"

He pulled out a small piece of paper and Bakugo scoffed, grabbing the paper and letting it turn to flames. "I don't want it nerd! Stop doing these things every year, will you?!"

Deku saddened but wasn't overly surprised. Bakugo was always like this every year, but that didn't mean that he didn't try. "Yeah, I knew you wouldn't like it."

The classes watched the altercation and gasped, everyone racing forward. "Wait. it's your birthday Bakugo?"

He seemed pissed off at the attention. "So what if it is?! Just leave me the hell alone!"

They seemed surprised by this when Uraraka then realized something. "Wait, does that mean it's Amari's birthday too?!"

At her words, everyone turned to the girl in question who was just casually putting her things in her bag, not really paying attention. "Huh?"

Denki raced up to her then, slamming his hands on the desk. "Well, is it?"

She seemed uncomfortable by the staring, just muttering back. "Uhh yeah, I guess it is."

Everyone grew crazy at this confirmation, even Todoroki seemed surprised. Why hadn't she mentioned anything like that on the way to school? He didn't know it was her birthday.

Uraraka clapped her hands happily, thinking of an idea. "Oh, I know! Let's all go celebrate with karaoke or something! That would be fun!"

Deku smiled excitedly and nodded his head. "That sounds really fun! What do you say Amari?"

But the poor girl looked even more uncomfortable than ever, just shaking her head. "No, it's alright guys. You don't have to do anything. I don't really celebrate usually."

This got everyone quiet, Ida speaking up and grabbing her arm. "That won't do! As your class representative I decree that we must! It's a crime not to, right Bakugo?"

Turning to Bakugo he just looked annoyed at the very idea. "Leave me out of this. I want no part."

Deku seemed confused by this, taking an uncertain step forward. "You don't want to celebrate your birthday with everyone Kacchan?"

But Bakugo could only think about the dream he had earlier, staring into Amari's face and feeling sick to his stomach. That was a stupid question. Of course he didn't want to celebrate a day like that. It seemed wrong to.

Because of this, his voice came out even more cruel than usual, scoffing at the very idea. "Why the hell would I want to celebrate the worst day of my life?!"

The classroom seemed to freeze at that, Deku laughing nervously. "What do you mean by that Kacchan?"

But he just glared, staring Amari right in the face who also seemed frozen at his words. "This day was already terrible but now I have to share it with this brat? No thanks, I'd rather die…"

His words soaked into Amari and Todoroki could see the absolute hurt on her face at his thoughtless expression. Usually she hid it better but right now it was as clear as day.

Laughing nervously, she put a hand behind her head and smiled, trying to keep her voice even and smooth. "Sorry, I just remembered I have other plans tonight so I can't join you guys. I hope you have fun though."

Then, she quickly grabbed her bag and headed for the door, but not before stopping in front of Katsuki and pulling something out of her bag. "Here. This is for you. Happy Birthday."

He looked down at the wrapped paper and slapped it out of her hands, the object falling to the floor. "I don't want it."

Gazing at the ground, she only smiled sadly, nodding her head. "That's okay. You can just throw it out then."

Then, without a word, she turned and walked out of the class silently, causing everyone to stare and Bakugo with annoyance, especially Deku. "Kacchan, you really hurt her feelings."

Although Bakugo didn't reply, just turning his head away and choosing not to acknowledge what he did wrong. Going out with that girl seemed like torture to him. He wouldn't have been able to ease the guilt in his stomach then. "Shut up."

He paused when he felt another presence behind him and turned to find that silent boy staring back at him. What was his name again, Todoroki? "What the hell do you want bastard?"

Todoroki gazed at him for a couple seconds before carefully picking up the object Bakugo had slapped away and cradled it carefully in his arms.

Then, in one motion he shoved the object into his chest forcefully, his voice hissing out in absolute authority. "Accept it."

He dropped the present and it caught in Bakugo's lap, now seemingly upset about how forceful he was being. "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You wanna fight?!"

But Todoroki just silently turned away, avoiding his declaration of war and walked out of the classroom, ignoring Bakugo's cursing and shouting behind him.

* * *

After that whole ordeal, Todoroki found himself not going home but rather unintentionally walking back towards Amari's place. He knew she was shaken by her brother and knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he knew she was alright.

Stopping by a set of windows on the way, he noticed something shining in the corner of his eye and couldn't help but take a look.

* * *

Moving up to her door, Todoroki knocked on the surface. It was a good thing she told him her apartment number this morning or else he wouldn't have been able to do this.

He heard a loud crash from inside before the door unlocked and revealed Amari leaning against the doorframe, looking rather unpleasant. "Who the hell is it?! Just leave me alone."

Then her eyes focused on Todoroki and couldn't help but smile, all the malice gone from her voice. "Wait, Todoroki? Oh I'm sorry, come in, come in…"

He put his hands up in protest, noticing a little something strange about her. "No that's alright, I just wanted to see if you were…"

But Amari didn't take no for an answer, shoving himself and laughing goofily. "Oh don't be such a stickler. Just come in already!"

Slamming a door behind her, he couldn't smell the thick scent of alcohol from the room and connected the pieces, now overly concerned. "Wait, Amari, are you drunk?"

She pouted her lips in annoyance and hobbled over to the living room before flopping down. "What's the big deal?! You're not my mommm."

Amari then grabbed another bottle from the corner and Todoroki gasped, racing forward. "But you can't drink, you're underage."

She only laughed at this, seeing his comment as funny. "Oh lighten up, I'll probably be dead by the time I can actually drink so it doesn't matter. Let me live a little for once."

He supposed that was true but the reality didn't make him feel any better, choosing to sit down as well. Now he was really concerned for her. "Does this happen a lot?"

Thinking for a minute, she shrugged. "I don't know, I just do what I want…"

Todoroki then thought about the conversation at school and connected the pieces. "Was it because of Bakugo?"

At the name, Amari groaned, taking another swig and throwing her arms about. "Ugh, stop talking about Katsuki already. It's always Katsuki this, and Katsuki that. It's making my head hurt already!"

He then watched her touch the tip of the bottle and sadden. "All I want is for him to love me, is that so hard? But instead he said hates me so much he'd rather die. I couldn't even celebrate with my parents tonight because I didn't want to ruin his birthday, just like I ruin everything else."

Todoroki's eyes softened as tears started to appear in her eyes, knowing the alcohol was making her extra emotional. "Amari?"

She then slammed the bottle on the floor and cried out brokenly. "You think I wanna die!? I'm so afraid Todoroki, so afraid to be left alone. Why can't he see what I'm trying my best? Why can't he realize that I want to be his sister. If he could just do that, then I could die finally."

Putting her head in her hands, she then sloppily pointed to Todoroki in anger. "And you! I know the reason why you wanna be close to me. I know it's just because you pity me. But the stupid thing is that I don't care, that I'll accept it because that's the only kind of love I can have."

Laughing sarcastically, she sighed. "This is why I didn't even want to celebrate my birthday. It's always such a shit show every year. I usually just end up drinking myself to sleep just like this and nobody cares, just because I'm a nuisance, a brat and a pest."

She let her hand fall then, looking defeated. "You wanna know a secret? The truth is, I don't want to die. The more brave I act the more scared I become. Will Katsuki even care when he finds out? Probably not..I'm destroying myself for nothing. Funny right? Oh, I'm probably annoying you again with my stupid problems."

Todoroki didn't know what to say in this kind of situation. She was obviously unstable right now and pouring out way more information than he wanted her to know. "Amari, I don't pity you. I admire you."

At his words, Amari looked up, seeming confused. "What, did you just say?"

He moved closer then, making her drop the bottle in her hand. "I told you before, didn't I? I really meant it. You're amazing. I'm not burdened by this. You can tell me anything and I'll listen."

Amari stared up at him, realizing what his words meant as tears fell down her cheeks. Then, she brought her face closer to him. "Todoroki.."

She reached her hand up and touched his face as he answered. "Yeah?"

Trailing her fingers across his skin, he felt a sharp shiver run across his spine when she answered. "I meant what I said before. Your eyes are really pretty."

A light blush filled his cheeks, now trying to draw himself away from her. She wasn't in her right mind and it was making him uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

But as he backed away she just followed, lowering her eyes and gently grabbing his face sweetly before smiling. "Shoto.."

Then, before he could react, Amari pressed her lips onto his roughly, causing his eyes to widen. What was she doing?!

He couldn't help but remain frozen at the action, just staring at her closed eyes before letting his own eyes shut as well in response, getting lost in the moment. He felt his body move naturally towards her and moved a hand up to wrap it around her waist. Everything is the world seemingly melted away in that moment and the only with Todoroki wanted to do was touch her even more.

Then he tasted the alcohol on her breath and forced himself to pull away from her, pushing back slightly and breathing heavily. What was he doing? "What was that?"

She looked at him in a daze, also breathing heavily before letting her head fall on his shoulder, Todoroki now feeling more embarrassed than ever. "Hey, are you okay?"

Amari just grumbled under his shoulder and muttered back. "Shut up, you're too loud."

Then, she grew slack in his arms and Todoroki felt the soft intake of her breath of him neck, causing him to become even more flustered. "Amari?"

But she didn't move which caused him to let out a loud elongated sigh. He then remembered the feeling of his lips on hers and shook his head. He couldn't think about this now. He needed to take care of her.

Carefully picking her up from the ground, Todoroki undid her covers and tucked her in before brushing a hair from her face carefully. "Were you really this upset? I wish you would've told me. It seems that trouble follows you everywhere huh."

She turned her head slightly and muttered something under her breath which caused him to sigh, taking the small box he had been saving and opened it up. "Happy Birthday."

* * *

Amari groaned at the pounding headache and the ringing in her ears, covering them and hoping the noise would go away. She really shouldn't have drank that much.

Then she rubbed her face when she noticed something scratchy on her wrist, pausing for a moment.

She pulled away and stared at the object in confusion. It was a simple gold bracelet with a small bow attached to the middle. She had never seen this thing before. What even happened last night?

Turning to grab her phone, Amari stopped when a small piece of paper caught her eye on the table next to her. It was short and to the point but it still made her freeze.

Happy Birthday Amari

Hope you like the bracelet

Todoroki

Amari ran her fingers across the handwriting before looking back towards the bracelet and smiling. She didn't know what happened but knew she had to thank him somehow.

* * *

Don't be like Amari kids. Drinking is bad. Although she just low key kissed him so that's a thing. I wonder how Todoroki will react to that? Also Bakugo is a jerk yes but like in the nightmare sequence, he's got some issues as well.

Thank you so much for all the comments, reviews and likes! 3

Next Chapter: Todoroki makes up for Amari's terrible birthday


	7. Chapter 7

Amari had just finished combing her hair when her phone quietly buzzed beside her. That was really odd. Not many people knew her number. Who could it possibly be?

Holding her head from an oncoming headache from the hangover she was having, Amari didn't recognize the number and picked it up, seeming suspicious. "Hello?"

A long silence cut through the air before a males voice answered back, uncertain and quiet. "Hi."

Well that didn't help in discovering who this person was. Turning her brow, Amari answered back. "Umm hi? Who is this?"

Another silence appeared before the voice returned. "It's me."

She visibly face palmed, knowing she wasn't going anywhere with this. "And how do I know who "me" is? You've only said three words. I'm not a mind reader."

The voice thought about this for a moment before finally understanding. Amari took a long sip of water from the cup next to her as he responded. "It's Todoroki."

At his name, Amari froze, visually coughing on the water she had just decided to drink from. How was that even possible? He didn't have her number. "T-Todoroki!? How did you get my number?"

He paused before answering back, his voice bringing a chill to her ear. "You gave it to me?"

That didn't seem right. "What? No I didn't. When did I do that?"

Todoroki seemed just as confused though. "Uhh last night? You took my phone and forcibly put your number in. "

Amari's eyes widened, trying to remember the events of last night but it only becoming blurry. What the hell happened that she didn't know about? Why had she acted like such a fool, and in front of Todoroki of all people?!

Slamming her head into her desk, internally groaning she decided not to tell him about her memory loss yet. This was already embrassing. She'd have to ask him when they met up next time.. Yeah, that would be better. "Oh, uh sorry about that. So, what's up?"

She chuckled nervously, hoping to steer away from the conversation, his voice returning. "What are you doing today?"

Glancing at the calendar, she visually shrugged. "Not much. It's gonna be a pretty boring day. I guess I'll go grocery shopping since I have nothing better to do."

It seemed like he was nodding his head through the phone, understanding her words. "Good."

Amari seemed confused by his sentence. "Good? Me being bored all day is good?"

But he just spoke back, a smooth and straightforward tone in his voice. "5pm at the train station. See you there."

Hold on. What was he even talking about? His words made no sense.

Amari stuttered into the phone, trying to figure out what he meant. "Wait, hold on, what does that even mean?"

But before she could ask again, the line went dead, only for Amari to be utterly confused once more. Had he just invited her somewhere? That was kind of a weird way to go about it.

Amari thought for a couple moments and didn't know what she was signing up for but also knew she had to thank him for the bracelet so she decided to get ready.

* * *

Running to the train station, she spotted him over the many crowds of people. Usually she would be early but he didn't really give her much time after that phone call. She silently wondered what would be so important that he would call her out on a weekend. Truly, she was curious.

She put her hand up signaling to him that she was here. "Todoroki!"

He registered the sound and walked up to meet her. On closer inspection, he was wearing a black button up shirt that was slightly open with a white shirt underneath and matching black pants. Amari didn't know why, but he looked kinda fancy.

Once he caught up, she whistled, mocking him slightly. "Wow, are you going to some kind of fancy party after this?"

To which he just seemed confused. "What? No, why would you ask that?"

Scanning down his outfit, she noticed herself getting a little nervous. She should have worn something fancy as well, rather than the plain sundress she had on. "You just look…"

At her words, he leaned in closer, curious to hear her finish the sentence, although his face was now dangerously close. "Look what?"

Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, she knew she couldn't say he looked good. That would be so embarrassing. So instead she played it off, changing the subject and glancing at her wrist. "Oh, right! I almost forgot. Thanks for the bracelet. It's really pretty. That was so sweet of you."

She flashed the bracelet that she hadn't taken off all day and he just nodded his head. "It was nothing. I just saw it on the way to your house."

Amari smiled at that, playing with the band. "Well, thank you."

He nodded again and she then realized that she should ask Todoroki about what happened last night. She hoped it wasn't anything bad.

Touching her neck nervously, Amari spoke. "Oh and uh, I'm sorry about last night. I was probably a hot mess and everything. I wasn't expecting you to come visit. It was probably really bad."

She waited for him to deny it but instead, he just replied. "Yeah, it was."

Falling to the floor in defeat, Amari turned away in utter defeat and embarrassment. "I am so sorry!"

Then, she realized she had to continue. "So, uhh I didn't do anything weird right?"

This caused Todoroki to freeze, remembering the kiss and feeling his own cheeks grow red with embarrassment. He supposed he had to talk about that or else things would be awkward between them.

Amari noticed his reaction and immediately started panicking, trying to remember even the smallest details. "Oh no, I did, didn't I? Was it really that bad?!"

Her words caught in his throat as Todoroki grew confused. Was she asking if the kiss was bad? Although It seemed like she really didn't know. "Wait, you don't remember?"

Laughing silently, Amari looked defeated. "Yeah uhh, not really."

Todoroki felt his world come crashing down around him. Truly, he was up all night thinking about their kiss and she just forgot it? It seemed he was worried for nothing.

He leaned his face against the pole, somehow feeling utterly drained from her words. Amari's voice returned then. "Todoroki? Listen, whatever I did. I'm so sorry. I hope it wasn't bad."

Letting out a heavy sigh the boy knew he had to brush it off or else things would still be awkward. If she didn't remember it then maybe it was best to forget it. "It was nothing really."

Amari watched him for a moment before letting a relaxed laugh escape her throat, hitting his shoulder in relief. "Oh, okay good. You scared me for a moment there. So, why are we here? You didn't really give me much information on the phone."

Todoroki let the embarrassing topic go, turning back to his watch instead. "It's a surprise. Let's go."

She looked at him confused but quickly realized she probably wasn't going to get an answer and shrugged. "Uhh okay?"

Then she just followed him to the mystery destination that was awaiting them.

* * *

She let him walk her into town for about twenty minutes before they stopped in front of a small sign with gold cursive font across the front. It seemed to be some sort of restaurant.

Todoroki walked to the door before opening it up and holding it out for her. "We're here."

Amari seemed confused but went along with it, accepting the kind gesture before coming face to face with a brown haired male waiter. "Hello Miss, how may I help you?"

She opened her mouth only for Todoroki to step in front, speaking. "Reservation for Todoroki."

His eyes widened as the man seemed utterly shocked, recognizing the name. "Oh yes, of course. Right this way. It's not every day we get the son of the number two greatest hero in our little shop. It's an honor to serve you. I'll take you to your table."

Todoroki didn't seem pleased by the mans excitement and silently followed him to a small table in the back with two chairs welcoming them. "Here we are."

Amari went to push out her chair only for Todoroki to whoosh in ahead of her and do it instead, her now feeling a little awkward. "Oh uhh, thank you."

Once he settled in and the waiter left, Amari realized it was safe to talk freely to him, feeling the need to ask many questions. "Todoroki, What is all this?"

Picking up the menu next to him, he answered. "It's for you."

Her cheeks couldn't help but flush at this, feeling even more freaked out and starting to ramble instead. "Whaaa? You didn't have to do this! I mean you even got a reservation and everything and I mean why would you even want to in the first place? I mean…"

He thought for a moment before locking eyes with her, remembering her drunken crying on the floor of her room. "You never got to celebrate your birthday, right?"

Amari's eyes widened at this. She almost couldn't believe the words that he was saying. "You did this so I could celebrate my birthday?"

Nodding his head, Todoroki then cast his eyes away. "I know I'm not your brother or your family though.."

She stood silent for a moment wondering why he would want to do something this grand for her. They literally hadn't known each other for that long.

Then trying to hold back a sob, she smiled before shaking her head at him. "No, it's perfect. This is the first time someone's actually done something like this for me."

Todoroki felt his stomach lighten at her tear lined smile and knew he had made the right choice in booking this reservation. Sure he may have gone behind his dads back to do it but it was worth it just to see her happy for once. He wanted to see that smile all the time.

Breaking out of his thoughts, he then pointed to the menu and spoke. "Order whatever you want."

Amari nodded her head excitedly and they eat their dinner in peace, laughing and talking about the smallest things.

Once dinner was over, Amari went to stand when he spoke. "Not yet."

Turning her brow up in confusion, she stopped when out of nowhere, a dozen waiters entered the space with one holding a small white cake and a sparkler sticking off the top of it.

Her eyes widened as they placed the object in front of her, Amari now noticing the small pink swirls on top and gasped. "Todoroki…"

He seemed pleased with the design, pointing to the object. "It's the flavor you had at the shop before. Is that correct?"

Amari looked down at the small cake and smiled happily, feelings those inconvenient tears prick her eyes again. He really was the sweetest. "I love it. Thank you."

* * *

After dinner, they left the shop, now noticing it was getting rather dark, Amari looking towards the sky. "That was amazing. I think this is the best birthday I've ever had."

Todoroki then thought for a moment before pointing in another direction. "It's not over."

She looked at him confused but followed him once again, wondering what else he could possibly want to show her. He had already done way more than enough.

They walked for a short while before the two reached a small clearing, allowing Amari to see first.

When she reached the top, Amari couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her.

It was a large hill overlooking the city lights. They sparkled way past the horizon, meeting the sky that was a dark shade of both blue and purple. She had never seen anything like this before.

Todoroki spoke behind her, also admiring the view. "Since you just moved here, I wanted to show you this. It's my favorite spot."

Gazing at the scenery she was utterly speechless. "It's so beautiful. I never knew the sky could look like that. I've only ever watched it from a window."

He assumed she must of must a hospital window which made him sadden, placing his hands in his pockets. "I come here when I need to think. I thought you could use it also instead of being in your room."

Amari looked down at this, seeming frustrated. "I said something really stupid last night, didn't I? That's why your doing all this."

Flashing back to the kiss, he spoke. "I don't know why, but I don't want you to keep everything to yourself. It worries me."

Her face snapped back to him at that. "Worried? Why?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Todoroki sighed. "I don't understand it either. I just don't like it so I decided to show you this. You don't have to use it."

She thought for a moment before closing her eyes, feeling the breeze blow past her. "I like it. I feel very relaxed here. It's a good spot."

He felt somewhat at ease with that, placing his hands on the railing in front of him. " I think so to."

Amari smiled when another breeze blew by, chilling her to her core and shivering slightly. "Looks like the warm weather is going away."

She suddenly felt something covering her shoulders and touched the fabric, only to realize it was Todoroki's button down shirt. Did he just cover her with that?

Trying to take it off, Amari laughed. "Hey, it's okay. It's not that cold."

But as she was trying to lift it off, his hand stopped her. Amari couldn't help but feel the heat radiating off his palm. "Take it."

Amari froze at his before pulling her hand away from his and warm was completely gone. "Oh uh okay. If you're sure."

He just nodded his head and Amari couldn't help but stare at him. Just like back during opening ceremonies, he looked just as beautiful and mysterious. Who would've thought that they would be friends now? Definitely not her.

Truly she still didn't know anything about this boy. There seemed to be this wall around him at all times, forbidding anyone to enter. She had always wanted to ask him about his scar but knew it probably wasn't a pleasant story so she didn't bother. Amari knew more than anyone how terrible the past could be.

Placing her hand on the railing, Amari's voice lowered, the tone coming out slow so that only he could hear. "Hey Todoroki, you are the first person that has ever stuck by me this long. Usually when they hear the whole "I'm gonna die" thing they run for the hills. This means a lot. Thank you."

Todoroki turned to her then, watching her blonde hair glimmer under the streetlights and couldn't help but remember the night before when she touched his face and called him by his first name. He kind of wanted to hear it again.

Coughing to hide the embarrassment, he spoke. "You can call me by my first name."

Amari's eyes widened at this and Todoroki knew he had to clean up what he just said, ignoring the pink growing in his cheeks. "I mean, I call you by your first name so you should just call me by mine. It would be easier. That is, if you want to?"

She thought about his reasoning and honestly he did have a point. Although that didn't make her any less embarrassed "Oh, uhh yeah I guess you're right. I did tell you my whole life story and everything. I guess that means we are pretty close now, huh."

He agreed and she nodded her head, taking in a huge breath of courage. "I can try."

Then, she turned to him and stared into his two tone eyes before speaking low and quiet. "Shoto…"

At the sound of his name from her lips again, that familiar shiver grew up his spine and at the same time, both of their faces turned an unhealthy shade of red. It was too much.

Turning away together, Amari tried to cover her up nervous demeanor, placing a hand to her heart which was now jumping out of her chest. "On second thought, maybe not…"

Todoroki just coughed, trying to cover his own feelings and agreed. "Yeah. It's just too weird."

Once they had calmed down, Amari turned back to him and shrugged. "Baby steps I guess, right?"

He agreed and they both grew silent, Todoroki speaking first. "It's getting late. I'll take you home."

Amari understood and nodded her head, letting him lead her back down into town, now trying to ignore the light thumping in her chest that wouldn't go away.

* * *

It's so wholesome! Have some fluff to offset the depressing elements in this story. This chapter is kinda short cause I gotta go to work super early but I'll be writing another one tomorrow so look out for that. The ship is sailing hardcore. 3


	8. Chapter 8

Deku walked into the training facility early Monday morning, eager to strengthen his quirk and his body. All Might had said that he had to keep his vessel engaged in order to handle One For All.

Usually he ran on the beach or trained at home but today he decided to give one of the nearby training spaces a try. It seemed they had more equipment there to help him anyways.

He walked through the doors with his bag at his side, slightly afraid of the professional atmosphere the area gave of. There seemed to be quite a few want to be heroes in training as well.

Deku paused when a man at the desk called him over. "Hello young man. You looking to rent a room?"

The boy just nodded his head, still nervous. "Oh uhh yes please! I'm from the U.A hero course and they said I could use this place to train."

His eyes seemed to perk up at that. "Oh, another U.A student? You're the second person that's come in here. The other is from the hero course also."

Deku seemed oddly interested at this. He didn't know another person used this space. "Another U.A student?"

The man nodded his head, japping his finger down the hallways. "Yeah, they come in here every morning. I gotta say, that person is a monster. Go ahead and check it out if you'd like. We have viewing rooms on the second floor."

He quickly thanked the man and knew it wasn't right to spy on other students, although the curiosity was certainly there. Who would be here every day, and so early in the morning at that?

Feeling the itch of excitement, Deku found his feet moving on their own, towards the second floor. There he found an assortment of windows that people could look into and watch the pros train from.

He found the room the man was talking about and told himself that he would just take a sneak peek, just to see what the guy was talking about.

Well, that was until he saw who was actually inside.

Deku's eyes widened as he saw her dodging between fake dummy robots, kicking them down one by one until there were none left. It was Amari.

Once the bell rang, she looked up towards the time in the center and gritted her teeth, seeming unhappy with the result. When Deku glanced to it though, he couldn't help but gasp.

The timer had read seven minutes. Had she really defeated all of those enemies in seven minutes?! That was insane.

He saw her wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead before pushing a button and having the robots reset. Was she going to do it again?

Watching carefully, the buzzer rang and Amari was gone, dodging between the fake villains and using a gold protective coating to punch through them. Her eyes, it seemed like they had no emotion to them, just pure and utter determination.

At the last enemy, he saw Amari ball her fists in anger, only for a couple of small sparks to leak out the sides of her palm, causing him to stand in shock. That wasn't in Amari's quirk usually.

The buzzer rang and she fell to her knees in exhaustion, causing Deku to gasp, already running to the rescue. She looked like she was about to pass out.

Racing down the steps, he slammed open the door. "Amari-chan, are you okay?!"

She coughed a bit before realizing his presence. Her eyesight was blurry from the hits, certainly not the best right now. "Midoroya? What you are doing here?"

Deku quickly went to grab her arm, scared that she may of been hurt. "I came to train and I saw you collapse! Are you okay?"

Putting her hand to her head, Amari whispered back. "What's the score?"

Deku seemed confused by that. "Huh?"

But Amari just lifted her head, staring at him with that same icy stare. "What was the score?"

Finally registering the question, Deku turned to the scoreboard, reading it. "Six minutes, but that's not important right now. You need to rest."

Amari ran the number through her head before punching the ground in frustration, already trying to stand back up. "That's not good enough…"

Deku steadied her arms but she seemed better so he let go. "What are you talking about? Six minutes to go through that course is insane."

Although she didn't seem to feel the same way. "No, I need to be better than that. I'm gonna go again."

He could clearly see the exhaustion on her face and called her out for it. "Amari-chan, you're pushing yourself too hard. What would Kacchan say?"

At her brothers name, Amari chuckled. "He would say it's not good enough, that's why I'm going again."

She started to walk towards the edge of the ring, only for Deku to throw his arms out, stopping her. This seemed like some sort of sibling rivalry. "Wait, Amari-chan, do you wanna beat Kacchan?"

Looking down at her hands, Amari just sighed. "It's not about beating anyone. I'll never be acknowledged by him if I can't even do this. I'll be fine Midoriya. I do this everyday."

Deku then realized just what that man at the front had actually meant when he said she was a monster. Did she really push herself this hard every morning? Recommended students truly were different.

Then, he realized something else from her last fight. The quirk she used at the end seemed vaguely familiar. It was almost like Kacchan's quirk. Was it possible? "Amari-chan, do you also have Kacchan's quirk?"

At his words, his watched her freeze completely, laughing it off. "What are you talking about Midoriya?"

He opened his notebook and showed her the note he had taken during her training, reading it out loud. "Your quirk is gold matter, right? So how come at the end your palms started sparking? It was just like Kacchan's quirk. You have it, don't you Amari-chan?"

Looking down at her palms, Deku could see that she was anxious. "Don't tell anyone, please."

That proved it, she really did have Kacchan's quirk as well. But why was she trying to hide it so desperately? "Why? I think it's amazing to have two quirks. You should use it."

But she just shook her head, crushing her hands into fists and replying. "No, I can't use it anyways so it doesn't matter. Just act like you didn't see anything please."

Deku was confused at this. "But why?"

Amari just smiled bitterly at that, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Because that is a quirk of a Bakugo, and I'm not that. I can't use his quirk, not yet. I haven't earned it yet."

Deku listened to her statement, not completely following. "What are you saying Amari? You are a Bakugo. It's your last name."

She seemed to find this amusing, casting her eyes away. "A name is something you have to be worthy of, something you earn, and I'm not there, not yet anyways."

He listened carefully before quickly realizing that's why she was so uncomfortable with everyone using her last name. She thought she didn't deserve it, that a name had to be earned. Did she really not think of herself as Kacchan's sister?

Then she turned back towards the scoreboard and pressed the button on the side, resetting everything. "I don't expect you to understand, but I need to do this. I need to be stronger. I'm sorry."

Deku's eyes widened as he watched the girl ran forward, going through the course again even though he could tell she was exhausted. He always thought it was strange for someone like Amari to be so highly rated, especially with how small she was.

But looking now, there was no doubt about it. She was recommended for a reason.

* * *

After training, Amari walked through the doors of the school, feeling slightly lonely at the fact that Todoroki didn't walk with her this morning. Although, it couldn't be helped. She had to train. He seemed to understand that as well.

She reached the door of her classroom and couldn't help to catch herself staring at the soft glimmer of the bracelet he had given her. It may have been embarrassing but she hadn't taken the dang thing off since she got it. It was like some sort of security blanket for her. Amari didn't know why, but it made her feel calm.

Smiling slightly at the memory of last night, she paused when a voice broke her out of her delusions. "What the hell are you smiling like an idiot for?"

Amari gasped and turned to find none other then her brother staring at her, looking annoyed per usual. "Oh, uh it's nothing."

Sighing once, he threw his bag over his shoulder, pointing to the door. "So get out my damn way. I can't get inside, brat."

She then realized that she was indeed in front of the door. Jumping away quickly, she muttered. "Oh, sorry Katsuki."

He just pushed past her then, bumping her shoulder slightly and causing her to lose balance, all while scoffing. "Annoying."

Amari's eyes fell but tried not to let it get the best of her, following behind him and sitting down.

She was thankful when Todoroki came in a couple moments later, turning to him. "Good morning Todoroki."

Placing the bag on his desk, he nodded his head. "How was training?"

Amari's eyes couldn't help but catch Deku's at that. He probably thought she was some sort of feak now. "Oh you know, same old same old. It seemed Midoriya caught me though. He must think I'm a real weirdo."

He sat down, finding amusement in his next words. "Well, he's not completely off."

Fake gasping at that, she slapped his shoulder, seeming appalled. "Hey! I'm not that weird. Okay, well maybe I am but don't just go out and say it."

Todoroki found her act funny and couldn't help but smile under his breath. Then before he could respond, the teacher walked in to start class.

* * *

After class, it was soon time for lunch. Amari grabbed her food and decided to sit at the table next to Deku, Ida and his friends. She didn't want to barge in on them but she also didn't want to sit completely alone. That's usually how it went.

She paused when another plate touched the desk and she turned to find Todoroki staring at her. "Why don't you just join them?"

Glancing to the side, she laughed. "Yeah, I'm not great with people. I don't know if you noticed but sometimes I can get all nervous and end up saying the wrong things or just rambling completely."

He sat down across from her, feeling slightly amused. "I've noticed."

Amari flushed at that, slamming her head on the table. "See, it's a miracle that you talk to me. Even after I embarrassed myself multiple times."

Picking up his chopsticks, he just replied. "It seems I'm just used to it by now."

That didn't make her feel any better though, glancing to Deku. "Plus, Midoryia saw me seriously train this morning and I don't want to make things awkward. I may have told him about why I don't call myself a Bakugo.."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that. "And what did he say?"

Amari just sighed. "He didn't say anything, which is why I think I scared him. I shouldn't have done that. Now, I'll never be able to talk to him normally ..."

As if on cue, a voice echoed behind her, causing her to jump. "Umm Amari-chan?"

Dropping her chopsticks in her soup, Amari turned to find Deku looking rather anxious. "Midoriya? What's up?"

He thought for a couple minutes before aggressively bowing in front of her, catching the eye of a couple students. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did this morning. I guess I was just worried about you and…"

Amari froze for a moment before smiling back. "Don't worry I'm completely fine. I do that kind of stuff all the time so it's not a big deal. "

Although Deku didn't seem convinced. "Alright, if you say so…"

She just nodded her head and Deku changed the subject quickly. "So, are you ready for that written test next week?"

Thankful for the change, she shrugged. "I sure hope so. It seems Mr Aizawa doesn't play around."

Just then, another voice entered the conversation, watching Ida slide down towards them. "Bakugo doesn't have to worry at all, I'm sure. She was top recommended for a reason."

At the sound of her last name, Amari grimaced. "Yeah, I don't know about that... "

Suddenly another voice entered the space, and it was one that made her hair stand on edge. "Top recommended? I think that's still gotta be some kind of joke…"

Everyone turned to find Bakugo staring at them, a tray of food in his hand. He must have heard the conversation.

Todoroki could notice the hold on her chopsticks tighten as Ida replied. "What you talking about Bakugo? She was chosen by the best of the best. Of course Bakugo-chan would excel in all subjects and matters. It's common sense…"

But Bakugo just found his words funny, remembering how weak she was as a child. Back then he never would have expected her to get this far. There had to be something behind it. "So what? Did you get your fancy foriegn teachers to bribe someone just so you could go here? Saying that this little weakling is top recommended is impossible. She had to cheat somewhere."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari spoke back. "I got in fair and square."

Bakugo could only scoff at that, slamming his hand on the table. "Bullshit! There is no way. You shouldn't even be here, nevermind in the top two. So, what underhanded tactic did you use then?"

Deku listened to Kacchan's words and couldn't help but feel an untouched anger in his stomach. He didn't know anything. If Bakugo knew how far she pushed herself this morning then he wouldn't be saying these things.

Standing out of his seat, Deku locked eyes with his childhood friend, wanting to set the record straight. "That's not true Kacchan! Amari-chan does belong here. You have no idea how hard she works. Just this morning she…"

Suddenly, before he could finish his sentence, Amari bolted up out of her seat, shouting to cover his words. "Midoriya!"

Everyone froze then, not really sure what was happening. Amari just glanced at him and shook her head before sighing. "I just remembered I have to study for that test. Thanks for reminding me Ida-kun."

Then without another word, she picked up her tray and left the cafeteria alone, Todoroki watching her movements carefully. It was obvious she didn't want Bakugo to know how hard she was working to stay on the same playing field.

Deku let his head fall after she was gone, knowing he had misstepped. She seemed very upset about the whole thing, especially in front of Kacchan.

Bakugo himself just looked confused. "What the hell was that about?"

Deku shook his head, dropping the conversation. "It's nothing Kacchan. You just really shouldn't say those things to her. Amari-chan will be hurt by them."

Bakugo looked in the direction she went and nodded, knowing that's exactly what he was trying to do. "Good, then maybe she'll finally go back to America like she should've done in the first place."

The truth was, if he drove her away from U.A, then maybe he wouldn't have to feel so guilty anymore, maybe those terrible nightmares would stop. She needed to realize that being here was pointless. All she was going to do is get herself hurt anyways and the very idea brough an uneasiness in his stomach.

He felt eyes on him then and turned only to find that strange silent boy staring at him again. "What the hell do you want now, bastard?"

Narrowing his eyes, Torodoki just glared, picking up his own chopsticks again. Truly he wanted to put Amari's brother in his place but also knew that he didn't want to hurt her. She loved her brother too much for that. "Nothing."

Bakugo's temper started to flare up at that when suddenly, a loud bell rang above them, causing the students to block their ears.

The walls started to shut down on themselves and a loud voice echoed through the halls. "_**This is an emergency evacuation. The barrier has been broken. I repeat, the barrier has been broken. Please proceed to the safe zones immediately. **_

Everyone immediately began to panic, standing and racing towards the exits all at once. "It's the villains! They are attacking!"

The screamed started as Deku's eyes hollowed. "No way.."

His friends stood after that, moving towards the door quickly when Bakugo stopped dead in his tracks, realizing something that made his stomach drop. "Wait, where's that brat?"

Looking around frantically, she was nowhere in the cafeteria and the painful truth crashed down on him all at once. She was going to the library, which meant she was outside.

Deku touched his shoulder, his voice sounding rather far away. "Come on Kacchan, we gotta go.."

But Bakugo had other things on his mind and without thinking, found himself running towards the opposite direction of the safe zone, towards her. "Shut up!"

His friends gasped, calling after him. "Bakugo, what are you doing?! You are going to get yourself killed!"

Deku touched his arm only for Bakugo to straight up punch him in the face, his anger flaring up by the second. "Shut up! That brat is still out there!"

Ida seemed confused, placing a hand out in front of him. "If you go out there it will only make things worse. It's safer to just follow the protocol and…"

Yet Bakugo wasn't having any of it, feeling his breath intake faster and faster. "Screw the protocol! I'm going back!"

Deku groaned as a nearby teacher grabbed the boy pulling him away from the danger, but he wasn't pleased. He couldn't only think about their last conversation.

Oh god. He yelled at her and pushed her away so that she could be safe, not so she could die. His heart beat hammered in his chest as Bakugo couldn't help but think the worst. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME YOU BASTARDS. SHE'S STILL OUT THERE."

Fear crept up in his throat as he let off an explosion, the teachers forcing him to let go. "Hey, hold on! It's not safe to go back! I'm sure she'll be fine! You are just going to cause more trouble!"

But Bakugo wasn't hearing it, feeling his veins pop out of his skin. "SHUT UP. LIKE I'M GOING TO LET MY IDIOT SISTER DIE."

Todoroki couldn't help but seem shocked by that. That was the first time he had ever openly called Amari his sister. Perhaps he really did care for her deep down.

He himself had his own worries but they were much more subdued then Bakugo's were. Todoroki knew Amari could fight if she had to. Bakugo was just blinded by his worry to see that.

* * *

Amari sighed to herself as she walked towards the library, knowing she probably made a scene in the cafeteria. Although she then realized that her brother was somehow right. It probably did seem strange that she would be so highly rated, given her past.

She was about halfway to the library when a loud bell interrupted her thoughts, all the windows next to her shutting down one by one. _**This is an emergency evacuation. The barrier has been broken. I repeat, the barrier has been broken. Please proceed to the safe zones immediately. **_

Amari's eyes widened, realizing what was going on. Could it be that a villain was attacking U.A. right now? She better find her way inside then.

Quickly walking towards the doors, she froze when a sharp prickly and uncomfortable feeling hit the back of her neck. It felt like someone was blowing thorns on it.

Amari stopped her steps and turned around only to find no one was there. Well, that was odd.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she thought she noticed a sort of purple mist zoom across the ground and around the corner. But when she blinked again, it was gone.

A pull in the back of her mind told her to follow the weird occurrence and she decided to listen to it, as if she didn't have a choice in the matter.

Her steps lead her around the corner where she swear she saw that mist again, crawling into the building itself.

That chill returned and Amari put her hands across herself, feeling the need to be comforted. She didn't like the air here.

The prickling started again, this time stronger than the first time. So much so that it brought a small pain to her neck. "Who are you? I know you're here…"

Suddenly, a voice echoed back in her ear. His voice crawled up her spine, stunning her into absolute silence. She couldn't make out the words he was saying but they made her feel sick and uncomfortable, with the strong pull to obey them somehow. What the heck was this?

Her mind started to become cloudy as she felt her consciousness drift away, completely in bliss with the sound of this man's voice. Now instead of it being uncomfortable, it was warm and suffocating, forcing her to agree. She wanted to follow him, to serve him.

A loud noise behind her shook Amari out of her trance, placing a hand to her temple in a strong headache. What the hell was that just now?

Footsteps started to echo behind her and Amari raised a fist, ready to attack this mystery villain.

A hand touched her shoulder and Amari turned around, first aimed for their face when something unexpected happened. They screamed. "AHHHHH Don't hurt me!"

Falling to the floor in the thud, Amari adjusted her eyes only to find a reporter below her. "Watch where you swing that thing, will you?! "

Blinking in surprise, she answered. "Who are you?"

The reporter stood up then, putting his hands out in desense. "I'm Hayate Toya of the Harold News station. We are here to report All Might becoming a teacher at U.A"

Amari took in his words before sighing in relief. So it wasn't a villain afterall.. "Oh, I see."

Just then, the reporter got a little too close, touching her shoulder carefully. "Right so, can you tell me anything about All Might, since you go to school here and everything…"

Amari started to feel uncomfortable when a hand pushed him away, seeming annoyed. "Please leave our students alone."

She looked up only to find Aizawa behind her. The reporter stuttered and bowed, now afraid of the teachers. "Right, so sorry. It won't happen again.."

He then ran away before the teacher could catch him. When he was gone, Aizawa looked less than pleased with her. "Bakugo, you were instructed to make your way to the safe zone. What are you doing way out here?"

Amari looked around her before bowing. "I'm sorry Mr. Aizawa. I thought I saw something and…"

But he just cut her off. "That's even more reason not to chase it. If this were a real emergency who knows what could have happened."

She nodded her head sadly causing him to sigh. "Well, as long as you know now. Now I'll escort you back to the rest of the students. They must be worried."

Amari agreed and followed Aizawa back, still wondering just what had happened back there. Was it really just the reporters that caused the barrier to break?

She wasn't sure.

* * *

Walking back to class, she saw her friends in the far distance, waving a hand to greet them behind Aizawa.

When they noticed her, they all gasped, racing forward in a suffocating hug. "Amari-chan! Thank goodness you're okay!"

Amari tried to break free, laughing at the action. "Hey, it's okay. It was only a false alarm anyways. No big deal."

She then caught Todoroki's eye who breathed out a sigh of relief his didn't know he had been holding. "Glad to have you back."

Amari smiled only for a loud and angry shout to enter the space. He seemed super pissed. "HEY BRAT!"

She turned only to find Bakugo stomping up to her. She tried to play it off, laughing slightly. "Oh, hey Kasuki…"

Just then, his arm wrapped around hers and pulled her away from her friends, all while she protested. "Kasuki, what are you…."

She paused when they turned the corner, him slamming her against the back of the wall and shouting. "Where the hell were you?!"

Amari closed her eyes as his breath was far too close to her face and replied. "Uhh, the library? That's what I told you before…"

Although he didn't seem to like that response, slamming his fists in the plaster next to her head and making a dent. "That's no excuse! You are always so damn reckless! Do you want to die?!

At his words, her eyes fell, thinking back to the pills in her pocket. "Not really no.."

Shouting in her face, he replied. "Then stop doing stupid ass things, you brat!"

Amari felt a tick of annoyance at that. She didn't like how he was making her seem so weak. "I think you're overreacting Katsuki. I'm not like how I was before. I can fight now."

Although, Bakugo didn't seem won over. "All you're doing is getting youself fucking killed! Attending U.A, going off by yourself, pretending you can fight, this isn't a goddamn joke Amari! When will you realize that?!"

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name from his lips. Even if it was in anger, that was the first time he'd ever called her by her name.

Although the bliss didn't last long as she realized she was pissed at him. He didn't understand anything, and it was ticking her off. "When have I ever said this was a joke Katuski?! I'm not just playing around like you think. Maybe I want to be a hero too! Did you ever think about that?!"

Katuki only scoffed at that. "No, I haven't, because it's a fucking joke! You can't be a hero! You'll never be one so stop acting so delusional already! It's pissing me off!"

Amari grew silent at that, Katuki watching her eyes turn dark and serious. This had gone beyond anger, now she was furious. "You watch me Katsuki. I don't care what you say. I will be a hero, just you wait."

Katsuki stared at her for a minute before taking his hands off of the walls and scoffing at her declaration. "Good luck with that brat. I can't wait until you fail so I can show you just how pathetic and useless you've always been. You'll never be a hero."

Her eyes narrowed as she hissed. "Watch me."

Katuki shook his head then. Obviously she was too stubborn to know she was in over her head. Maybe he should just let her be killed by a villain. Saving her from this was becoming too much work.

Then he just turned around, walking away from his sister before muttering. "Do what you want. I don't care anymore…"

If she wanted to get herself killed then he needed to stop worrying about her. She had decided her own fate.

* * *

Aww angry, protective, brother Bakugo is just worried about his sister but he's too much of a jerk to say it nicely. He was about to kill someone just to make sure she was safe.

The USJ chapter is coming soon and it's gonna be an oof. I'm excited.


	9. Chapter 9

Todoroki walked into class only to find Amari seated at her desk. Her posture was slouched over uncomfortably with her head facing straight down into the top surface. He hadn't even approached her yet and yet the air was filled with despair and dread.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, the boy approached her slowly. "What are you doing?"

Although the only response he received was a loud frustrated groan, muffled by the desk. "I'm studying."

Obviously that didn't look like studying. She just looked rather sullen. So much so that he called her out of it. "Do you usually study with no books and your face down on the desk?"

She groaned at this again, turning her head to the side to look at him this time. "Stop judging my life choices Todoroki. I'm depressed."

Todoroki locked his own eyes with her and sighed, knowing this was going to be a story. "And why are you depressed?"

Amari lifted her head then, choosing to run her fingers through her hair in anxiety instead. "I fought with Katsuki again. That seems like all we do now. I promised myself I wouldn't blow up at him but he is just so AHHHH frustrating!"

Todoroki seemed to fully understand this, knowing just how Bakugo was. Heck, he wanted to hit him a couple times himself. "I don't think you should fault yourself for that."

Amari's eyes fell again, her eyes casted away. "Yeah but we'll never get anywhere if all we do is yell at each other. It seems like we are just getting even further and further away. Maybe I should give up."

Shaking his head, Todoroki knew she wasn't serious at that last part of her sentence, calling her bluff. "At least try to sound convincing. You're too stubborn for that."

At his words, Amari groaned once more, realizing he was right and face planted herself back into the surface of the desk. The muffeling returned shortly after. "I hate that your right. Just let me wallow in my own self pity then."

He looked down at her depressed form and sighed, wishing there was some way to help her. Bakugo was certainly not an easy person to get close to. Of course, he probably would if he knew about Amari's short lifespan but it seemed she didn't want to strengthen their relationship that way. If only he could help her somehow.

Todoroki was pushed out of his thoughts when a bunch of giggling and talking could be heard from his right hand side. There he found Mina, Momo, Ochaco and Yuga in a small group around themselves.

He was about to turn away when the boy noticed a magazine in Yuga's hand. "Doesn't this new cafe look dazzling! Why, it's almost as dazzling as me!"

Mina nodded excitedly, taking the paper out of the boys hand. "And they have real cats! Oh, I've always wanted to go to a cat cafe!"

Ochaco jumped up and down at the news. "Ohh we should go after school!"

Momo seemed to agreed. "Yes, we must! I hear they have a new flavor of ice cream there as well and a photo booth!"

The group squealed in excitement when they jumped in surprise at who had suddenly approached them. It was that really quiet cute boy, Todoroki.

He just stood there awkwardly so Ochaco made the first move. "Oh, hello Todoroki. Do you need something?"

Lifting his hand, the boy pointed his direction towards the magazine, asking. "Can I have that?"

They all turned to the magazine, Yuga gasping. "Don't tell me! You have the same interests as me!"

Only for Todoroki to shoot him down. "No."

Yuga grew silent as Ochaco knew excitedly what was going on, happily handing the page from the magazine over. "Here you go Todoroki."

He nodded his head silently before turning away, everyone else seeming confused. "That was weird. I never knew the most popular boy in school would be a cat person.."

Ochaco just chuckled at this. "Oh, I don't think that's it Momo."

She gave a knowing smirk and pointed to the boy who was making his way back over to his seat, magazine in hand.

Then everyone watched as he placed the paper on the desk, causing Amari to look up confused. "What's this?"

He pointed to the ad and shrugged. "This seems like something you would like."

Amari's eyes widened as she grabbed the ad and began reading it, excitement now in her voice. "Whoaa, you're right! This looks really cool!"

Todoroki then moved over to his seat before sitting down carefully. "Be ready after class."

At his words, her head sharply turned to his, realizing what he had just said. Was he going to take her to this cafe to make her feel better? "Wait, we're going?"

Taking a book out of his bag, he paused. "Only if you want to.."

Amari couldn't help but smile at this, feeling strangely happy inside now. Because of that, she kind of shouted her answer loudly, gaining the attention of the whole class.. "Yes! I do!"

Everyone turned around to look at her strangely, only hearing her response and not the question. It must of seemed really weird. Crap, she probably sounded desperate.

Trying to clean up her words, Amari just coughed and began to backtrack, attempting to act like she wasn't excited to be invited. "I mean, yeah I guess. I have some free time. I suppose we can.."

Todoroki looked at her act and couldn't help but smile in amusement, gaining a blush of embarrassment from the girl. "Alright then."

Class started soon after that but all Amari could think about was the plans she had after.

* * *

They walked to the cafe shortly after class only to be greeted by about a dozen cats. After they paid, the two made their way into the corner and order some ice cream.

Amari picked up a black cat and giggled excitedly. "AHH I love them! I will be your mother now small cat!"

Todoroki couldn't help but feel amused by her statement. "You can't adopt them."

She just frowned at that, putting him down. "Why do you have to kill my dreams like that Todoroki?"

They were soon greeted with their ice cream that was also cat themed and Amari smiled sadly. Todoroki was probably really uncomfortable here. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better and everything but I feel bad. This isn't really your kind of thing, is it?"

A spotted tabby kitty brushed his leg as he responded. "No, but you like it."

That made her feel both ashamed and strangely happy inside at the same time. "That's what I'm saying. You don't have to do all these things for me if you don't want to. I mean, I get that you feel bad because I'm going to die but you don't have to force yourself to do this. Just being able to talk to someone is enough."

Her words made him concerned, picking up the cat that was brushing his leg and holding it. "Wait, is that why you think I do this?"

Blinking in confusion, Amari nodded. "Isn't that the only reason? I mean, you wouldn't be doing this if I hadn't told you everything. Not that I'm not thankful for it because I am it's just, I like to know where we stand so I don't expect anything."

Todoroki thought back to their conversation and knew somewhere deep down that she was right. All of this did start out because he pitied her. He just didn't want her to be so sad anymore. If her brother wasn't going to be there for her then someone had to.

Taking a breath, he said his real feelings. "I don't usually accept friendships like this. I find them annoying and distracting. Being the top hero was all I cared about."

Letting her head fall, Amari couldn't deny the sting she felt at that. "Good to know.."

But then he put a hand up, stopping her. "All that is true but for some reason, I don't really mind it when I'm with you."

Amari listened to his words and remained shocked. Even if they were lies she didn't care. That was more than she could have ever asked from someone. "I feel the same way. I approached you because I didn't want to be lonely anymore, but I'm glad it's you Todoroki."

She smiled and Todoroki felt that uncomfortable beat in his chest. He really liked to see her smile like that. "That's the second time.."

Seemingly confused, Amari turned her head. "What is?"

Petting the kitten below him, Todoroki replied. "That's the second time you've really smiled. The first was at the restaurant for your birthday."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Amari turned away. "Ahh really? I'm just really happy."

Amari put a hand to her cheeks when Todoroki picked up a small white cat and handed it to her.

She accepted the animal happily, changing the subject before dying of embarrassment. "AHH he kind of looks like you!"

Suddenly, one of the waitresses came by, holding a small camera. "Oh, you two are such a cute couple."

Amari gasped at that, throwing her hands up in embarrassment. "Oh no no we aren't a couple or anything like that."

The waitress didn't seem convinced though, smiling sweetly. "My apologies. I'm here to take your complimentary photo."

Not really knowing what the lady meant, Amari nervously turned to Todoroki. She was already pushing it with the cafe. She couldn't ask him to take a picture with her. "Oh that's okay. We don't need the picture."

Once again, the waitress didn't seem pleased, already trying to shove the two together. "It will only take a minute. Now, slide closer together."

Amari put her hand up in protest when she felt Todoroki push closer to her, as if going along with it. "Todoroki? We don't have to…"

Now their legs were touching each others as the waitress lifted up the camera, ready to take the picture. "Now, smile!"

Amari didn't have time to think as she smiled on instinct, a small flash filling the space.

Putting the camera down, the woman seemed pleased, handing the finished product over to them. "Here you go sweetie. Have a wonderful day."

Once she was gone, Amari stared at the photo and couldn't help but laugh, Todoroki not realizing it yet. "What?"

But Amari just covered her mouth, showing him the picture. "You look so confused."

Sure enough, the picture of the two of them had Amari smiling but Todoroki just looked rather stoic and unemotional, kinda like a mug shot. "I don't see what's so funny."

Yet the girl couldn't stop laughing for some reason. He just looked so serious. "Nothing, it's beautiful."

She smiled and peeled off the back of the sticker before slapping it on his phone in utter glee. "Now we can preserve this art for later."

Doing the same to her phone, she put the two side by side and gave a thumbs up. "Perfect!"

Todoroki just looked down at the surface, shaking his head in disappointment and changing the subject. . "Are you ready for the USJ training tomorrow?"

Amari thought for a moment at the change of subject before answering back. "Yeah, tomorrow I'm going to show Katsuki that I'm serious about becoming a hero. Maybe once he believes that then we can finally get closer."

Thinking back to Bakugo's words in the cafeteria, Todoroki felt that rage again but tried to calm it for her, choosing something else to focus on. "You know yesterday when you were missing, he called you his sister."

Her eyes widened at that, bouncing closer to him, eager to hear more. "Wait, really!? He did?!"

Todoroki nodded his head which made her chest lighten with excitement. Maybe this was a sign. "He's never done that before. I wish I could've heard it."

He wanted to be happy for her but that the fact that she was this excited because Bakugo called finally recognized Amari as his sister was kind of depressing. That was one of the most basic things you could do as siblings but she didn't have that.

Clapping her hands together, she replied. "Well, that's progress! Maybe all hope isn't lost after all!"

Todoroki didn't want to take away her small happiness so he just nodded. "Maybe not."

Amari smiled in excitement at this, holding the small cat in front of her. "Thanks Todoroki. Once again you've brightened my day!"

He remained silent at this but felt just as happy as she was. He hoped things were turning around for the two siblings.

Looking back towards the ice cream, Amari nodded her head with determination. "Tomorrow for sure, I'm going to show him I belong here."

* * *

THE SHIPS IS GOING STRONG. Have some soft boy Todoroki fluff before we get it into the feels train that is the USJ arc.

He's just trying to make her happy since Katsuki isn't going to do it.

I have the day off tomorrow so I'm very very excited to start on the USJ chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

Amari was sitting on the bus with the rest of her classmates as they made their way to the USJ training grounds when she felt a soft prick in the back of her neck. It seemed to be getting worse as they approached the area.

Sitting next to her was Midoriya who turned to her in question at her puzzled expression. "Amari-chan, are you okay?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and laughed slightly, ignoring the stare on her back. "Oh yeah, I'm good. Sorry, I've just been feeling a little off today for some reason. It'll pass."

It wasn't completely a lie. Amari did feel rather strange ever since they stepped on this bus. She didn't know what it was but she didn't really like it.

Just then, Bakugo's voice could be heard above everyone, mocking her. "What? Are you getting cold feet now that you realize you can never be a hero?"

Amari just narrowed her eyes before shaking her head, trying to stay calm with her brother. Yelling wasn't going to solve anything. "No. Besides, I thought you told me I could do what I wanted because you didn't care anymore…"

Bakugo's face twitched at her wording, not liking that she was using his own words against him. "You wish brat. I just don't want to hear you acting like a whiny baby.."

She just sighed heavily at that, shaking her head in disgust. He was always so difficult.

Deku seemed to notice her annoyance and carefully patted her on the back. "It's okay Amari-chan. This training is going to be great!"

She smiled at her, knowing the boy was trying to cheer her up when Asui chimed in, seeming interested. "I've been meaning to ask this Midoryia but your quirk is really like All Mights.."

The boy seemed shaken by that,jumping slightly. "W-What?! You really think so?"

But Kirishima shot her down really quick. "Hold on Tsu, All Might doesn't get hurt when he uses his quirk. They just seem similar."

Deku nodded his head, trying to make them believe that explanation. "That's right! But I think your quirk is really cool also Kirishima!"

Kiri couldn't help but grin at that compliment, hardening his hand as if to prove the point. "My quirk is great in defense but it's not very flashy. I would love to have something that looks cooler."

Everyone nodded and began talking about their own quirks, Kiri pointing towards the back of the bus. "If we are talking flashy, we gotta go with Todoroki, and the Bakugo's, right?. Those three are on another level."

At his words, Amari flushed. "I wouldn't say that. I just do the best I can."

Asui heard this and leaned closer, now curious. "Amari-chan, why is your quirk different from Bakugo's?"

Putting a nervous hand to her hand, Amari smiled at the question. "Oh, that's because I have my grandmothers quirk. Guess it skipped my parents and went down to me. I didn't know her very well though. She died before Katsuki and I were born."

The students seemed pleased with this answer, Asui turning to Amari's brother. "Amari-chan is so nice, on the other hand, Bakugo is always mad so it doesn't seem like he'd be popular."

Bakugo felt his frustration rise at that, ready to fight. "What the hell, you wanna fight?!"

But luckily Aizawa came between the two, calling out to them. "Alright enough messing around already. We are here."

* * *

When they stepped off the bus, they students were greeted with one of the current ranking pro heros, thirteen. She brought them inside and began to talk about the different exercises they were going to do.

Stepping inside the dome, everyone couldn't help but gasp. Inside was a huge space that included various climates and areas so that the students could practice on them. It made Amari's face light up in joy. "This is the training ground that I made with different types of accidents and disasters to simulate what it's really like to work as a hero."

Aizawa didn't seem impressed though, instead shuffling over to the hero in question. "Where is All Might? He said he was going to meet us here."

Thirteen nodded her head and leaned in to whisper her response. "About that, it looks like he did to much hero work earlier and is resting in the lounge for now."

Shaking his head in disappointment, Aizawa sighed. "It can't be helped. Let's get started then…"

Suddenly all the lights around them broke and shot out, leaving the area in complete darkness. The water next to them turned on and off rapidly as an immense presence filled the air.

The sharp pain in the back of Amari's neck returned, now this time stronger than ever before. She didn't like it.

The students all watched as a purple swirling mist suddenly appeared before hundreds of strangers entered from the portal all at once. "W-What is that?"

Aziawa seemed on edge as well. "Thirteen, protect the students. Don't move."

Remaining silent, another man appeared from out of the portal. He had light blue hair with various hands all over his body. Just his presence brought a shiver down everyone's spine.

The teacher gazed at the stranger with intent before placing his goggles on and stating darkly. "Those are villains."

Everyone gasped in fear as the blue haired man stepped forward, looking rather disappointed. "Looks like the teachers schedule we got was wrong. Where is he? Where is All Might? I went through the whole trouble of bringing this crowd also. I can't believe he's not here."

Then he got another idea. "I wonder if he'll come if I kill some kids?"

Amari watched with hollowed eyes and realized what was before them. This wasn't some kind of training. No, these were real villains, and they wanted All Might.

The man grumbled in silence when the purple warp spoke, this time with interest towards the students. "Wait, that is the little girl who sensed us.."

Then before anyone could think, a warp opened up right next to the students and engulfed Amari whole, causing her to disappear all together.

Todoroki and Bakugo's eyes widened, already racing forward to see where she had gone. "Amari!"

Amari gasped as she was thrown onto the floor suddenly and looked up only to find that blue haired man and the rest of the villains a couple feet from her.

He leaned down his curiosity, turning his head in question. "This is her? She doesn't seem like anything special."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari began to slip her hand into her back pocket to grab a pill when he caught her. "Oh, and what are you trying to do?"

Then in one motion, he reached down and wrapped four of his fingers around her arm, pulling it back so she couldn't reach the box. Gritting her teeth in pain, he just seemed amused. "Is this what you were looking for?"

Bakugo's eyes widened at the scene, already racing forward, only to be caught by Thirteen. "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARD."

But the man just ignored the kids words, pulling out the small box on her belt and eyeing it curiously. "You need this, don't you? It would be a shame if something happened to it ..."

He smiled in delight as the man pressed all his fingers onto the object and Amari watched as her pills disintegrated beneath his palm in shock. This was really bad, now she couldn't use her quirk anymore. She was useless.

She stared in fear at the realization when he grabbed her neck, his fifth finger now dangerously close to her face. "I don't really know how you could sense us but you do know what will happen if I rest my other finger down, right? So let's not make any sudden moves."

Amari growled at the contact when a whoosh of energy tore past them, causing the man to let go of her in surprise.

Coughing on the floor, she turned to find Aizawa standing in front of her, blocking the girl from the enemies. "Go back with the class. Hurry!"

She understood and started to run away, back towards the rest of the class that was still on the second level of the training area.

Once she got there, everyone breathed out an anxious sigh, Amari holding her throat still from the irritation. "Amari-chan! Are you okay?"

Deku touched her shoulder in concern to which her just nodded her head, still shaken. "Yeah, but that guy is no joke."

Todoroki raced forward as well, grabbing her hand and helping her off the ground. She looked into his eyes and breathed in a breath of terror. "Todoroki, he destroyed them. I can't fight."

The boy knew exactly what she meant as the reality came crashing down. Her pills were gone, She couldn't use her quirk in this battle.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when Bakugo stomped up to her in anger. In reality, he was scared out of his mind for her but it's not like he would ever admit that. "What are you doing?! Why didn't you use your quirk on him? You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Bakugo didn't know about the truth of her pills so Amari couldn't be hard on him. He didn't understand the weight of what just happened. She couldn't tell him she couldn't fight. Then that would mean that the words Katsuki said to her were all true. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I guess I was just shaken."

Before her brother could reply, Ida was already pushing them towards the exit. "This is not the time for talking. We need to get to the shelter!"

She agreed and started running with the classmates when another purple warp blocked their path. He emerged from the ground and spoke. "We heard All Might was supposed to be here today? Was there some kind of change?"

Bakugo and Kirishima saw this as their chance and raced forward quickly, their quirks aimed directly for the villain. "Take this!"

Amari's eyes widened but before she could tell them to stop, it was too late. That wouldn't work on this guy. "Katsuki, no!"

A loud explosion covered the area only to find that she was indeed correct. The blast didn't shake the warp villain at all. "Oh dear, that's dangerous. That's right, even if you are students I'll still scatter and torture you all to death!"

Everyone gasped as the warp grew, covering them with the purple substance. If only Amari could have used her quirk. Then she could have protected her friends from this monster.

She felt herself being swept away, only hearing the screaming from the other kids who were in just as much trouble.

Then, Amari was dropped from the air and into a fresh body of water below her. The hard crash hit her body roughly, groaning as the water engulfed her.

* * *

She gasped at the impact, the water feeling like piercing icicles on her body. Amari started to regain her eyesight when a blur flew past her.

A hand wrapped around her leg and Amari felt herself being dragged further and further into the dark abyss below her.

She fought her attacker and was able to kick him in the face, causing him to let go of her and rise to the surface.

Once she was above the water, Amari found a boat in the middle of the water and decided to climb onboard, only to find Deku and Asui hiding there as well. "Hey, are you two okay?"

Deku noticed her presence and gasped. "Amari-chan?! You're here also?"

Nodding her head, Amari rubbed her arm that was hit on impact and looked around. Deku could obviously tell she was scared. "Where is Katsuki?"

She looked left and right but couldn't hear or see the boy anywhere. She had to know he was safe or else her heart would explode out of her chest in worry.

Deku looked rather sullen and replied. "I'm sorry Amari-chan, I haven't seen him."

She seemed like she was trying to process those words and after a few moments, Amari stood, determination in her stare. "I have to find him."

But as she stood, Asui used her long tongue, pulling the poor girl back down. "Amari-chan, that's not very smart. Bakugo can take care of himself."

Hitting the floor, Amari glared. She knew that Asui was most likely right but just the thought of him hurt was driving her crazy.

Deku glanced at the villains at were still searching for them and sighed. "Amari-chan is right though, we have to come up with a plan. We can't just stay here. That's not what heros do."

Looking down at her hands, Amari felt that painful realization once more. "Midoriya, I can't use my quirk right now."

Deku gasped at that. He didn't know much about Amari's quirk but he didn't think it was on a time limit. "Wait, why?"

Amari shook her head in disappointment, not wanting to go into the details right now. "That doesn't matter. The fact is, I can't do anything right now. Katsuki was right. I am useless."

The shame bubbled up in her throat at her own words. All she wanted to do was fight but now that she was finally given the chance, she just couldn't. It was too dangerous to activate her quirk without the pills. It would kill her.

Asui seemed to understand the situation very well. "I wonder if we'll be able to hold out until All Might arrives, and even so, I wonder if we'll be able to make it out in one piece?"

Standing up, Amari found that the villains surrounding the ship weren't moving, rather they were just staring at them. "Wait, even though we are easy targets, they aren't doing anything. Maybe, just maybe, they don't know our quirks yet. We can use that…"

Deku quickly realized what she was saying. "You're right Amari-chan. If they knew our quirks then they wouldn't have sent Asui-san with us to a water area. Maybe we can.."

Suddenly, the boat underneath them rocked aggressively, water now seeping into the sides and breaking the ship in half. It looked like the villains had enough and were forcing them into the water.

Holding on to the side of the railing, Amari stared at Deku, until she got an idea.. "I got it.."

Then before he could say anything, Amari walked over the side of the boat before jumping on the railing, the other two looking rather confused. "Wait, I thought you couldn't use your quirk.."

But the girl just smirked, turning her head to him in amusement. "They don't know that. Besides, just because I'm useless right now doesn't mean I'm giving up. I'm stubborn like that, call it a family trait if you will."

Before Deku could realize that she was talking about Kacchan,the girl was gone, jumping off the side of the boat and onto a piece of debris that was floating in the ocean. "If you guys are itching for a fight then I can deliver. Come on, let's go!"

The boy watched as the villains approached her, thinking that she was insane. This girl was just as powerless as he was a couple months ago and yet she was still risking everything with no hope of winning.

He wondered what was plan was until it suddenly clicked. She was distracting them so he and Asui could attack and have the upper hand.

The villains crawled towards Amari, one of them pacing a hand on the debris only for her to kick her foot right in his face, causing him to fall back. "You're gonna regret that little girl."

But Amari just smiled and kicked another villain in the face before giving her best performance. "I didn't want to have to use this but I guess I have no choice. You should all stand back.."

Placing a hand behind her back, the villains took her warning seriously, not sure what kind of quirk the girl had. They had to be cautious so they fell back just slightly.

After a couple moments when nothing happened, they noticed that they were tricked, plowing through at full force. "Enough with the games little girl. Just kill her!"

They all raced towards her when Amari just looked amused, instead pointing to the sky. "I would look up first."

Some of them listened and looked up just in time for Deku to let off his power in his index finger, causing a massive whirlpool below the surface.

Before Amari could get caught up in it she felt Asui's tongue wrap around her body and pull her away from the impact. "Good one Asui."

Asui just nodded her head and placed Amari on the beach in front of them before quickly grabbing Deku and repeating the process. They had done it. They had defeated the villains.

Once everyone was safe, Deku sighed in relief. "That was close. Amari-chan, that was really dangerous."

Shrugging her shoulders, Amari answered. "You got my plan though, didn't you?"

Deku thought for a moment before nodding. "You could have just told me."

But Amari just answered plainly. "But then the villains would have heard us. Don't worry Midoriya I trusted you to figure it out, and you did. So, it's all good."

She smiled and Deku wondered how she could be so calm throughout everything. She could've gotten herself killed.

Yet it seemed Amari was only determined about something else entirely. "Now, let's go find Katsuki."

* * *

They all decided to get closer to the main battle with Aizawa and that blue haired villain, just to see if he needed any help. Just because they were kids didn't mean they couldn't lighten his load a bit. Amari also agreed, hoping that Katsuki would be there as well.

As they approached the area, Aizawa was still fighting, although he looked exhausted rather than before. It was kind of concerning.

Amari took a step closer to the action when suddenly a hand wrapped around her mouth, covering her gasp of surprise and pulling her back.

Thinking quickly, she struggled against her attacker, punching him in the stomach which caused him to groan. She was about to do it again when a voice stopped her. "Amari stop. It's me."

Blinking twice, she turned around and found Todoroki staring at her, now holding his stomach from the place that she had punched.

He dropped his hand then, causing her to speak. "Todoroki? What are you doing? I could've hurt you."

Her eyes then focused on the person next to him and a huge relief entered her chest. It was Katsuki. "Katsuki, you're okay.."

Bakugo just scoffed at her words, seeming unamused. "Of course I am. Did you really think a bunch of thugs would've held me down? Keep dreaming…"

Amari just smiled at that, just happy that he was okay, when Deku ran up to them. "Todoroki, Kacchan! It's so great to see you."

But before they could enjoy this moment of safety, Amari knew they had more important things to deal with. "Mr. Aizawa looks like he's reaching his limit. I don't think he'll be able to hold out until the rest of the pros arrive."

Deku looked over towards the fight, realizing what she was trying to say. "She's right, we have to do something…"

Putting a worried hand to her shoulder, Todoroki didn't like where this conversation is going. "Amari, don't tell me you're thinking about fighting. It's too dangerous even if you had your quirk."

Amari thought for a moment before nodding her head slowly. She didn't need Todoroki to tell her how useless she was right now. She already knew. "I know, and I don't plan to fight head on. That would be stupid. But that doesn't mean that we still can't use everyone else's strengths."

Trying to think of a plan, the group was stopped when a loud crashing sound could be heard in the direction of the fight. Everyone turned and couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

It seemed that the villain had gained the upper hand, having Aziawa crushed beneath the ground, blood now leaking everywhere, and after a few moments, he remained still. This was more serious than they thought.

Putting a hand to her mouth in horror, Amari whispered. "Mr. Aizawa…"

Bakugo was watching as well but hated this feeling of helplessness in his stomach. He couldn't just stand here and watch his teacher die. That's not why he became a hero in the first place.

Taking a step away from the wall, Amari gasped, grabbing onto his hand desperately. "Katsuki, what are you doing?! We can't fight that…"

He gazed at her hand before aggressively throwing his sister off. "Shut can't but I can.."

Realizing what he was going to do, Amari cursed, throwing her arms in front of her. If he went out there then she couldn't help him, and that terrified her. "No you can't. Did you see that thing take down Mr. Aizawa?! You're going to get yourself killed! Would you just stop with your ego for ten seconds and think logically. If you go out there, I can't help you!"

Bakugo thought about her words for a moment before shoving her aside aggressively, the girl hitting the side of the rocks. If he just stood there then all of the power he gained from his sister would have been wasted.

Gritting his teeth, her brother replied "Who said I need your help?! I'm going to be the greatest hero so this is nothing. You wouldn't understand because of how weak you are. Look at you, now that we are in a real battle you are too scared to use your quirk, right? Well, I'm not."

That wasn't the case at all but she didn't want Katsuki to know that. All she knew was that what he was about to do was reckless and stupid.

In her last desperate attempt, she called out to him, begging him not to do this. "Please Katsuki, don't do this. I don't want to lose my brother."

He paused for a moment, thinking about those words before a sharp pain entered his stomach. He wasn't worthy enough to accept that kind of title from her, not after everything he took from her. It made him sick just thinking about it. "I never once thought of myself as your brother."

Amari's eyes widened at the sting of his response, just watching him disappear from behind the rocks. Was that really true? Did he really not think of her as his sister?

Todoroki watched the display before reaching down and helping Amari off the ground quietly. That idiot, she was only trying to save his life and yet he said such cruel words to her.

Amari wiped a lingering tear from her face before shoving down the pain that she felt. She didn't have time for this now, she had to watch Katsuki to make sure he was alright.

Turning her gaze back on the fight, Bakugo raced forward toward the villain, his arms stretched out in an oncoming attack. "DIE."

A large explosion went off and when the smoke cleared, Bakugo smirked, thinking he had won. That was, until a large monstrous creature was blocking the way. His explosion had no impact at all.

The villain just seemed amused. "You like it? This is what we brought to kill All Might, although I guess we'll just have to settle for you."

Bakugo's eyes widened as the Nomu grabbed the poor boys head before throwing him to the opposite side of the area. Amari covered her mouth in terror, already feeling her legs wanting to move to him.

He groaned, feeling the blood running down his face before letting off another explosion, this time being able to dodge the Nomu's attack and running back to the blue haired villain.

Thinking he had the upper hand, Bakugo smirked, raising his fists towards the man only for him to catch it, holding his hand back with no struggle at all. "Is that the best you can do? I thought U.A. students were supposed to be the elite."

The boy had just enough time to widened his eyes before villain placed the rest of his fingers around Bakugo's armor, watching it crack and disintegrate undeath him, now dangerously close to his arms.

Then without thinking, the Nomu was able to grab Katsuki again, this time ponding him against the floor, causing the area to crack around them.

Deku turned to his friends, desperate to figure out a plan when he noticed someone missing from the group. Todoroki's eyes widened in fear as he realized exactly who it was.

The blue haired villain strolled up to Bakugo, who was struggling to breath and smiled. "Thanks for the entertainment."

Then he snapped his fingers and the Nomu raised his fists before pounding them down in full force at the boy. The impact would have clearly killed him.

Closing his eyes in fear, Bakugo waited for the pain then everything stood still around him. The impact that he was waiting for never came, instead it was replaced by silence.

Bakugo decided to open in eyes in confusion, only to see a shimmering, gold coating around his entire body. It was like the attack just bounced off of him.

The villains also seemed confused, turning their heads to see Amari standing a few feet in front of her, hand extended out and her eyes glowing red with her quirk. She had just saved his life.

In that moment, Todoroki's world came crashing down around him all at once, recalling what she had told him about her backstory. He clearly remembered her saying that she couldn't use her quirk without the pills, that if she did so anyways, then she would die. That stupid girl, what had she just done?

Amari seemed to realize it as well, looking rather distressed about the whole thing, already noticing that her hand had a tiny shake to it.

A drop of blood leaked from her nose as Amari sighed. Who knew that it would end like this. Knowing the time she had left, she at least could make sure that Katsuki, and her friends would be safe.

Chuckling to herself, she turned back towards the villains, intend in her step as she moved closer, a gold aura now filling the entire space. "Well, I guess this is it, might as well go all out, right?"

* * *

Cliffhanger I know, but if I made it all one chapter then it would be huge. Even though Katsuki treated Amari like crap she still went out and saved his life, knowing that it would kill her. That's true sister love right there.

Next chapter: Many feels, many many feels.


	11. Chapter 11

A strong ringing in her ear started as Amari recalled the words that would play in her mind over and over since she was a child. It was like a record, focusing her to always remember the most important rule of her quirk. "Amari, if you want to live then you mustn't use your quirk without the pills, understand?"

The Doctor's voice was a constant reminder of her weakness and setbacks. Throughout her training and surgeries the only thing that kept her alive was the dream of being able to stand next to Katsuki someday, to protect him from the world. That's what had brought her to this moment.

When she saw her brother being beaten and almost killed, Amari didn't even think before feeling her own legs move on their own towards him. It didn't matter if this was the last thing she could do for him, it didn't matter that he hated her and it didn't matter if this was the end of her life. She needed to save him.

Drawing her hand back, Amari thought that this situation was slightly comical. All this time she had been fighting to live, clawing at the chance to survive when in reality, all it took was one moment before everything was taken away. Funny how the universe works.

She could already feel her body rejecting her quirk, a burning heat filling her lungs and scorching her from the inside slowly.

Although it seemed Amari had other plans, staring at the villain with intent. If she really was going to die then she might as well go down kicking and screaming.

The villain noticed her stare, slightly interested. "Oh, it's you again. The one who's supposed to be special."

Shoving the pain down, Amari narrowed her eyes in disgust. "I don't know who you are but you've made two big mistakes."

He crossed his arms in interested, curious to see where this little girl was going with this. "And what would that be?"

Lifting her arm up, Amari felt the gold matter circling her body in warning, her piercing red eyes glaring at the man. "You hurt Katsuki and now I'm pissed."

Bakugo watched the scene as Amari leaped into action, cursing her name in the process. What was that idiot doing? If he couldn't beat them then how could she? He was the best after all.

Covering her body with the protective coating, she dodged the Nomu's attacks, hand raised out to confront the blue haired man.

The villain smiled and was easily able to catch her fist. "As that all you can do?"

Although Amari just smirked as he realized that his quirk wasn't working on her. It was the stupid gold coating on her body, blocking his attack.

She seemed to notice this and kicked him in the stomach, forcing him to grab her arm only to pull away in pain. Her skin had burned him to the touch.

He shrunk away only for her to feel a massive presence behind her, turing to find the Nomu staring at her. "Oh crap."

In one motion he grabbed her body and flung her to the other side of the arena, causing Bakuko, Todoroki and Deku to gasp. They covered their mouths to stifle a cry of terror.

Her protective coating started to glitch as Amari's body made impact with the ground, groaning at the burning sensation in her entire body. Fighting without the pills were really messing her up.

Feeling slightly nauseous, she rolled over and coughed, only for a thick layer of blood to leak from her mouth. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head in frustration. Not yet, she couldn't die yet.

Bakugo watched his sister his with terror in his eyes, unable to turn away from her in pain. He didn't want this. This was exactly why he didn't want her to be in U.A.

Their eyes met and Amari found the strength she needed to stand back up, although still shaky. She then realized that this might be the last time they would talk. She had to tell him everything. "Hey, Katsuki. There is something I have to tell you."

The Nomu charged after her but Amari was able to block, using a protective shield to help her. "I just want to apologize."

Sliding under his legs, she raced toward the blue haired villain again, this time with a new found passion and rage. "I want to apologize for not being the sister you've always wanted. I tried but it looks like I failed."

Bakugo listened to her words but remained frozen in confusion. What the hell was she even talking about? She wasn't the one that failed him, he had failed her.

The villain blocked her punch and pushed her away, Amari coughing once again but trying to cover up the blood with her hand. She didn't want them to know she was hurt this bad. "I know I'm not good enough to be a Bakugo but I really wish I could've been one day."

She sensed the Nomu approach her and this time Amari was smart, flicking her hand and causing a gold circle to form around the creature so he couldn't move.

Bakugo's eyes hollowed when he saw a line of blood drip down her forearm that had just made the dome. Instead he tried to get her to stop fighting and to run away like she should've done in the first place. "You idiot! Just get out of here already! What the hell are you doing?!"

Then crushing her hand into a fist, a dome entrapped the Nomu in one spot. Bakugo saw the blood pour down even quicker then before now and it terrified him.

But Amari just found his wording funny, thinking about his statement as the spikes of pain punched her abdomen . "Idiot? Yeah, that sounds about right. Listen Katsuki, I don't care if you hate me, I don't care if you've never seen me as your family. It doesn't matter, because either way I'm still your sister and I love you, you jerk. Like I'd let you die."

At the confession, Bakugo didn't know how to feel. He had never thought he would be able to hear those words from his sister. He always thought he didn't deserve them.

Her eyes then locked onto Todoroki who was just staring in shock. He was probably one of the only ones who had fully understood what she had done. She silently thanked him for being her friend, even if she didn't deserve it.

Smiling back at him sadly, Todoroki felt pain in his chest, realizing what that small motion had meant. She was going to die and she accepted it.

He put a shaky hand to his mouth before whispering out. "No…"

Todoroki then realized he wasn't about to let her die and raced out into the battle as well, throwing a sheet of ice towards the villain in question.

Amari blinked in surprise, now having to grit her teeth from the pain. The Nomu was fighting her barrier with everything and it was causing more strain on her body. "Todoroki, what are you doing? It's dangerous.."

Turning his head to her, he only frowned. "I should be saying the same to you. I'm not going to let you die."

Her eyes turned sad just then, shaking her head. He was sweet but coming into the battle now would be pointless. "It's too late. I already can't go back. It doesn't matter anymore…"

Bringing his hand up, Todoroki just replied plainly. "It matters to me."

They froze when the villain burst out of Todoroki's ice wall, now looking rather annoyed. "All I wanted to do was kill All Might, but now I have to deal with these kids. It's frustrating."

Amari felt the strain on her body and knew that time was running out. If she wanted to save her classmates and Katsuki then she needed a solution and fast.

Looking around at their surroundings, Amari came up with a plan, although she was sure it was a plan they weren't going to like. That's why she decided not to tell them about it.

She checked the position of the villains, Todoroki and Bakugo before taking a deep breath. This would probably be the last move for her. It was risky as it was without over half of her internal organs shutting down one by one.

Taking one look at Todoroki, she smiled, trying to engrain his face in her memory forever. He would never know how grateful she was for having the honor of being friends. "Todoroki.."

He turned to her only to find tears in her eyes, a saddened expression upon her face. Her words, they were like a shot through his entire body, engulfing him with grief as he processed them. "Thanks for being my friend…"

Then her expression turned serious and in one motion, she lifted both her hands up, causing Todroki and Bakugo to be covered with her gold protective shield.

Amari screamed at the pain before running up to the blue haired villain her palms extended in a pose that was very familiar to Bakugo.

The villain just looked amused at her attempt. "What? You are going to attack me the same way again. That's not very smart."

But Amari just smirked, watching her palms spark and pop with explosive heat, using Bakugo's quirk for the first time in her life. "Not quite."

Then in one motion, she aimed her hand towards the ground, smacking the floor and causing an enormous explosion to fill the entire space. It was so large that Deku and Asui were almost carried away by it.

Luckily though, Amari's gold shield protected Todoroki and Bakugo from the blast zone which had them in absolute shock, Katsuki mostly.

Was it possible? When they were young he had only seen Amari with one quirk, their grandmothers. He often made fun of her behind her back for not having their parents quirk, but was that really all a lie? Why was Amari hiding this? He had so many questions.

The smoke began to clear only find that the blue haired villain was tossed through one of the walls in the explosion, groaning at the impact that he made.

Amari put her shaking hands out in front of her before collapsing on the ground, feeling her chest tighten in agony and her breathing becoming even more shallow. That was it, that was all she could do.

She placed a hand to her chest and heaved out another breath, willing herself not to die yet, everything still wasn't over.

Suddenly, the doors above them burst open to find an entire mob of pro heros running into the space, ready for battle. Leading the head of the pack was none other then All Might himself, saying his signature catch phrase. "It is fine now, why? Because I am here!"

Amari watched his silhouette approach the battle zone when her eyesight started to blur.

It was okay, everything was okay now. Katsuki was safe, Todoroki was safe, everyone was safe.

She felt relief in her entire body for the first time, now letting the pain overtake her completely and accepting her consequence for not using the pills.

Todoroki saw her in the distance on her knees and felt relieved. She was still okay.

But that was when she collapsed, flopping onto the floor in a heavy thud, causing the entire world to stand completely still.

Bakugo's eyes widened, already willing himself to his feet even though that fight had taken a lot out of them. He felt like his heart had dropped in his chest.

Todoroki reached her first, rolling her body so that her back was on the ground. Streaks of blood had covered her arms and face in thick lines as she lay unconscious and unmoving. "Amari? Hey, Amari!"

Pushing her shoulder back, she gave no response and the reality started to crash down on him. He put a finger to her neck to check her pulse before gasping. It was barely there. "No.."

He felt a hard shove and turned to find Bakugo holding his sister in his arms, shaking her in intense fear and worry. "Hey, brat. Get up. This isn't funny, get up right now before I kick your ass!"

The shaking didn't cause her to wake though, Todoroki feeling the need to tell him to calm down. That wasn't going to wake her up. "Bakugo.."

But Bakugo just shouted angrily, tightening his grip. "You shut up! She's fine, okay? She's stubborn and stupid and she'll be fine."

Todoroki felt tears prick the corner of his eyes, realizing he would have to tell Bakugo just exactly what she had done. "She wasn't supposed to use her quirk without her pills, but even so, she did it to save you."

The hard realization hit Katsuki in the face, a wave of emotion overtaking him. This was the first time he had ever heard of this. "What the fuck are you even talking about?! Quit talking like you know her. She's gonna be fine."

Thinking back to Todoroki's words, Katsuki thought back to the battle and remembered what Amari had exactly said. Her words, they sounded like a goodbye, like she knew this was going to happen. Oh god. What if that bastard was right?

He stared at her face and felt an unknown feeling of absolute despair and guilt creep into him. He wanted to use the power he had taken from her to save her, to help her, not to kill her. She told him not to go out and fight but like a blind idiot, he did it anyway, causing her to be like this.

Shaking his head, Bakugo began to talk to himself, to reassure himself because if not, then he would go completely insane. Tears began to fill his eyes as he spoke his denial. "No, no shut up, just shut the fuck up, shut up, it's not my goddamn fault, okay?! She's going to be fine…"

Just then, he was silenced when a blur ran past him, crouching down to the floor. The two boys turned to find Recovery Girl looking rather solemn. "The poor dear, she really pushed herself didn't she?"

Loosening his grip on his sister, Bakugo found hope. "Here, fix her already!"

Although Recovery Girl just shook her head sadly, Todoroki already knowing what she was going to say. "I really wish I could but I'm not allowed to heal her. As I already told Todoroki, her body wouldn't be able to handle it. We will just have to wait for the ambulance to come."

Katsuki felt his tiny shred of hope shatter into a million pieces, feeling devastated all over again and venting his anger on the old woman. "What do you mean you can't do anything?! That's your fucking job, right?! So do it already!"

Ignoring his words, Recovery Girl only sighed, sticking her hand into her back pocket before pulling out a small jar. "I'm sorry but this is the only thing I can do for her. She gave me some of these to keep just in case something like this happened.."

Todoroki eyed the jar quickly before gasping, reaching forward and grabbing the container. They were her pills, four of them to be exact. Maybe there was hope.

The old woman nodded her head once, speaking plainly. "Although, they are supposed to be used before she puts a strain on her body. I have no idea if they will still work after and because she's unconscious it will be hard to have her take it.."

Although before the woman could finish the sentence, Todoroki had already taken a pill out the jar and placed it in his left hand before melting it down with his quirk into a soft liquid.

Then he moved over to Amari who was still protectively being held by Bakugo. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't touch her!"

Not having any of his games, Todoroki shoved Bakugo away, causing his arms to loosen from the girl in one motion. "Move."

He leaned down to her eye level before placing the liquid in his mouth and carefully pressing his lips onto hers, allowing the medicine to enter her body. He couldn't help but recall that night she drunkenly kissed him during her birthday and silently wished for this to work. It needed to or else he didn't know what he was going to do.

Bakugo saw this and felt his entire body burst with rage. Why in the hell was this asshole kissing his unconscious sister?! "What the hell are you doing?! Get off of her, you bastard!"

Bringing a hand up, Recovery Girl stopped him silently. "Wait, he's helping her."

Todoroki pulled away then, placing a hand to her face lighty. "Please wake up."

He waited a couple seconds and let his hand go, only to watch her head lull to the side and a sharp breath of terror rang through him. It didn't work.

The sound of sirens entered the space and Todoroki watched in a blur as the paramedics took Amari away, her still looking as lifeless as ever.

He vaguely heard Bakugo screaming at the workers to not touch his sister while a couple pro heros held him back.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew what the result was but Todoroki didn't want to believe it.

No, he couldn't believe it.

* * *

Three days had past and Amari had made no progress. She wasn't dead yet but still remained motionless, like a sleeping doll with no owner. She might as well have been dead at this point.

The doctors as well didn't know what to make of her. They completed hundreds upon hundreds of tests but the fact that Amari was still alive was unbelievable to them. Apparently, by all accounts, she should be dead. It didn't make sense to them.

Todoroki showed them the pills she had taken but it seemed they didn't know anything about that either. They said that there was no such thing on the market which made him even more anxious.

Bakugo himself hadn't left his sisters side since the incident, refusing to let anyone touch her unless they said they were going to help her. His anger was even worse than usual, just trying to cover up his own guilt and grief

Todoroki watched from the doorway as Katsuki picked up his sisters hand and couldn't help but feel that uncomfortable rage in his stomach. None of this would have even happened if he just loved her, accepted her. That's all she wanted in the end.

He decided that enough was enough. If this really was the end of Amari then he wanted Bakugo to know just what she did for him, and how much he had hurt her.

Stepping into the doorway, Katsuki noticed his presence and groaned. It seems this bastard was also visiting her constantly. "What do you want now, icyhot? Leave me the hell alone."

Narrowing his eyes, Todoroki started the conversation he had been holding in for some time. "I've been watching everything for awhile now, holding my tongue because of her but not anymore. You need to know.."

Bakugo seemed confused by this. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Todoroki took a step forward, his voice seething with anger. "She loved you so much, and you treated her like nothing. Ever since that day when you ignored her as kids all she's ever tried to do is earn your approval but you just kept pounding her into the ground, forcing her to drink and fight to the edge of her breaking point, just so that she could hear you call her your sister."

Katsuki opened his mouth but it seemed Todoroki wasn't done, taking another step closer, his only blue eye shining in the darkness. "Did you know she wanted to celebrate your birthday together? Did you know that she wanted to live with you and her parents but she couldn't because she didn't want to make you uncomfortable? Did you know that even though using her quirk could've killed her, she still pushed herself because she thought she had to earn her last name. Did you know that she thought she wasn't worthy enough to call you her brother, or a Bakugo? No, of course not, because you just pushed her away. You kept pushing her away and look what happened…"

Balling his fists in anger, Katsuki shot up from his seat, feeling the overload of information. His fists raised up as he grabbed Todoroki's shirt in anger. "Shut up! You don't know anything about her!"

Glancing down to her sleep form, he glared at her brother. "I know more than you do, because I actually cared. Maybe you should try it."

Bakugo's eyes widened as he realized that what Todoroki was saying was true. How could this complete stranger know more than her actual brother, and did she really think that way? He was pushing her away because his own guilt, not because he didn't acknowledge her. What if, she dies thinking that?

Everything was too much as Katsuki shook his head, letting go of the boy before turning and punching the wall next to him in devastation. "Shut up, it's not my fault.."

Todoroki remained silent as Katsuki realized he needed some air, just to get away from these suffocating feelings around him.

Slamming the door behind him, Todoroki sighed, moving over to Amari sadly. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want him to know."

He sat down in the seat next to him, wiping a hair from her face and noticing that she was still wearing the bracelet he got her for her birthday. "You really liked this, huh."

Looking out the window, he recalled an unpleasant memory. "You know, I really hate hospitals. I usually try to avoid them."

Todoroki touched her hand lightly and realized it was deathly cold and pale, almost like a dead body. "I don't know why, but I've shared things with you that I haven't shown or told anyone. What am I going to do if you really are gone?"

He felt a sob make his way into his throat, but shoved it down. "Please wake up Amari, please.."

Although his words didn't do any good as usual and he found himself standing, already moving towards the door. "I'll come back tomorrow."

He shut the door behind him and almost made it out of the hospital when a rough looking man in a doctor's coat shoved past him, like he was in a hurry. He had silver hair and blue eyes with black rimmed glasses.

Brushing off his shoulder, Todoroki couldn't help but feel a sharp chill down his spine, almost like something was wrong.

Although it was probably nothing, he didn't want to take the chance and somehow found his way back to Amari's room. He didn't know what it was, but something felt off.

He pulled open the door only to gasp at the sight before him.

That same man that had bumped him in the hallway was now holding Amari over his shoulder, almost like he was trying to carry her out of here.

Warning bells rang in his head, as Todoroki let off an ice blast, causing the man to look up and smile, disappearing in a second.

He looked around the room but found no sign of the strange man who Todoroki now knew was definitely not a doctor from this hospital. That meant someone was trying to kidnap Amari.

Racing down the hallway he spotted that familiar shade of white hair on the lower level garage and used his ice to slide down the second floor, jumping in front of him. "Give her back."

The fake doctor only shrugged, putting his hands out in defensive. Luckily there were no people behind the building so they could talk. "Hey listen kid, I don't want to fight. That's not really my thing. Plus, you don't want to hurt this kid, right?"

Pointing back to Amari, Todoroki only growled, staying on guard. "What are you going to do with her?"

Shrugging his shoulders, and stated. "I was going to save her life, unless you have any objections? Cause that would make my life much easier."

Todoroki wasn't fooled by this though. "By taking her away from the hospital? The doctors don't know what's wrong, how can you?"

The man just laughed at that, nodding his head. "Well duh, of course those idiots wouldn't know anything."

Todoroki looked skeptical and the man knew he had to prove his worth, taking a small box out of his pocket while the boy spoke. "Then why isn't she waking up?"

He laughed in response, pointing to the girl in question before flopping her down on the ground as if to prove a point. "She isn't going to wake up from anything they do kid. You gave her a pill right? Well, that's the only thing that's keeping her alive right now. She can breath but that's all her body can do right now. What you're looking at right now is a brain dead, motionless doll."

Then he placed a hand to his chest. "Unless, you want me to save her, which is what I was trying to do before you interrupted me."

Todoroki eyed this strange man and played the options in his head. It would be foolish to trust him after he almost kidnapped Amari but then again what options did he have? This guy knew about the pills when the other doctors did not. He vaguely recalled Amari mentioning something about a doctor to him, could this hobo looking guy really be him?

Sighing heavily, Todoroki put his hands down. "I'm coming with you. Don't even think about hurting her.."

Putting his hands up in fake worry, the doctor sighed. "Whatever kid. Do what you want. As long as it will make you leave faster I don't care."

Todoroki then followed the man into his car, laying Amari down on the seat before he lit and cigarette and groaned. "This girl is gonna be the death of me, I swear."

* * *

After calming down slightly, Bakugo walked back to Amari's room, thinking about all the things that Todoroki had said. Was all of that really true? He honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

Opening the door next to him, Katsuki froze when he noticed that the room was completely empty. The bed covers were thrown away and Amari was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling his breathing pick up, Bakugo began to tear through the room, searching for his sister everywhere but finding nothing. "Hey Brat! Amari?! Amari I swear to god if you don't come out right now!.. AMARI!?"

Yet all that met him was a hard and heavy silence as the realization set in.

Amari was missing.

* * *

AHHH FEELS. Also can we talk about that Todoroki roast? He is done with Bakugo haha. I feel like if Bakugo lost someone he would hold them in a death grip while screaming at everything else in the process, denying the reality. Idk It's my headcanon heheh.

Next Chapter: We find out some Amari backstory


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning: Dark Themes. **

Falling to the floor, seven year old Amari heaved out a shaky breath, feeling her small hand grasp her chest in desperation. It had been a couple months since she moved to America and ever since then she had tried to make herself stronger, sneaking out to run everyday, although her health wouldn't allow it.

She then recalled her brother and how he walked away from her that day, now gaining the strength to shakely get to her feet. It seemed even running was an issue for her.

Amari turned to try again when a voice stopped her, seemingly curious. It was deep and male. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be back inside?"

Turning her head back to the man, she knew she couldn't give up yet. "Please let me stay. I have to get stronger."

He eyed her shaky legs and smirked. "I overheard that's not possible. You just weren't meant to be a hero little one. Face it."

Amari thought for a moment before narrowing her eyes, and the man found a newfound determination in them, watching her take a step closer even though she was hurt. "I don't care. I'll make it possible. I have to.."

Her voice trailed off and the man watched her utter strength and stubbornness radiate around the space. Even though she was a child, her eyes were filled with a burning fiery passion to complete her goal. The man had never seen that look on a child's face before. It made him even more interested, peeking his curiosity.

She looked promising.

Leaning forward, he spoke evenly and smooth, stopping the girl in her tracks. "What if I told you that I could help you?"

Amari turned her head back, not understanding. "How? Are you going to cure me?"

Shaking his head, the man just chuckled. "Well no, unfortunately I can't do that much. Although, I can give you the strength you need to be even with your brother, to have him acknowledge you. That's what you want, right?"

The small girl brushed off her skirt, and thought about this for a moment, another question coming to mind. The Doctors in Japan told her that there was nothing they could do. "You can do that?"

Nodding his head, the man continued. "Yes, although I'll warn you. The path we are speaking about is not an easy one. The weak hearted will not survive. You will need your strength more than ever."

Amari looked down at her hands and thought about her options. This was the first time someone had told her that there was hope, that she could be a hero. She wondered if she really had this "strength" that he was talking about.

But then Amari remembered Katsuki. He would be strong, he was Bakugo after all. That made her decision obvious. Of course she would do it. "If it will make me stronger, I don't care what it is. I'll do it."

The man took in her words before smiling, his eyes having a dark gleam to him. She could be the one, the success he was looking for. "Excellent."

* * *

Todoroki watched Amari's motionless body that was sprawled across his lap, brushing the hair from her face carefully. He had so many bad feelings about the situation they were in but he also knew that he would protect her if this "doctor" was bad news.

The car stopped and the man put out his cigarette before turning back to the two. "We're here. You gonna stay there all day or what?"

Todoroki looked out the window and found himself in front of an abandoned warehouse. The building itself was red in color with spray paint covering the windows. This didn't help his worry.

He picked up Amari and held her close before stepping out and keeping a safe distance from the strange man. "This is the place?"

The man could tell that he wasn't impressed and just rolled his eyes. "Sorry, it's not a five star hotel. I was a little low on time after I got the call so I couldn't get anything better."

Todoroki caught his sarcasm and walked into the building, now seeing a metal table with some wires and vials of medicine on a counter with a half broken chair next to them.

The man pointed to the table in question. "Put her there."

Todoroki couldn't help but hesitate at that, not wanting to let go of her in case this man was dangerous. He already seemed off.

Noticing him freeze, the doctor sighed. "Unless you want her to die? Cause I mean, then you would be doing me a favor because I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore."

He realized the man was right, knowing they didn't have many options and reluctantly placed her on the table, know noticing handcuffs attached to the sides.

The doctor then pulled a small vial out of his bag and pointed to Amari. "Good, now handcuff her so she won't kill us when we start. I'd do it but I feel like you don't trust me. Can't imagine why though."

Looking down at the cuffs, Todoroki carefully grabbed her cold hand before buckling her to the table. He didn't know what was happening anymore, drawing his attention to the man. "What is your name?"

The man put the vial on the table and shrugged. "Just call me Grey."

Todoroki raised an eyebrow at that. "That's not a name, that's a color."

Narrowing his eyes in disgust, Grey groaned. "Oh no, you are just like her. And here I thought I could get away from this because she's unconscious. Please don't start with the fifty questions I'm not in the mood. I already had to jump on a flight to Japan last minute because this idiot did something stupid again, suprise suprise."

The man then pushed a syringe into the vial, sighing. "All you need to know kid is that I'm assigned to her so that she won't die. Well, that is unless…"

He stopped talking then, holding the syringe in his hand. "Never mind."

After that phrase, the doctor turned to Todoroki, looking bored. "Right, so you might want to leave. This isn't going to be pretty."

Feeling the anxiety in his chest, Todoroki knew he couldn't leave her alone with such a mysterious man. "No, I'm not leaving her."

Grey shrugged his shoulder at that. "I'm just saying, I don't think she'll want her boyfriend to see her like this."

At the word boyfriend, Todoroki's face flushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I'm not, that. We're friends."

The doctor just chuckled at that slowly, obviously not believing him. "Mmm yeah okay sure. Not like I care either way. Well alright, don't say I didn't warn you. Just make sure she doesn't bite her tongue, okay?. "

His words brought uncertainty in the boys stomach as the Doctor tapped the syringe once before slowly injecting it into the side of Amari's neck, letting the liquid enter her body.

Almost immediately after, Amari burst to life, pulling against her chains and coughing erratically. Her breathing came out aggressive, almost like she had just swallowed a gallon of water, looking around the room to adjust her eyesight.

Todoroki ran up to her, feeling his heart hammer in his chest. She was alive and safe. It was like a miracle. "Amari?"

Touching the side of the table, Amari recognized his two tone hair color immediately, now wanting to put a hand to her face to calm an oncoming headache but couldn't because of the chains. When her voice came out, it was strachy and rough. "Todoroki?"

He nodded his head, leaning forward. "Yes, I'm here. You're going to be okay."

Amari smiled at that, realizing she missed his face, although quickly realizing something else. "Where is Katsuki? Is he safe?"

Her mind was still hazy but she could make out his head nod, now feeling his fingers wrap around her hand. "Yes, he is alright also."

Amari smiled again when she felt her vision grew blurry, the pounding headache creeping in the back of her mind. The Doctor noticed this, pushing his hand out to move Todoroki away. "Here we go."

Just then, her brow turned into one of discomfort and pain, pulling against her chains. Todoroki noticed her sweating more and more. "Todoroki, go…"

Not understanding, the boy just spoke back, feeling the need to run up and comfort her cries of pain. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head aggressively, Amari gritted her teeth, seething out the words one by one, as if it was pure torture to say them. "don't...want...you...to..see...me...like ...this…please.."

But Todoroki didn't listen to her request, only able to watch in devastation. "No, I'm not leaving you. What's wrong? What can I do?"

Amari squinted her eyes as she felt the medicine that the doctor had injected with fill her entire body, scorching and burning her from the inside out. She was practically delirious from the pain.

She gritted her teeth again but this time was unsuccessful in holding back her scream, crying out and echoing the area around her.

Todoroki didn't know what to do, turning to the doctor who was just putting on his jacket without a care in the world. "What are you doing?! Help her!"

He looked back at the girl for a moment before shrugging. "I am. We have to wait until the medicine settles in her body. See you in three weeks."

Then just like that, the doctor was heading towards the exit, Todoroki letting off a blast of ice to stop him."Wait, you are just going to leave her?!"

Looking rather annoyed, Grey spoke. "I'd rather not listen to her screaming for three weeks straight. You're lucky. She's taking it better than before. Could be because you're here. You know, her '"not" boyfriend.."

This brought on a thousand new questions in the boys head, although one stuck out more so then the others. "How many times has she had to go through this?"

Thinking for a moment, the doctor sighed. "I don't know kid, I lost track at the double digits. The point is, she's built up a tolerance through the years so it should be over in three weeks. Before it took months for the medicine to settle and agree with her body. Don't worry, she won't die, probably."

Although it didn't look easy, Todoroki just watching her in agony and pain, fighting against her chains aggressively while screaming. "Probably?"

Grey just nodded his head and that, pointing back to the girl. "Yeah, Amari is one of the most stubborn people I have ever met. That's what has been getting her through all these years. She'll be fine."

Todoroki knew that part was true at least. He could tell that just from the small amount of time he spent with her. It didn't ease his worry though in the slightest.

Then he remembered what Amari said back on that night when she told him everything. He recalled her saying not to ask about the scars and burns that were on her stomach. Was this the kind of torture she was going through just to use her quirk?

Turning back towards the door, the doctor put his hand up before throwing Todoroki a set of keys. "Feel free to stay here if you want. I don't care."

Then the doctor left and this time Todoroki didn't stop him, just staring at the keys in question. Was she really going to be like this for three weeks? He really didn't want to see that, but then again, he also knew he couldn't leave her alone.

He moved back towards Amari who was still groaning at the agony she was in, now part way delirious and sat down in the half broken chair before grabbing her hand and willing the pain away.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, feeling the sensation on her skin, although his touch felt like a thousand needles. Amari spoke then, in quick gasps and pants. "Katsuki…"

Todoroki's eyes saddened as she called out for her brother that wasn't there, desperately trying to reach her hands out to him. "Katsuki, I'm sorry...I'm scared...it hurts…"

Tightening his grip, Todoroki felt tears prick his eyes. Watching her like this was torture. "I'm right here Amari. I'm not going anywhere."

She let out another groan and Todoroki hoped that the doctor was wrong. He hoped that maybe this would be over quickly and that she would go back to smiling and being her same annoying self sooner rather than later.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it wouldn't take three weeks.

* * *

It took three weeks.

Todoroki hadn't left her side the entire time either, just holding onto her hand and calming her with his words over and over. Sometimes she was tire herself out and grow unconscious before waking up and starting the process all over again.

He called his family and faked an illness so that he could stay with her. It was the least he could do right now for her.

Sometimes she called out to her brother and himself in her delirious state, begging them not to leave or saying sorry repeatedly. It broke his heart to see it happen each time.

When the doctor came back, Amari lay still, her body twitching sometimes from the after effects of the last couple days. She was staring at the ceiling like her mind wasn't completely there.

Grey walked up to her and unloosened her chains before helping her sit up, Amari's eyes still staring into space. "Alright, time to wake up."

He flashed a bright light in her eyes and Todoroki watched her place a hand to her head, the pounding headache still there. "Shit, that doesn't get easier."

Nodding his head, the doctor sighed. "We wouldn't have to do this if you just listened. What were my instructions before you left?"

Amari groaned back. "Don't fight without the pills."

Grey then put his hands to his hips. "And what did you do?"

But Amari just frowned, hanging her head in shame. "Fought without the pills. But I had to, Katsuki was going to be killed if I didn't."

The Doctor didn't seem amused though. "It's always something with you. From what I've gathered, I'm sure that's not going to be the last time he'll "almost be killed." You need to watch yourself Mari."

Amari nodded her head, now noticing Todoroki's presence behind her and jumped. "AHH Todoroki? What are you doing here?"

She straightened her back so she didn't look sick but Todoroki had already known what she had gone through. "I've been here."

Her face dropped at this. "What do you mean? Wait, did you see..?"

Todoroki just nodded his head and Amari gasped, now feeling self conscious. Why did the Doc let him see her like that? She didn't want him to know what she went through.

The Doctor perked in then, elbowing him in the shoulder. "Your boyfriend stayed with you the entire time. Talk about dedication."

Amari's eyes grew at that, putting a hand in front of her quickly. He saw her in such an embarrassing state. "Oh, we're not like that. We are just friends."

Grey just smirked at that. "Yeah, that's what I hear. Anyways, I want to tell you not to do anything stupid like that again but I feel like I'll be wasting my breath."

Amari smirked at his joke, remembering how long she had been out and gasped, placing a hand on Todoroki's arm. "Hey, I'm sorry I scared you but I'm okay now, really. You can go back now. I don't want to be responsible for you getting expelled from school."

Todoroki took one look at her hand and noticed the warmth had returned finally. She really was okay. "Are you sure? I can stay.."

But Amari just smiled. "No, it's okay. I gotta talk about some things with the Doc anyways. Haven't seen him in a while. I'll be back to class soon, okay?"

Truly he wanted to stay but she seemed okay so Todoroki decided to follow her advice, turning for the door. "Alright then, see you later."

Amari waved her hand as he left and when she was sure he was gone, put a hand to her chest, still in pain. "What's with the after effects? That's never happened before."

Doctor looked at her curiously, pulling out a small file. "It could be the long lasting effects. You were almost dead after all. This is why you need to stop pushing yourself. One day, this isn't going to work and I'll be fired."

Moving her hand away, she nodded. "Yeah, I know. What I did was stupid."

The Doc just gave her a knowing look before throwing her a bottle of pills. "Well duh, that was obvious. Here, take it."

Amari accepted the bottle, rolling it around in her hands as he continued. "You ready to train again?"

Nodding her head, the girl just tightened her hold around the pills, gazing at him with intent. It wasn't over yet. "Yeah, let's do it."

* * *

Amari was missing for two days before a letter turned up at the Bakugo household, telling her parents that the headmaster of her old school in America had signed her out of the hospital so they could start treatment for her. Apparently someone from the school visited them as well and reassured them she'd be fine. Bakugo didn't believe this at all though. In his eyes, Amari was still missing.

It didn't make any sense to him. Why would a school suddenly take his sister away without saying anything to his mom and dad. It was suspicious and it made him feel uncomfortable.

Going to school was even worse. Everything anyone did reminded him of her and it pissed him off even more. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but Bakugo missed her.

Today had marked the fourth week that she was absent and Katsuki recently made his way up the steps of U.A, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

He groaned when a voice shook him out of his thoughts. It was that damn Deku. "Kacchan!"

Tightening a hold on his bag, Katsuki tried to resist the urge to punch him right there. "What do you want, you damn nerd?"

Deku stopped then, putting a hand up in defensive and Bakugo watched his eyes turn sad. "I just wanted to see if you're okay. You seemed really down the last couple days. Is it because of Amari-chan?"

At her name, Bakugo snapped, grabbing the nerd by the collar and shaking him with utter rage. His fuse was shorter than usual. "Don't say that damn name ever again or else I will throw you into this wall right now."

Grabbing onto his shirt, Deku struggled, trying not to be intimidated by his childhood friend. "You know Kacchan, It's not good to hold in your feelings like that. If you miss her then you should just say so…"

Bakugo didn't like that though, already holding up a fist. He didn't like that Deku was reading his damn mind. "What did you just say?!"

Deku flitched when a flash of red and white stopped his fist, Bakugo know watching Todoroki move past him and up the steps.

They shared a look and Katsuki remembered the conversation they had in the hospital a couple weeks ago. Those same unpleasant emotions ran through him again and Bakugo had enough, dropping Deku onto the floor. "Just forget it."

Todoroki watched this with a knowing look before walking up to Deku and extending his hand. "Here."

Deku accepted it and brushed himself off carefully. "Oh, thanks Todoroki."

Looking in the direction of Kacchan, Todoroki sighed. "Don't take it to heart Midoyria. I'm sure he just has a lot on his mind right now."

* * *

Bakugo shook his head in frustration, recalling the scene that just happened. His mind was completely a mess and he didn't know how to process it. Even Deku saying her name was too much right now.

Thinking about this, he threw open the door to the class before feeling his fingers grow numb, his bag falling onto the floor with a loud thump.

He saw the back of the blonde hair first as Amari turned to him, that same goofy and annoying grin plastered on her face like nothing had even happened.

She waved at him before speaking something he thought he would never hear again. "Hey Katsuki."

* * *

Feeling his phone ring, the doctor pulled it out before holding the receiving end up to his ear and speaking. "Hello? Yes, she is in stable condition now."

The voice on the other end seemed pleased. "I knew I choose correctly."

The Doctor then pulled out another cigarette before lighting it. "I still really don't see what you do in that kid. She's just reckless to me, not easy to control."

The other man just answered back smoothly. "That is were you lack understudying my dear Doctor. Her strength is our advantage. That's why she's such a success, our greatest masterpiece."

Nodding his head nonchalantly, the Doctor sighed. "If you say so. I'll inform Doctor Ujiko about the updates. He'll want to know she's not dead yet."

The voice just seemed content with that. "Excellent."

* * *

Oooh okay this is dark and I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep it but it's important for the plot later soooo I decided to keep it. Yes, this whole thing is shady and you should be concerned. This is going to be the end of season 1 of the anime so next chapter will focus on S2.

Also, I finished my Todoroki genderswap cosplay so if you wanna see it and want some quality mha memes, then you can follow me on Tik Tok (doritoqueenistbest_713)


	13. S2 Chapter 1

Staring at his sister for the first time in weeks, there were a variety of things he wanted to do and say to her. A short time ago he thought he would never see her annoying peppy smile ever again and now it felt like some sort of miracle, like he was getting another chance.

His first instinct was to straight up yell at her and ask her why she had been so reckless in the first place. If she knew that using her quirk would kill her then why had she pushed herself all this time? Amari was more reckless and stupid then he orginally thought.

Amari waved at him awkwardly, not really sure how to start this conversation. "Hey Katsuki. How have you been?"

At her words, he snapped out of his thoughts, just standing in utter shock, trying to process the situation. "What, how did you ...?"

But she just laughed awkwardly in response. "Sorry about being gone for so long, but I'm good now! It really wasn't as bad as you think."

Katsuki's mind flashed back to her broken cold body and knew that wasn't the case. She was almost dead back then. He had felt it. "Bullshit. You were missing."

His phrasing just seemed funny to her,already knowing that the Doc had talked to her parents so they wouldn't worry. "Missing? What, no I wasn't. I was just with some doctors from America. That's why it took so long."

Her response brought unknowing warning bells in his head but before he could call her out on them, Deku and the rest of the class walked in, also seeming surprised. "Amari-chan! You're back! Are you okay?"

Amari eyes directed back towards her classmates and smiled, purposely avoiding eye contact with Todoroki. That was something she had to deal with later. "Hey everyone, yeah I'm good as new! Sorry if I worried you."

Bakugo watched her interactions and wanted to say more but found it hard when Deku and the rest of the class were watching the two of them. He couldn't say anything in front of them.

So instead, in one motion, Katsuki stomped up to Amari with intent, now wrapping his hand around her arm firmly. "Katsuki?"

Then, he pulled her out of the classroom, making her drop her bag onto the floor in the process. Amari thought that he probably wanted to yell at her or something. That's usually how it went.

The two turned a corner and when Bakugo realized there was no one there, he let go, now strangely silent. Amari was confused at this, noticing his distant expression. "Katsuki, are you okay?"

Balling his hands into a fist, Katuski shook his head once. "How in the hell could I be okay? First you go out and almost get yourself killed and then you go missing for four weeks! I told you to stop being so goddamn reckless!"

She wanted to touch his arm but decided against it, knowing he would just shove it away probably. Instead, she settled for a sigh, trying to lighten the mood. "I already told you that I wasn't missing, and yeah I did something kind of stupid but it's okay. I'm fine now."

Bakugo didn't like this response though, only thinking about her unmoving in that hospital bed. How dare she say everything was okay when he was going absolutely mad?

Feeling his feelings leak out, Katsuki then raised a fist and punched the wall behind him, just missing her head by a few inches. "Well I'm not fine!"

Amari flitched at the impact and when she opened her eyes, she saw Katsuki looking at her with an expression she'd never seen from him before. He looked sad. "Katsuki?"

His hand remained on the wall, as her brother sighed in frustration. "You don't even know how I felt brat. How could you say everything's fine?"

Amari then froze when she felt his head flop onto her shoulder in utter defeat. He was exhausted and tired from worrying so much and it was tearing him apart.

She heard his voice under her shoulder, sounding of desperation and anxiety. "I thought you were dead Amari. I thought I would never see you again."

She processed his words, now feeling something creep up in her throat. This was the first time her brother had ever acted like this. "Wait, were you, worried?"

The phrase seemed foreign to her, like she would have never been able to see it from Katsuki. He always acted so cruel and nonchalant about everything she did.

Bakugo looked up at her question, his hand still plastered to the wall. "Of course I was, you idiot! Why wouldn't I be when my dumbass sister does something like that! Next time just let me die. It was my choice to go out there, not yours."

The world stood still around her as one word stuck out in her mind. It didn't feel real. "You just called me your sister…"

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Bakugo just scoffed. He didn't understand how much that meant to her. "Yeah? What about it?"

Amari blinked a couple times, recalling his words back at the USJ attack. He was contradicting himself. "But you said that you never once thought of me as your sister."

Bakugo remembered those words painfully well and froze. He had said them out of a moment of anger and frustration. Had she really taken them to heart like that? What else had she taken to heart then as well? It was an answer he didn't want to know.

Shaking his head, her brother sighed. "Forget that. I was pissed off then. How can I ignore that fact when you dive headfirst into stupid situations like me. It's pretty much impossible to say we aren't related at this point."

Amari remained silent at this, not sure how to process his words. Did that mean it was okay to still think about herself as a Bakugo?

Bakugo watched her in thought and couldn't help but remember what that icyhot bastard had told him back in the hospital. He needed to know the truth. "You know, that icyhot bastard said something before…"

At Todoroki's name, her eyes perked up, now slightly nervous. "What did he say?"

Katsuki remained still for a moment, wondering how to exactly bring this up. If he just asked her if that bastards words were true then she would probably just lie and say everything was fine. No, he needed to figure this out himself.

Shaking his head, her brother removed his hand from the wave before looking away. "Never mind, it's nothing."

Amari just looked confused by this, now overly curious. "Wait, what do you mean..?"

But Bakugo was just over the conversation, his eyes locking back onto hers in frustration. "I said it's nothing! Just drop it already. It's not a big deal anyways."

She stopped then, nodding her head slowly. It was obvious Katsuki didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Alright…"

Suddenly the bell rang above them, and Bakugo sighed, pulling his bag back over his shoulder silently. "Hurry up, it's time to go."

He started to walk away from her and Amari got the hint, just hurrying after him quickly. "Oh, uh okay."

They then reached the classroom but before Amari pulled open the door, her brothers words stopped her. They sounded small and uncertain. "Promise me you won't do that again."

Her hand froze on the handle of the door, unsure if she was really hearing what he was saying.

But before she could answer, he shoved her off the handle and pushed open the door himself, stomping into the classroom and leaving Amari confused.

* * *

Class proceeded like normal and when the bell rang, Amari knew she had to book it out the classroom before Todoroki caught her and starting asking strange questions.

She heard the chime and right away, starting to pack up her things at a rapid place before standing from her desk. That's when she heard his voice. "Amari.."

Picking her bag off the table, she just put a silly hand to her hand and smiled. "Oh hey Todoroki, sorry I can't talk now. I gotta go do that thing at that place at that time. You know, very important ha ha."

Amari then turned on her heel and raced towards the exit. The small problem was that she miscalculated and slammed her foot right into the nearby desk, nearly falling to the floor and cursing.

Holding her toe in pain, she felt an arm on her shoulder, looking rather concerned. "What are you doing?"

She turned and froze, realizing the person that had asked her was the one she was trying to get away from in the first place, Todoroki. "Oh you know, nothing really."

The class started to filter out and when they were all gone, he decided it was okay to speak. "Are you avoiding me?"

Shaking her head in anxiety, Amari laughed. "What? No, of course not. Why would I ever do that? It's not like I'm nervous or anything like that."

Realizing what she had just said, she cursed again, allowing him to question her words. "Nervous?"

Amari sighed in defeat and realized that there was no getting away from this conversation. "Oh, uh yeah, I mean you did see me in a really embarrassing state and you know.."

Todoroki recalled the last couple weeks and couldn't help but feel that same uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. Embarrassing was taking it lightly. This girl was on the verge of death just awhile ago. "Is that something you always have to go through?"

Shaking her head, Amari played with a strand of her hair, Todoroki know noticed a long scar in the place where the needle had touched her skin before. "It used to be but now I can go with just the pills. I told you that you didn't want to know."

She was completely right. He didn't want to know about this. It was making him crazy inside. "You do all of that just to use your quirk?"

Smiling sadly, Amari answered. "I have to. That's the only way I can be stronger. It's given me so many opportunities and hope. I know it's not ideal but I'll take any chance I can get right now."

There were many things that Todoroki didn't like about this situation but he decided not to voice them just yet. She was safe and happy. That was enough for him right now.

Trying to get off the topic quickly, Amari recalled what her brother said back in the hallway and became curious. "So, Katsuki mentioned that you said something a little while ago but he won't tell me what it was…"

Todoroki remembered the conversation very well, now looking dejected. "Well, I told him everything you told me."

He watched Amari's eyes turn into ones of pure terror then, taking a step forward in anxiety. "You did what?!"

Glancing to the side, he just answered back plainly. "He deserved to know everything you've done for him."

She felt her own breathing pick up then, shaking her head aggressively. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want Katsuki to know how hard she worked. "What, why? I thought we were friends. Why would you do that?"

Taking a step closer, she could feel the intensity in his eyes, desperately trying to get her to understand. "I did it because we are friends."

Amari ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, not knowing how to process this. "But I didn't want him to know. Now he's going to laugh at me and pity me and ignore me even more now and I…"

She stopped when Todoroki put a hand to her shoulder, now feeling her warm in his palm and calming her down at once. "He won't."

Shaking her head once, Amari sighed. "You don't know that."

But Todoroki answered just as quickly, confidence now in his voice. Bakugo wouldn't have acted so distressed if he didn't care about her. He had seen it in small glimpses from time to time. He was sure there was something there. "Just keep being yourself. Then he will understand."

Amari hung her head in shame and that, quickly realizing something. "I want to be mad at you but I just can't. You're the only friend I have."

Todoroki found her words amusing, just picking his bag carefully. "Then don't."

She smirked at that, noticing the playful tone in his voice. "Whoa, is that sass I hear? I didn't know the great Shoto Todoroki was capable of that."

Shrugging his shoulders, the boy just replied plainly. "Take it how you wish."

Amari just smiled and nodding her head, giving up on the idea of hating him. She couldn't do that even if she tried. She could figure out the whole Katsuki thing later. "Oh, you're good. Fine, I give up."

Todoroki just nodded his head at that, already heading for the door. "Are you ready?"

Grabbing her own bag off the table, Amari agreed and followed him out the door. She missed walking next to him like this. He always made her feel calm. Amari was thankful she had him.

* * *

They had almost reached the gates, when they noticed a couple students still lingering and talking in the courtyard, sometimes glancing in the direction of the two and smiling. Although Amari and Todoroki couldn't ever understand what that meant.

Moving towards the exit, Amari stopped when she noticed a familiar head of blonde hair leaning against the gate, almost like he was waiting for someone.

She moved up to him in question as Bakugo caught her eyes. "Hey, brat!"

Looking rather confused, she called out to him. "Hey, what's up?"

Bakugo stopped for a moment, noticing Todoroki staring at him, silently saying to not do anything stupid. This started to make him pissed off, ignoring the bastard all together. He wasn't here for him anyways.

Then Katsuki reached into his back pocket before taking a small piece of paper out and shoving it to his sisters chest aggressively. "Here, just take it."

Looking rather confused, Amari carefully opened the paper and couldn't help but gasp at the contents. It almost didn't seem real and she didn't know what to do with the newfound information. "Wait, this is your address…"

Nodding his head, Katsuki scoffed. "Yeah.."

Of course that didn't answer her question in the slightest, pushing further. "Why are you giving me your address? I know where you live already."

Not wanting to come out and say it, especially with that half and half bastard here, his answer was a bit more aggressive than he wanted. "It's your address too."

Amari let the words process in her mind, not knowing what he was trying to say. "What?"

That when Katsuki had enough, balling his fists in anger and shouting to her, gaining the entire schools attention. "God, do I have to spell it out for you!? You can stay there! I figured I already have to see you at school so what's the difference in seeing you at home also.."

She stood there silent for a few moments, now realizing what he was trying to do. Was it really possible? Was he really saying that they could live together, that he didn't hate the idea? It was overwhelming to her.

Testing the words on her tongue, Amari stuttered out. "I can live with you?"

Kasuki shook his head, thinking this was taking way too long then it needed to. "Didn't I just say that, stupid? Now hurry up and take it before I change my mind."

At his words, Bakugo then watching as silent tears welled up in his sister's eyes before pouring out the sides in a single line. She was still remaining still though, almost as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.

Bakugo eyes widened at that. "What are you.."

Amari then realized her tears, brushing them away as the other students couldn't help but notice the scene. Deki called out to him in a teasing manner. "That's not very nice Bakugo, making your sister cry…"

At those words, Katsuki turned around and shouted angrily. "Shut up! It's not going to be very nice when I shove my foot up your ass! Just forget it already if you don't want to brat. You don't have to cry about it."

But Amari just shook her head, reaching forward and grabbing his arm. "No! I want to. I really want to. Sorry, I'm just so happy."

Bakugo didn't know how to take response so he decided to brush it off, not wanting to recognize that what icyhot said might of been true. She seemed so happy about the stupidest things. "Fine, just don't touch me."

She let her hand go then and watched him walk away silently, still reeling from what had just happened. Was this really possible? She didn't have to alone. They could live together?

It was like a dream come true.

* * *

Katsuki is finally realizing what a jerk he's been to her. Heh

Alright, S2 here we go. Fast updates but I just excited to write this chapter. This season we are going to focus on Bakugo and Amari's relationship as well as focusing more on Todoroki's past and how that draws Amari and him together even more. It's a slow burn but it will be worth it. Characters just don't change overnight. It requires effort first. :)

Also thank you so much for all the likes and comments. They all make me so happy and I read every single one of them. You are my motivation to keep going and update faster. 3


	14. S2 Chapter 2

Reaching her parents house, Amari couldn't help but feel an overwhelming anxiety about this whole thing. When she called her mom about moving and everything it just didn't seem real. She was honestly freaking out.

She grasped her overnight bag tightly as she tried to remember everything she packed for the next couple days. Because it was so last minute, Amari had decided to move all her stuff later and just bring a few things from her apartment. Besides, she wasn't sure if Katsuki was going to change his mind. It was better not to hope for anything too much right now.

Amari saw the gates in the distance and froze, now feeling her anxiety skyrocket from ten to about one hundred. She had only been in that house a couple times after all, usually she was just in the hospital as a kid. The whole thing felt strange.

Letting her fear get the best of her, Amari began pacing back and forth past the house, trying to build up the courage to actually go inside. She realized probably looked like an idiot but doing this was a huge step, she couldn't mess it up.

She nodded her head slowly and began talking out loud, trying to hype herself up. "Okay, you can do this Amari. It's just a house, and their your family. Katsuki said you could stay so it will be fine, right? Yeah it will be fine…"

Just then, a voice next to her made her stop talking, now instead looking at her brothers annoyed expression. Wait, how long had he been there?! "What are you even doing? You look like a damn stalker."

Jumping back a couple feet, Amari gasped. "WHAA, Katsuki, oh hey, what are you doing here?"

Although he just looked at her plainly. "I live here, I've also been watching you act like an idiot for the last ten minutes. So, are you going to come in or are you going to stand there all day?"

Realizing that he had seen her pace back and forth, Amari's face grew in embarrassment, quickly grabbing her bag and laughing. "Oh, yeah I'm coming. Sorry."

Bakugo just rolled his eyes at her spazzy attitude and chose to ignore it, now turning around to go back into the house. He was going to wait for her to come up to the door but watching her standing outside and doing nothing for so long was making him pissed off.

He slammed open the door as Amari followed behind him, seeming really nervous as she took off her shoes in the foyer, muttering softly. "Pardon my intrusion."

At the sound, they heard their mother's voice echo back, clearly not amused. "Katsuki! Did you just slam that damn door again?!"

Bakugo groaned as their mother appeared in the doorway, ready to yell at him when she caught Amari's eyes, now changing her personality completely and smiling. "Amari, sweetie! Welcome home!"

Their mother ran up to the small girl before wrapping her arms around Amari, squeezing the life out of her while speaking. "It's been too long since you've come over! We missed you, especially Katsuki. I was so happy to hear you wanted to live here again!"

At his name, Bakugo's eyes widened, shouting back. "Stop making up things you old hag! I didn't say anything like that!"

But the woman just frowned, still not letting go of the girl. "Just ignore him. I can tell he missed you. I know I did."

Amari just smiled awkwardly as her mother finally left her alone, clapping her hands in excitement. "Oh! I wanted to ask, what do you want for dinner tonight? It's your first night home so it's your choice!"

Glancing back to Katsuki, she really didn't want to make that kind of decision. Just being here was already making her freak out. The last thing she wanted was to ruin this. "Oh uhh, it doesn't really matter. I'm sure whatever you make will be great."

Her mother lit up at that, nodding her head excitedly. "Alright, it will be a surprise then! How does that sound?"

Amari just smiled at that, knowing she didn't have to choose anymore. "Sounds great mom."

Clapping happily, she seemed fine with that, before turning to Katsuki. Amari then watched her attitude change once again, this time being way more aggressive. "Katsuki, you better be nice to your sister."

Bakugo put his hands out in response, now clearly annoyed. He was literally just standing there not saying anything. He wasn't even doing anything. "Whatever."

His mother then gave him a warning look before hurrying off back into the kitchen, leaving the two siblings alone in the same awkward space.

Amari looked around before putting a hand to her neck, trying to lighten the situation. "Well she hasn't changed."

Katsuki groaned at that, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, she's still damn annoying. I can't ever get a break."

Laughing at that, Katsuki turned around to go upstairs only find that Amari was still standing in the foyer. What was she even doing? "Are you just going to stand there all day or what brat?"

Amari jumped slightly and began looking around, still not sure what she should be doing. Being here felt so weird. "Oh, yeah sorry. I'm just not used to this, not really sure what I should be doing I guess…"

Bakugo raised his brow at this. It was a house, not a damn amusement park. It wasn't that complicated. "Do whatever you want. I don't care."

Nodding her head, Amari took a step closer inside. "Right, sorry."

He tried to ignore her but Bakugo couldn't help but notice her nervous demeanor, getting him even more frustrated. "Would you stop apologizing? It's pissing me off."

Letting her eyes fall, Amari answered back right away, without realizing what it actually was. She was messing it up, she needed to pull it together. "Ah sorry."

Bakugo groaned at this, stomping down the steps to meet her eyes. Well, he would've if their height was the same. In actuality, she only reached to his shoulders. "Alright, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been acting like an idiot this entire time, and I mean more so than usual."

At the sound of her being called out, Amari broke away from his eyes, hugging her arms slowly in response. She guessed it was pretty obvious that she was uncomfortable.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Amari looked around at the place that was so feign to her. "Sorry, I guess I'm just nervous. I never thought you'd want me to stay with you so I don't want to do anything to mess it up."

Bakugo processed her words and immediately felt terrible for being so annoyed with her. This was supposed to be her house too, and yet she was that uncomfortable about it? Did she really think that he would kick her out after he just agreed?

Running his fingers through his hair, Katsuki shook his head and lowered his voice just slightly, the anger now completely gone. "You can just do whatever you want. I already said you could stay here so I'm not about to change my mind, okay? So stop looking so god damn nervous and relax already, will you?"

Amari remained silent for a moment before nodding her head slowly in acceptance, although still not completely believing it.

Katsuki saw this and groaned, ripping her bag out of her hands and throwing it on the sofa in a heavy thud. "Good, now sit down and watch TV or something, I don't care. Just don't bother me anymore."

Then she watched him turn around and stomp up the stairs, slamming the door to his room which cause their mother to yell once more. "Katsuki! If you slam that door one more time then I'm going to go up there and remove it so you won't have one."

Bakugo yelled something back but all Amari could focus on was the sound of a loud bustling household, smiling softly in the process. This was her home.

* * *

Once they were finished with dinner, it was almost time for bed. Katsuki liked to sleep early, 8:30pm to be exact which meant she would have to get ready as well.

Clearing the plates in the sink, their mother pointed to a pile of sheets in the corner and exclaimed. "Alright, since your room isn't completely finished yet, you can just sleep in Katsuki's until then. He'll take the sofa."

At her words, Bakugo dropped the plate he had been holding, it now shattering against the ground while he shouted. "What?! Hold on, there is no way in hell I'm sleeping out here! Make her do it!"

But the woman only frowned. "She just moved in. I'm not going to force your sister to sleep on the sofa. Just suck it up already and do it!"

Bakugo's brow ticked in annoyance at that. This woman was always deciding things on her own. "Screw you! I'm not doing it! If she wants to stay here so badly then have her sleep on the sofa. I'm not giving up my room for this brat!"

Throwing the towel onto the counter, his mother gasped. "You take that back right now Katsuki Bakugo..."

Amari could tell things were getting heated and the last thing she wanted was a fight over her. So instead, she put her arms out in defensive. "I really don't mind taking the sofa tonight mom. It's not a big deal."

Her head turned around and Bakugo watched her attitude take a 180, now putting an understanding arm on her daughter. "Are you sure sweetie? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Bkaugo just scoffed at that. "See? She's fine with it. Conversation over."

The woman glared back as Amari answered in reply. "Yeah, it's okay. Katsuki shouldn't have to give up his room for me. I did kind of just come in last minute and everything. Just being here is enough for me. I don't need anything special."

Bakugo's eyes fell at her words, now feeling slightly bad as he watched his mother hugged her tightly again. "Oh my sweet girl. You are welcome anytime. We are your family after all. If you are really okay with it then I won't push."

Whipping her head towards her son, she just hissed back. "You're lucky Katsuki. Why can't you be as understanding as your sister?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes at this and just walked away without another word, clearly done with the conversation. He always hated how different their mom treated the two of them.

Once he was gone, her mother turned to her, placing an understanding hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing by the way? I hope Katsuki has been treating you well. If not please tell me, I'll make sure he does."

Thinking back to all the times her brother had snapped at her, Amari couldn't help but laugh slightly. If she told her about their arguments then their mother might very well kill him. Lying instead was the best option. "He's been fine mom. It's just hard when we haven't spent much time together I guess."

Her mother seemed to understand completely, looking at her with sad eyes. "I know sweetie, but now you can get to know each other a bit more. Maybe you can help him not act like such a dumbass."

At her words, a loud shout echoed from upstairs. "I heard that, you witch!"

But her mother just shook her head. "See? He's stubborn but a good kid. I'm sure you two can grow closer, you are technically twins after all. You just have to give it some time since he's so dense."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, knowing that her mother was probably right. Growing closer to her brother wasn't going to happen overnight. She just needed to keep working at it.

Wrapping her arms around her daughter again, her mother just smiled back, missing the feeling of holding her. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here Amari. It wasn't home without you."

* * *

Katsuki was standing in a pool of endless darkness. He looked left and right but still found nothing around him. How did he even get there? He wasn't sure.

Suddenly, that same blue haired man from the USJ attack appeared in front of him, looking rather amused with his fear. "I thought you were supposed to be the number one hero. What a letdown."

He threw his arms out in an attack and Katsuki readied his quirk, knowing he had to fight, but there was only one problem.

Looking down at his hands, Bakugo couldn't help but gasp, realizing that his quirk wasn't materializing for some reason.

Bakugo started to panic then, throwing his hands up to block the attack when a swirl of black moved in front of him, blocking the boy from the impact.

He opened his eyes slightly, now frozen with that terrible sense of dread in his stomach.

Standing in front of him was Amari, her body shielding him from the villain who had now disintegrated a hole in her stomach.

She coughed out a thick stream of blood, staring at him with a piecing expression. "I broke myself down for you and you just threw me away, and now look Katsuki, I'm dead because of you. How funny."

He watched as her eyes grew distant, falling in front of him in a heavy and unpleasant thud, now unmoving at his feet, a ring of terror escaping his throat.

Falling to his knees, he held his sister in his arms, crying out broken tears for what he had let happen again. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't hate you. Please don't die on me. Please, no…"

That bastard icyhot's voice whispered in his ears then, leaning down to see the destruction he caused. "It's your fault you now. You did this, and now she'll die thinking you never cared."

Shaking his head aggressively, Katsuki hugged his sister's body in desperation, choking out a heavy sob at what he had done. He was too stupid to realize that he had hurt her and now she'll never know that he cared.

Bakugo closed his eyes in pain before looking up at the sky and cursing with everything he had, letting his own devastation and shame fill his entire body.

* * *

Reaching a hand up, Bakugo gasped when he snapped open his eyes, now alone in his room. It was still dark outside and he was dripping in sweat.

He dropped his head in his hands, letting out a shaky breath and tried to calm himself down. Bakugo had always had these nightmares from time to time but now it hit different knowing that something like that had actually happened to him.

Trufully, he hadn't slept very well after the USJ attack, always just picturing his sister tripping in blood and collapsing to protect him. It was pathetic. He didn't need his weak kid sister to help him like that.

At that moment, he didn't know why but Katsuki needed to see her, to know that she was alright and that all this was just a nightmare, not reality.

He carefully descended the steps only to find her in the living room. Amari's leg was thrown off the side in an uncomfortable fashion while her blanket was on the floor. She didn't really look comfortable.

Falling to the floor, he watched her sleep, now feeling relieved to know that she was okay. He didn't want her to risk herself like that for him anymore, instead Bakugo promised himself that he would protect her instead.

That's what he thought he was always doing but apparently it turned out that he was just trying to run away from his problems and mistakes, Amari being the biggest one he had made.

He stopped thinking when Amari groaned in her sleep, turning to the side and frowning. Katsuki couldn't help but stare at this and sigh. She really did look uncomfortable.. "Idiot."

Then he carefully picked her up, letting her head fall onto his shoulder as Katsuki ascended the stairs to his room and threw open the door.

Laying her down on his bed, Bakugo flung the covers onto her before grumbling to himself and stomping back downstairs to the sofa. That brat was going to make him go crazy.

* * *

Amari yawned as she rolled over in the bed, noticing that the sofa was way more comfortable than she originally thought. That was strange.

Opening her eyes, she stopped herself when she realized she wasn't in the living room anymore but Katsuki's room.

She gasped at sat up, obviously confused about how she had gotten there. The only time she usually had memory loss was when she drank. This was certainly new.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Bakugo stomped inside, a toothbrush now hanging out of his mouth. "Hey brat! Mom said you are gonna be late if you don't get your ass up!"

Amari blinked once, trying to process if this was reality or not. "Wait, how did I get here? I thought I slept on the sofa."

Katsuki froze for a moment before rolling her eyes, a hint of frustration in his voice. "You freaking sleep walked into my bed, that's what. The only reason I didn't kick your ass was because I was tired, so you better watch yourself next time brat."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari thought about her past sleeping history. Never had she ever sleep walked before. Maybe it was a new thing. She did used to live alone after all, who knows what she could have done before.

She gasped at his explanation, throwing her hands up in an aggressive apology. He must have really hated her now. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even know I did that…"

But Bakugo just coughed in response, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth. She had bought his excuse, good. "Save it. It's over now so just forget it. Now hurry up and get ready before I leave you."

He then turned away from her and Amari jumped out of bed before grabbing her things one by one. Was this what a home felt like? She kind of liked it.

* * *

Heheh Soft Bakugo everywhere in this chapter. Now as you can see, Bakugo has realized Amari's feelings so he's trying to be a bit nicer to her, well in the most Bakugo way he can. This chapter was so cute to write.

Next chapter: Some U.A. classmates get very curious about Todoroki and Amari's relationship, maybe causing Amari to realize some things….


	15. S2 Chapter 3

After that strange morning, Amari walked into school without her brother beside her. Their mother made them leave together but once they turned the corner, Bakugo said he wanted to walk alone. She didn't really seem to mind though. Just being able to live with him was enough for now. Other things like that would take baby steps.

Although she hated to admit it, now that she was alone, Amari felt kind of lonely. Usually Todoroki would walk with her to class every morning and without him it felt weird. She supposed that since she was living with her brother now that he probably didn't want to do that anymore. The idea kinda made her disappointed for some reason.

She turned into the hallway and caught her eye on the very same person she was just thinking about. He was walking in that same stoic position as usual, heading for the classroom and not paying attention to anyone.

Amari gave a knowing look at that, suddenly wanting to tell him about her first night at home with her family. She was just so happy she wanted to tell someone, and it looked like Todoroki was the lucky winner.

Racing up to him, she threw her arms out and grabbed onto him in excitement, causing the poor boy to flitch and almost trip over his own feet. "Todoroki, good morning!"

He fixed his stance before turning back at her, now feeling a pound in his chest from the sudden shock. "You really need to stop doing that.."

But she just shook her head, a playful manner in her tone which made it impossible for him to be mad at her. "Ah sorry, I'm just really happy."

Todoroki was thrilled to hear that, knowing about all of the pain she had been through in the past. This girl deserved to be happy. "And why is that?"

Amari replied back rather quickly, excited to share her story of last night. "Well, I guess it really isn't anything that big, especially to you. It's just, I think Katsuki and I are starting to get along, if just a little. He didn't yell at me yesterday. How great is that?!"

Honestly it was kind of sad that she was happy about him not yelling at her. That should of been common sense to literally anyone. But knowing that they were making progress did make him happy for her. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that."

She smiled back, nodding her head like a small puppy dog would do. "Right? Ah it's like a dream come true! Maybe we can finally get somewhere now. That would be nice."

Todoroki thought for a moment before putting an understanding hand to her shoulder. "Well, it looks like things are going in the right direction. Just keep being yourself and he'll realize it soon enough."

Not that he needed justification for telling her brother everything but it was nice to know that he really was taking his words to heart. Well, at least he was trying now.

Putting a nervous hand up to her neck, Amari then decided to change the subject. "Yeah, I hope so. Oh also, since I'm not living by myself anymore I wanted to talk about us walking together…"

Todoroki blinked at her question, unsure where this was going. He assumed she wanted to say that they should stop coming to school together now that her Bakugo's relationship with her had improved . "Didn't you walk with Bakugo this morning?"

But Amari just shook her head sadly. "It seems we aren't there yet."

He couldn't help but think about her words. He didn't offer to walk together anymore because he assumed that she much rather would have wanted to spend time with her brother.

Casting her eyes away, Todoroki could see a light pigment in her cheeks at her next words, coming out rather rambling. "Right, so I was wondering, I mean I don't live in that apartment anymore but if you don't mind that is, I mean, if you aren't busy, please stop me or say no if I'm being annoying or clingy but I was wondering if you still wanted to walk together?"

Amari closed her eyes, almost afraid to hear his response as he just blinked in surprise. Todoroki had always thought of himself as a placeholder for her brother, that is until he decided to finally be there for her. Now that Bakugo was starting to do that, why on earth did she still want to be with him?

Taking a step closer, Todoroki tried to understand her reasonings. "You still want to walk together, why? You have your brother now."

She paused for a moment before playing with the ends of her hair, muttering out her response low and quiet so that only he could hear. "But I miss you."

Todoroki eyes couldn't help but widen at this, listening to her continue. "Just because Katsuki and I are getting along a little bit now doesn't mean that I want you out of my life. He may be my brother but you're also important to me…"

Amari then realized what she had just said and turned bright pink, backtracking hardcore and stepping away from him. "I mean unless I'm assuming things and you just want to get away from me because I totally get that. I'm awkward and blurt things out all the time and I could totally see why you'd be sick of me. It's not like I'm trying to force anything on you or anything…"

But she stopped when Todoroki put his hand up, resting it on her shoulder. She could feel his warm palm touch her skin as he replied. "I have no idea why you feel that way about me, but I didn't mind walking with you. I wouldn't have suggested it if I hated the idea."

Thinking for a moment, Amari replied. "So, does that mean it's okay? You really don't have to force yourself if you don't want to anymore... "

But he only nodded his head in response, a tiny smile creeping into his lips. "If I didn't want to then I wouldn't have done it. Might as well keep going I suppose."

Amari couldn't help but gasped at that, leaping forward and hugging him tightly in excitement. "Thank you thank you! I'm so happy. I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."

Todoroki shook his head in response, thinking that she completely misunderstood his actions. Trufully, he did like talking to her. "Even if I did, I feel like you wouldn't let me go so it's alright."

She slapped his shoulder at that, in a playful manner before walking together to the classroom, Amari now overjoyed with the conversation they had.

Soon it was time for lunch, and usually Amari and Todoroki sat together, although after class he said he had to study for the upcoming exam instead, leaving her alone in the classroom.

* * *

The bell rang and Amari waved him goodbye. "Have fun studying, see you Todoroki."

He just put his hand up his response and left silently, much to the interest of the other classmates, Aoyama included. "Hey Amari, don't you think it's weird that you still call him by his last name?"

Blinking in surprise, Amari turned her brow in confusion. She then picked up a glass of water next to her before taking a long sip. "Uhh, no, why?"

Just then, Mina popped in between the two of them, smirking like crazy. "Well duh, it's because you're dating, right?"

At her words, Amari choked on the water, coughing erratically at the liquid now burning her throat. What were they saying? "What?! No no no no no I think you're confused. We aren't dating, we are just friends."

Her response caused Aoyama and Mina to gasp in absolute shock, obviously not believing her words. "What? You have got to be kidding…"

But Amari didn't understand. "Uhh no?"

Mina's eyes widened, which made Amari think of something else completely. They both seemed a little too surprised at that. "Wait, did both of you think we were dating?"

Looking at his nails, Aoyama answered back plainly. "Sweetie, the whole school thinks you are. Why do you think class 1B hasn't jumped on him yet? You're the only one Todoroki remotely talks to and you even walk to school together. It seemed obvious."

Amari felt her cheeks grew pink and it his comments. What he was saying was ridiculous. They were jumping to conclusions. "What, come on. That doesn't mean we are dating. It just means we are really close."

Putting her hands on her chin, Mina leaned closer, a knowing look in her eyes. "But you like him, right?"

This brought an even bigger blush to her cheeks. Because of that, her response came out stuttered. That hadn't even crossed her mind. "Uhh well I guess I never…"

Aoyama cut her off then, smiling at his next question. "You want to kiss him, right?"

Widened her eyes, Amari stood frozen, sure how to process his words. All their questions were fat too overwhelming.

That's when he inferred something else from it. "Oh, unless you already have…"

Amari slammed her hands on the table then, gaining the response of the rest of the class. Bakugo could tell that she was embarrassed by something, but he didn't care enough to find out what it is. "Whoa whoa whoa it's not like that I swear. You guys are getting way too crazy."

But Aoyama knew better, leaning forward and placing one finger out in explanation. "Alright, then. Let's test to see if you two really are "just friends" or not, how about it?"

Leaning forward he began his questions. "Have you ever gone out just the two of you, outside or school?"

Remembering back to her birthday, Amari couldn't deny that. "Well yeah but that was…"

Yet Aoyama cut her off. "Have you given each other gifts?"

At his words, Amari's hand touched the gold bracelet he had given her on instinct. "Well.."

Smirking, Aoyama knew he had won his game. He locked eyes with the poor girl, obviously making her uncomfortable. "Last one, do the two of you know each others deepest secrets?"

Amari couldn't help but freeze at that. She supposed he was right. All of those things were entirely true. She did tell him about her entire childhood, although she didn't want to admit it out loud to Aoyama.

Knowing that he was right, the boy only laughed, watching her distressed face in amusement. "I knew it. Just face it honey, you like him, and he likes you. It's as simple as that."

She felt her face turned a sharp shade of crimson, looking away from the two and refusing to acknowledge his words. There was no way. Romance wasn't even something she vaguely considered before. It seemed like something out of her range.

Shaking her head in denial, Amari muttered. "No, no you're wrong. I don't, I'm not, I can't…"

Amari started to back away slowly then, edging for the door in utter embarrassment and fear. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there before she had a full blown panic attack. "I gotta go.."

Then she booked it out of there so fast that everyone had no choice but to wonder what the two had said to her.

Aoyama chuckled at her flustred reactions, leaning back in his chair carefully. "Finally. Those two are so tense. I felt like I had to give them a push."

He suddenly stopped though when a dark shadow loomed over him, clearly not happy in the slightest. "What did you say to her, you bastard?"

Gulping once, the boy turned to find the eyes of no other then Katsuki Bakugo. "Oh hey Bakugo, what's up?"

But he wasn't in the mood for games, instead taking his foot and kicking the chair underneath him over, causing the boy to fall to the floor. "I'm going to say this only once. No one gets to pick on that brat but me, got it?!"

Aoyama's eyes widened in fear as Mina stepped in, defending him. "Calm down Bakugo, we only teased her a bit. It was all in good fun."

But Bakugo only narrowed his eyes, recalling her scared expression racing out of the classroom. They had definitely done something to her, he just knew it.

The room seemed to drop in temperature as the boy hissed back, intent on his every word. "You better watch yourself extras, unless you wanna die!."

The classroom grew loud then as they argued with Amari's brother, not really sure why he was so heated about this. To them, they always thought he didn't care that much about these kinds of things.

* * *

Amari quickly exited the classroom, not really sure were her legs were taking her but listened to them anyways. She needed to calm down, to stop freaking out so much.

Running down the steps to the lower level, she paused and leaned against the wall, hearing Aoyama and Mina's words in her mind on a constant repeat. _Just face it, you like him._

She shook her head at the invisible voices, talking to herself. "Pull yourself together Amari, he was just messing with you."

Yeah that had to be it. There was no way she actually had feelings for that tomato boy. That would mean that she'd get distracted from her ultimate goal of being closer to Katsuki. That was the only thing she wanted from U.A.

She hated to think about what would happen if what they said was actually true. If she did like him on the off chance then all she would be doing in the end was give him suffering.

Amari's life was on a time limit, and she wasn't about to delude herself into thinking that she could live forever. Being involved with Todoroki like that would only bring him pain and that's not what she wanted for him. He had already done so much for her, Amari couldn't expect more. That would've just been selfish.

Pressing her face against the plaster of the wall, Amari just groaned, ignoring that stares of the various students passing by. This was ridiculous, why was she even worrying about it this much? Aoyama wasn't right, he couldn't be. She couldn't start to think about this ridiculous and distracting emotion called love. Amari didn't have the time for it anyways. She had to focus on her relationship with her brother before it was too late.

She stopped thinking when Amari felt a group of kids crowd around her in question, clearly interested on why she was face first into a wall. "Hey, you're from class A1, right?"

Turning back around, she found herself face to face with a strange purple haired boy. He was wearing the same uniform as her but Amari had never seen him before this. He kind of looked intimidating. "Yeah, I am."

The boy stared at her up and down before cracking a smirk, clearly amused with her appearance. "So they even accepted a little shorty like you, huh. Pathetic."

Amari's brow ticked with annoyance at that. Had he just insulted her? "What's that supposed to mean?"

But the purple haired stranger only narrowed his eyes, hatred lining the corners. "I heard that class 1A was supposed to be impressive but if everyone is like you, then I don't see the need to worry anymore."

Amari's eyes widened at his insult, feeling a wave of rage wash over her. Call it a quirk carried over by her brother, but she was pissed at this guy. "Whoa hold on, first off, you don't even know anything about me so don't just go and assume anything about my class, you weirdo."

Although the boy didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, this time taking a step even closer to her in intent. "I know enough, like how you've been talking to yourself for the past ten minutes outside my classroom. You don't look like much of a hero to me.."

She felt slightly embarrassed that this guy had seen her freak out about Todoroki but didn't want him to know that. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Matching his stare, she hissed back. "You wanna test that theory?"

Once again, he only smirked, turning to his friends in amusement. "Oh look, short stuff wants to fight. How cute."

Amari seethed at the fact he wasn't taking her seriously. Sure she was short and small compared to most heros but that didn't mean she wasn't just as strong. "What? Are you afraid to get your ass beat by a "pathetic" girl like me?"

He frowned at this. " Don't be mistaken. I could mop up the floor with you."

But she just found this funny. "I'd like to see you try. Looks like to me like you are all bark and no bite."

That seemed to have gotten him annoyed, taking another step closer to her in intent before they heard the bell ring above them.

The boy broke eye contact then, sighing in frustration. "Look like I'll have to destroy you another time. You better watch yourself at the sports festive shorty, because I'm going to win and take your spot in the hero course. Just watch. It should belong to someone that actually deserves it."

Amari glared at him as he started to turn around then, seemingly now done with this conversation, although she wasn't. Who was this annoying, overconfident guy and why had he just picked a fight with her? Also, how dare he say she wasn't serious about the hero course, the very idea made her angry. She was probably one of the most dedicated people in there.

Twitching her eyes in annoyance, she lifted her hand, shouting back to him in a loud tamber. Her anger had snapped. "If you want to do that then you'll have to forcibly pry it from my cold dead hands, you bastard. I worked too hard to be in the hero course to have it taken by some rude weirdo like you. Who even are you anyways?"

Her words caused him to stop, staring at the hallway for a few seconds before turning back to her, a mix of both amusement and determination in his eyes. "The names Hitoshi Shinso from class 1C, remember it, and your challenge has been accepted."

Amari processed the words as he turned back around, shoving his hands in his pockets before walking away. She had never even met any class B kids before this guy, she hoped they weren't all like that.

Balling her hands into fists, she thought about his words as a new sense of hatred washed over her. She wanted to prove that person wrong, no matter what. He would be sorry for underestimating her.

* * *

Welp, Shinso and Amari don't really like each other. He doesn't even see her as a threat, oof. Also to explain the whole thing with Amari liking Todoroki, she doesn't want to be that close to him because she knows she's going to die one day. She doesn't want to destroy him with her death so Amari thinks that keeping a large distance between them n is the best option. We will see how that works out there.

Next Chapter: Starting that sports arch, oh boy.


	16. S2 Chapter 4

Amari lifted her hand up, still feeling the high from the alcohol in her system. She swayed back and forth staring into the eyes of her new friend that had somehow materialized herself infront of her. Was he magic or something? How did he get there?

She let her mouth ramble out a various number of things, not caring who heard them at all. Touching her eyes, she found tears there but let them fall anyways. It's not like she could get rid of this feeling of devastation and loneliness, even if she tried. "You wanna know a secret? The truth is I don't wanna die. The more brave I act,the more scared I become. Will Katsuki even care when he finds out? Probably not. Funny right? Oh, I'm probably annoying you again with my stupid problems."

Laughing slightly at her own pathetic nature, her blurry eyesight caught to Todoroki's who just looked sad. Why was he making that kind of expression? It wasn't any of his business to be sad for her. She hardly even knew him that well. Trying to remember the words she had just said, Amari found it difficult, only feeling a haze wash over her. How many bottles had she drunk before this one?

The boy leaned forward then, his hand reaching out for something in particular but Amari couldn't make out what. His voice was plain but smooth, drawing her in with every breath. "Amari, I don't pity you, I admire you.."

Admire? That was such a silly word, especially coming from Todoroki. Although, she couldn't deny the way the word made her so unbelievably happy inside for some reason. It was almost like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wasn't sure if it was real. "What did you just say?"

Todoroki leaned even closer, wrapping his hand around hers, causing her to lose grip on the bottle she was holding. His touch, it made her feel warm, comfortable and safe. "I told you before, didn't I? I really meant it. You're amazing. I'm not burned by this. You can tell me anything and I'll listen."

His words filled her with such joy and happiness, wondering how on earth he wouldn't be burdened by her. She was a trainwreck. Amari wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or him that made her body fill with heat, but all she knew was that she was seemingly hypnotized by this man's eyes. It was like they were drawing her in, begging her to get closer.

She complied, inching closer to his two tone gaze, wanting to thank him for the words but finding it unable to. All she could muster out was his name. "Todoroki.."

Amari's fingertips touched his cheek, as he replied, scared and uncertain to what she was doing. "Yeah?"

Running her fingers across his skin, Amari felt the need to trace his features, desperate to touch him and thank him in any sort of way. His eyes were calling her even more, begging her to reach closer. "I meant what I said before. Your eyes really are pretty."

His face flushed a light shade of pink and Amari couldn't help but enjoy the sight before her. She then realized she wanted to make him turn even brighter somehow. "What are you doing?"

Amari's eyes then casted to his lips, feeling the pull to them like she was on a string. She needed to show him that she was grateful, so that she could thank him for being so kind. Thinking back to his name, she smiled, knowing she wanted to tell him just how special he was to her ."Shoto.."

Trying to show her admiration, Amari gave into her own temptation and her lips touched his, pushing aggressively into him and a feeling of absolute bliss wash over her. She tried to capture what he tasted like but found it impossible with the amount of alcohol on her breath.

His body moved towards her and Amari gratefully accepted, wrapping her own arm around him, still hungry for his touch and body heat. He's scent was driving her absolutely mad and she found himself wanting more, needing more.

Suddenly, she felt herself jerked back and blinked only to find the boy looking more red than ever, touching his face. He must of felt the warmth also. "What was that?"

Amari wanted to talk but found it difficult as a pounding headache crashed in her ear. She instead buried herself in his shoulder, finding comfort in the darkness. He said something else but the only thing Amari could hear was loud shouting, it made her irritated. "Shut up, you're too loud."

His voice stopped then and Amari was grateful, feeling the warm hum of his body relax her. She then realized just how tired she actually was, giving into the idea all together.

Just then, a voice rang in the back of her head, making her stomach drop.

_You like him, just face it._

* * *

Amari gasped awake, looking around her in absolute confusion before placing a hand on her head. What the hell even was that? A dream? Cause it sure felt real to her and she didn't like it. Why in the hell what she had a dream like that?

She touched the face that still had a slight warmth to it and sighed heavily. If she started having dreams like these all the time Amari didn't know how she was going to survive.

Then, she thought back to the night of her birthday and froze. Wait, she didn't remember anything about that night, only that Todoroki apparently came over. Oh crap, what if something did happen and she jumped him like that?! She couldn't even bare the thought.

Shaking her head aggressively, Amari found herself touching her lips slightly, remembering the kiss and gasped. No, no there was no way that was real. Todoroki would of said something about it, right? There was absolutely no way that she would have done something like that.

Bakugo just walked by his door, hearing his sister talk to herself and only shook his head in disappointment. He was already used to her spazzy nature so this wasn't anything knew. She probably just had a weird dream.

Just then, the doorbell rang downstairs and Katsuki frowned, now hearing his mother yell from downstairs. "Katsuki, get the door, will you?"

Bakugo just groaned, not moving a muscle. That woman was already downstairs, why couldn't she do it? "Screw you, I'm busy! You get it!"

His mother's voice came back then, louder than before. "Boy, I'm going to give you to the count of three to open that damn door before I come up there. Don't make me!"

Katsuki half wanted her to try it but the other half of him was still tired from waking up. He didn't want to deal with her bullshit this early in the morning.

He stomped down the stairs as she shouted. "One...two…!"

Turning his brow in frustration, Bakugo yelled back. "I'm already doing it you damn woman! Just shut up!"

His mother seemed happy at that as Katsuki slammed open the door, frowning at whoever was on the other side. Although he frowned even more when he realized who it actually was, that icy hot bastard. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Todoroki just blinked in response, answering straight forward. "I was invited."

Bakugo just scoffed at that, putting a hand to the doorframe. "Invited? Bullshit. Why are you in front of my house! You wanna fight?!"

But he didn't seemed amused in the slightest, sighing heavily. "I'm not here for you."

This made him even more pissed, stepping forward in intimation. "What the hell does that mean?! Then why are you standing on my damn doorstep?"

Todoroki opened his mouth but stopped when Amari came into view, also seeming displeased with her brothers tone. "Katsuki, stop it. I invited him here."

She then smiled at the boy, grabbing her bag next to her. "You ready?"

Todoroki nodded his head as Katsuki just gasped at the sight before him. When was icy hot that close to his sister? He didn't know why but Bakugo didn't like it. "Wait, hold on a damn minute! Don't just invite that bastard here! Where do you even think your going?!"

But Amari just sighed, lifting her bag to her shoulder and stepping past him. "Uhh school? I'll see you there."

Bakugo remained shocked as his sister stepped next to that bastard before turning to leave. Out of everyone in the world, why did she have to be friends with that cocky son of a bitch? Recalling the conversation they had in the hospital, Bakugo couldn't help but have bad blood against him.

Once they had turned the corner, Amari looked over to Todoroki apologetically. "Sorry about that. Katsuki is a little irritable in the morning."

At her words, her couldn't help but point something out. "Isn't he always like that though?"

That made her laugh a bit, nodding her head in acceptance. "Well, you're not wrong."

Amari turned to him then and couldn't help but replay that strange dream in her head, now feeling slightly embarrassed. She needed to forget about that as soon as possible.

Her eyes casted away when Todoroki seemed to have taken notice, leaning closer in concern. "Amari, are you feeling alright?"

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Amari couldn't help but glance at his lips before stuttering back. "O-Oh yeah. I'm great! Why do you ask?"

He only frowned at that, taking another step further. She looked really pale all of a sudden for some reason. "You look really red."

Amari's eyes widened at that, casting her eyes even further away in an attempt to cover her face. That dream was making her go crazy. "Oh, really? Yeah it's kinda warm out today, right?"

Todoroki noticed her covering her face as a new wave of concern filled his stomach. He thought back to the USJ incident and didn't know if there was still something wrong with her or not. She could still be sick.

Because of that, he lifted a hand up, placing it on her forehead lighty to check her temperature only to sigh in relief. "It doesn't seem like you have a fever. Are you sure you're alright?"

At the touch of his skin on hers, Amari's face turned a lighter shade of pink, flashing back to her dream and shaking him off. "Yeah, I'm fine. I promise! I think it's just the heat outside."

Todoroki still wasn't sure but she seemed okay so he dropped the conversation for now, moving back to his spot next to her. "Alright then."

When he moved away, Amari was silently thankful. All because of Ayoama's words and that stupid dream she was falling apart. She hoped this would go away soon or else Amari didn't know how she was going to deal with it.

All she knew was that there was absolutely no way she was going to admit she had feelings for this boy. That would be a very dangerous thing to do.

* * *

As the two walked into class, Amari and Todoroki couldn't help but stop when they noticed a large crowd of people surrounding the door. What was even going on?

The two approached the area, and Amari pushed her way into the crowds, getting caught between the people as she was so small until she reached the door. Although the only problem was that there was someone blocking the entryway completely.

Clearing her throat, she tried her best to call out to them politely. "Excuse me, If I could get by please.."

The stranger noticed her voice and turned around, only for Amari's heart to drop. It was that purple haired weirdo from yesterday. "Oh I'm sorry shorty. I didn't see you because you're so small."

Amari's brow ticked in annoyance as she pointed an accusatory finger towards him. "You..what you are doing here?"

His eyes turned back to the classroom before shrugging his shoulders. "Just checking out the competition. Although this has nothing to do with you so don't worry about it."

She seethed at his response as Shinso just turned around to the rest of the class and ignored her after that, like she wasn't even a threat to him in the slightest. "I'm here to let you know that if you don't bring your very best, then I'll steal your spot right from under you. Consider this a declaration of war."

The entire class gapped at this but Amari was just pissed, instead grabbing onto his shoulder and forcing him to turn and awkanoedge her. "Hold on, you talk all high and mighty for someone that's not even in the hero course, and I was talking to you! Don't just turn around and ignore me, you jerk!"

Putting his hands in his pockets, Shinso eyed the girl with interested. He definitely had height on his side, towering over her immensely. "I already told you I wasn't talking to you short stuff. I'm here to warn the real competition."

She opened her mouth to respond when he turned back around, ignoring her again. It was obvious he hasn't taken her seriously. "Now, I'm looking for Bakugo Amari."

The entire class just froze at that, Shinso obviously not knowing that he had just spoken with her. Well, that was awkward.

At her name, Amari lifted her hand up and spoke plainly. "Oh, so now you want to speak with me?"

Shinso stopped and turned around, only to smirk, clearly not understanding. "I wasn't talking to you, but that's a funny joke. I'm looking for the kid that single handedly fought those villains at the USJ incident."

Just then, Deku perked up and stepped forward. "Umm that is Amari-chan behind you."

It took a couple moments for him to process Deku's words before whipping around to the girl he had just insulted. That was impossible. This little girl fought those villains? No way.

The other class 1C students just laughed at the realization, causing Amari's face to fall. Was it really hard to believe that she did that?

Shinso thought about it for a couple minutes before cracking a smile. "Well if that's true then we really won't have to worry. And here I thought you'd be our biggest competition."

Her eyebrow twitched at him then, pointing an accusatory finger at him in anger. "Listen up Shih Tzu, just for that I'm going to make sure I kick your ass."

At the strange name, Shinso's eyes narrowed. "It's Shinso, and I'd like you to see you try it."

But Amari just crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not backing down. "Oh really? I think it fits cause I'll I can hear is an annoying dog barking about a bunch of nonsense."

The boy just frowned at that when a new voice entered the space, also unamused. "Why the hell is everyone screaming so damn loud this morning? It's giving me a goddamn headache! Shut up, will you?"

They all turned around to find Bakugo staring at them annoyed. "Katsuki.."

Shinso took notice in the boy right away, noticing the resemblance between the two. "So is this what the majority of class 1A acts like? Is everyone in the hero course delusional like you two?"

Amari half expected him to burst out at the boy in anger but surprisingly enough, Bakugo didn't do that. Instead, he just narrowed his eyes and pushed past the crowds. "You guys don't matter. The only thing that's important is that I beat them."

Everyone stood silent at his words before crying out in outrage. "Hey! You little brat! You think you're better than us, huh!"

But Bakugo didn't seem bothered, just grabbing Amari's bag before pulling her away from the other students. "Come on brat."

Amari had no choice but to follow him inside of the classroom when Aizawa showed up and dispersed the crowds. "Hey Katsuki, I think you fueled the fire."

Although he only shrugged before sitting down in his seat. "They can talk all they want but I'll be the one to beat them in the end. If you want to get them to shut their mouths then you just gotta prove it."

Katsuki gave Amari a knowing look and she couldn't help but think that he was trying to encourage her somehow, if only a little. She kind of hoped that was the case.

* * *

As the rest of the students sat down, Aizawa leaned forward in his desk. His face was still completely bandaged up from USJ fight. "Alright, I assume you've heard from the other classes already but it's almost time for U.A's sports festival. It's a perfect time to be recognized by other top heroes."

The class all cheered in excitement, except for Jiro who just seemed concerned. "Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside? What if they attack us or something?"

Although Aizawa just nodded his head, already expecting this question. "Apparently they think of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is as solid as a rock by holding an event. Security will be strengthened five times more than previous years. This is a good chance for all of you, let's not let a few villains spoil it."

Everyone seemed to accept this, although some still felt a little worried at the idea, letting Aizawa continue. "Anyways, this is a perfect chance to prove your worth to all the top heros watching. After the sports festival, the ones who find you worthy will send an offer to intern at their division, so it's important not to mess it up."

Nodding their heads enthusiastically, he added something else. "Oh, this also means that you will be completing against your own classmates along with other U.A. students so it's important to start thinking about them, since they may be your enemies in the tournament."

Amari leaned back in her chair at all the information, just reeling in excitement at the very idea. "I can't believe I finally get to participate in a U.A. sports festival. Katsuki and I used to watch it when he would visit me in the hospital before I moved to America. It's like a dream come true! Right, Todoroki?"

She turned to her friend but paused when he looked rather zoned out, focused on something else in particular. Was he not happy about the sports festival? "Todoroki?"

At his name, he blinked to life, before letting his eyes fall, clearly bothered by something. "Yeah.."

Amari wondered what had gotten into him so suddenly and when the bell rang after class, she decided to ask him while they were at lunch. They had made plans to eat together after all "Hey Todoroki, are you ready for lunch?"

Standing from her seat, she watched him think about the question for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm going to train instead today."

This was a surprise to her. It was the first time he mentioned that. "Train? I thought we were supposed to have lunch. If you're worried about the sports festival don't, you have plenty of time still. It doesn't start for another two weeks."

She put a hand on his arm only for him to shake it off, seeming determined about something. It seemed this sports festival was making him nervous. "I can't. I'm sorry. Regardless about us being friends, the fact still remains. You are number two recommended which means you're my biggest competition. I can't take it easy."

He was saying those things again. Amari hadn't heard him talk about that since they first met. "What? I already told you that I have no plans on being the top hero so we aren't enemies silly."

But he only looked away from her, grabbing his bag in the process. "Maybe, but for the sports festival you are, and I can't take any chances. I can't afford to."

Amari tried to say something else but found herself at a loss of words. He looked so serious about this festival, there must have been something else to it. It seemed that whenever she tried to get closer to him, to learn more about his fears that he would just shut her down just like right now. She wished knew what was making him so anxious.

So instead of arguing, Amari just lifted her hand to the back of her neck and replied. "If you really need to do this then I understand, but just know that I would never think of you as an enemy Todoroki."

He thought about that phrase for a moment before turning away from her, a soft mutter in his voice before leaving. "I'm sorry."

* * *

In the next couple days, Todoroki grew distant from her but he never really told her why. They only thing he did was apologize. It seemed he was even too busy to walk to school together with his training. Amari worried that he might be pushing himself too hard, and that was coming from herself who was the worst example of that.

To be honest, she felt kind of lonely without him next to her, almost like she was missing a part of herself completely. Whatever this feeling was, she didn't like it.

She would see him briefly in class but when the bell rang he would run off to train during lunch before returning to class and then training again after school. They hardly even spoke anymore. His absence found it hard for her to train as well.

Today was different though as she was determined to meet him after school and walk home together or maybe just hang out somewhere. Because of that, she waited in the entryway for him to be done with his sessions.

Sighing heavily, she looked out the window below only for an annoying voice next to her to speak. "Why do look so depressed? Is it because you realized that you won't be able to win the sports festival?"

Amari glanced to her side to find Shinso staring at her in interest. Too bad for him she wasn't in the mood. "I'm not in the mood Shih Tzu. Just leave me alone."

She slumped down on her hand in a depressed fashion only to have him twitch. "I already told you, it's Shinso."

Amari just fired back. "And I already told you, I don't care."

He raised an eyebrow at that. She seemed even more irritable than usual today. "Whoa, be careful. You are starting to sound like your brother."

She just groaned at that, locking eyes with him. "I have a question. Why are you picking on me out all of class 1A? Don't you have anything better to do, like I don't know, train?"

Shinso thought about this for a moment before leaning back against the wall, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "Did you know that I wanted to be in the hero course as well? But unfortunately I wasn't accepted and was forced to choose another path, such is life."

Amari narrowed her eyes in confusion. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Putting a hand up, Shinso continued. "Because of this sports festival, I've finally been given a chance to show everyone that I belong in the hero course, and I can't stand people don't don't take that honor seriously."

At his words, Amari straightened herself, reappearing his words like they were some kind of joke. "And you think I'm not taking it seriously?"

Leaning closer she could see for the first time, the layers of absolute hatred in his eyes for her, answering back. "I know you aren't, being a recommended student usually means you come from a well known family, right? Just looking at you, I hardly believe you were accepted into the hero course based on just talent alone."

Just the idea that Shinso was even suggesting she was only accepted because of some kind of bribery was already insulting. Sure she may not have looked like a hero but didn't necessarily mean she didn't work her ass off to get here. This boy was just assuming things about her.

She was going to yell at him but couldn't find the energy for it, instead just glaring back. "You think you know everything about me, huh? Well I'm sorry to say this but your assumptions are a bit off.

Although he didn't seem convinced. "I guess we will see then. See if you can prove me wrong shorty."

Amari shrugged her shoulders when she saw Todoroki's two tone hair approach her, suddenly wanting her conversation to be over with this weirdo. "I guess we will. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go."

Then before he could say anything, she was already gone, running up to Todoroki and smiling. "Todoroki, hey!"

He stopped when he heard her voice, seeming confused. They hadn't planned to meet up. "Amari? What's wrong?"

But she just shook her head, taking a step closer to him. "Oh, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see you. We haven't talked in awhile so I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere? There is this new coffee shop and…"

Before she could finish though, Todoroki put a hand up to stop her, already turning to put on his shoes. "I can't. I have to train."

Amari frowned at that, feeling the rejection in her stomach. "Again? You've been training non stop for the past couple days. You are going to overwork yourself."

But he only answered back straightforward. "I'm fine."

Yet she wasn't convinced in the slightest, reaching out to grab his arm. There was something about this whole thing that was making him anxious and she was desperate to know what it was. "No you aren't. Why are you tearing yourself apart for this? It's just a sports festival. It's not that big of a deal."

At her words, Todoroki tore his arm away from her, recalling the words his father told him just the other day. It wasn't just a sport festive, this was everything for him. She just didn't understand.

Because he was thinking about his father, Todoroki's reply came out colder than he had meant to. "Amari, you might not be serious about this but I am."

Her eyes widened at his words, not fully understanding. "What are you saying?"

Casting his eyes away from her, he sighed. "You maybe satisfied with not being the number one hero but don't try to lump your wishes with mine. I'm going to win the sports festival and prove myself. I can't afford to have any distractions."

The fact that he just called her a distraction wasn't lost on her and it brought a heavy lump to her throat. "You think I'm a distraction?"

He stopped at that, realizing he may have said something wrong. "I'm just saying I think it would be best if we stayed separate for awhile. I need to think about all of this seriously."

Amari could feel the rejection in her heart but pushed harder, knowing that there was something wrong with this whole thing. "What is it about this sports festival? Todoroki, I want to help you but I can't if you won't tell me what's going on…"

Todoroki thought about this for a moment before deciding not involve Amari in all of his family drama. It's not that he didn't trust her but she didn't need to know those kinds of things. She already had far too much to worry about.

Picking up his bag from the ground, he only sighed before turning his back on her. "I have to go."

Then he left her alone, wondering just what was going on with him. Why did he feel like he needed to pour everything into this sports festival? What was so special about it?

* * *

Walking home alone, Amari tried to forget Todoroki's cold words when the phone in her pocket rang loudly. She pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"

Her brothers voice echoed back, seemingly annoyed. "Hey brat, get to the training grounds in ten minutes."

Amari just seemed confused by that. "What, why?"

But Bakugo only answered back roughly. She could tell from the voices around him that he was walking somewhere. "Just do it before I change my mind, will you?"

Then without another word, he hung up. What was that all about and why did he want her to meet him at the training grounds?

Although she couldn't help but remain curious at the idea. This was the first time Katsuki had invited her somewhere, just because of that she couldn't turn it down.

* * *

Opening the doors to the training grounds, she found her brother in the corner, leaning over a bench while tying his shoes. When she approached, he just scoffed. "About damn time. I was about to leave you."

Amari looked around at the area, not really understanding why she was here. "Why did you call me here Katsuki?"

But he only responded by throwing a large duffle bag in her direction, almost knocking her over completely given her size. "You want to beat that class 1C extra, right?"

At Shinso's name, Amari threw the duffle bag aside. "Yeah, but why are we here?"

Frowning, Bakugo stepping closer into the training ring before lifting his arms out in a challenge. "No sister of mine is going to flat out embarrass me during this tournament."

Amari thought about his words for a moment before connecting the pieces in a gasp. Was he trying to help her? "Wait, you wanna train together?"

But Bakugo only scoffed again, shaking his head. "As if, last time we fought you pussyed out so I want you to use all your power on me this time."

Thinking back to the combat training exercises, she didn't understand where he was coming from. She had used everything within her to fight him back then. "What do you mean?"

Bakugo looked down at her hand before pointing. "Don't play dumb. The explosion quirk, you have it too, right?"

Her eyes widened at that, not really wanting to bring it up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

But Katsuki was faster, cutting her off. It was obvious he didn't believe her words. "Bullshit. I saw you use it during the USJ fight. Don't lie to me Amari."

Nervously shaking her head, she replied back. "Can we just pretend like you never saw that? It doesn't really matter anyways. I can't use it."

Although Bakugo was not convinced. "And why the hell not? That just seems like an excuse to me."

She thought for a moment, not really knowing how to explain this to her brother. But one thing was for sure, Amari needed him to understand why she couldn't.

Putting a hand up, she answered back. "I've never really been able to control them. You saw the USJ fight. If it wasn't for my protective shields, you would've been hit with the impact as well."

Bakugo remembered that very clearly. It was a day he'd like to forget to be completely honest. Amari's quirk back then was certainly unstable and uncontrolled. That's why Katsuki brought her here in the first place to train. If there was anyone that could show her how to control the explosions, it would be Katsuki.

Crossing his arms across his chest, Bakugo took a step further in inspection. "What is your trigger for them?"

Everyone had a trigger to active their quirk, something that they could think about or feel in order for the strength to increase or lessen.

Amari's face fell at that, feeling suddenly self conscious. "It usually manifests under a heightened state of emotions, usually like anger or stress. Anger mostly though is what triggers it the strongest."

But before he couldn't answer back, she spoke again, this time slightly pleading. "Let's just say that I've been suppressing a lot of emotions and things over the years, pushing them down into myself and if I pop the top off that lid, who knows what could happen. So that's why I try to stay away from those kinds of feelings."

She hoped Bakugo would have understood after that, choosing to respect her decision and back away from this, but unfortunately, that was not her brother. "All I'm hearing is some damn excuses. Quit being such a coward and use your full strength."

Amari shook her head at that, clearly annoyed. "No, you don't understand…"

But Bakugo just cut her off, clearly over her explanations. "Oh I do. You are being a damn coward Amari. If we are going to go against each other again, you better not pull this kind of crap! I don't want your half assed feelings!"

She frowned as Bakugo, shook his head in annoyance, already walking away from her. "I don't even know why I'm wasting my time on someone who isn't serious."

At the word serious, something snapped inside Amari. What was with that freaking word? It seemed like everyone was saying it to her today. She wasn't serious? What a joke..

Bakugo moved towards the door when suddenly he was stopped by the gold wall, blocking his path from exiting. "The hell…?"

That's when he heard her voice behind him, low and quiet. "You can call me anything you want Katsuki, but don't you EVER say that I'm not serious."

He turned around only to find her eyes burning more than ever before. There was a new and frightening aura around her now.

Bringing her hands forwards in exasperation, Amari spoke darkly. "What the hell is wrong with everyone today? First Shinso, then Todoroki and now do I have to do to prove that I'm serious? Do I have to cut out my own damn heart for you to finally believe me? Huh?"

Bakugo watched as her palms sparked to life just then, small lights gracing her palm. Her emotions were increasing by the second, maybe a little too fast. "Amari.."

But she only shook her head, feeling the unkempt rage build up in her stomach from the last couple days. "Not serious? What a fucking joke. Do you even understand what I had to do to get here, what I had to live through? And yet I'm the one that is pushed aside all the damn time, like I don't even matter!"

Feeling slightly, worried for her, Bakugo put his arm up only for her to run at him, palms extend in a blinding absolute rage. "Hey, calm down.."

Yet Amari was too far gone, throwing a punch at him and letting a small explosion hit the ground next to her. She found his words funny for some reason. "Calm down? I thought you wanted to see me like this Katsuki! You wanted me to not be coward. So here I am! This is who I am, a god damn trainwreck!"

Katsuki dodged her punch only for another one to come straight down above him. Her fighting, it was erratic and sloppy. Bakugo soon realized that Amari was right. She couldn't control herself like this. He shouldn't have pushed her this hard. "Damn it Amari!"

He let off a large explosion next to her shoulder, causing her to hiss and let go in anger. "What? Am I still not being serious enough for you? Am I still too small to be taken seriously Katsuki?"

Cursing, he threw himself in the air before landing behind her and surprising his sister with a surprise attack from behind. "Die!"

Letting off an explosion, Amari flew back a couple feet, groaning as she hit the ground. Bakugo thought it was over then, well that was until she stood back up. "You think I'd give up that easily?"

Amari's hand lit up then as she blindly threw punches and explosions in Bakugo's path, now far too blinded by her own rage to think logically. "What do I have to do to show you, to show everyone that I belong here?! Why can't they acknowledge me as a threat?!"

He dodged them easily, noticing her losing control of her quirk quickly. Amari's breath came out a bit faster then, thinking about the day she had before this. "Am I really just a distraction? Do I really not matter? Why can't anyone see that I'm clawing my way into this life, even if it god damn kills me!"

Tears appeared on the face then, as she cried out. "I don't understand. What am I doing wrong? How can I get them to recognize me? That's all I want…"

Unable to hold back the rush of emotions crashing into her, Amari stopped her punches then, just putting a hand to her mouth and trying to stop a sob. "I can't...I can't…."

Falling to her knees, Bakugo watched her in fear before racing up to her, thinking she was hurt in someway. "Hey…"

But she just shook her head, her voice coming out scratchy and hurt. "I'm sorry Katsuki. I can't stop it. It just won't stop. I don't know what to do.."

It was obvious that she couldn't control her explosions, or the feelings that came over her during the process. It was heartbreaking to watch her breakdown like this, unsure of what to do.

Bakugo stared at her for a moment, not really good with tears and put a hand on her shoulder, supporting her silently. "Sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you."

Shaking her head, Amari grabbed onto her brothers shirt and let the devastational wave wash over her slowly. Once she had calmed down a bit Bakugo knew what he had to do. He had to help her. "I'll show you how to control it."

Amari nodded her head weakly, looking up to meet him. "Really? But I don't know if I can."

Although Katsuki only shrugged, extending his hand to help her up. "Of course you can. You're a Bakugo after all."

* * *

Omg this was so flipping long. It took all day to write it. I hope you liked it though. Poor Amari, because of her size people don't take her seriously. Bakugo has to pick up the pieces now. Also poor Todoroki is stressed out about his father and the sports festival. You know what that means. We got worst father coming soon.

Next Chapter: First challenge of the sports festival.


	17. S2 Chapter 5

Letting her palms light up with sparks, Amari aimed her fist at Katsuki's head as he easily side stepped to the left, blocking her punch. Her brow was layered with sweat but she couldn't hardly feel it with all the heat and pressure in her stomach.

He grabbed her arm quickly put she was able to wiggle out of his grasp, burning with him gold matter as he hissed in response.

Amari smirked, thinking she had won when her brother came barreling towards her again. She readied her stance and tried to achor her body to stop the attack. The problem was, her body was too small.

Because of that, he easily tossed her aside, grabbing her by the shirt throwing her down into the training mats.

She groaned, feeling a pain in her body as Bakugo stood above her with his arms crossed. "I kept trying to tell you, you can't win by strength, so stop trying already, use your head. And your explosions are still too damn weak, put some force behind them!"

Rolling onto her back, Amari took a look at her hands before sighing. They had been at this for about a week but nothing had changed. "It's no use Katsuki. My explosion quirk just isn't strong enough."

Although he didn't seemed pleased, replying. "You are still trying to hold back and that will get you nowhere brat. Stop being so scared already."

He had a point, but she couldn't help but be scared to use that side of her. It brought out so many terrible feelings and emotions from within her. She didn't want to show him that side of her again.

Putting her hand to her face, Amari groaned. "That's easier said than done."

Bakugo raised a brow at that, obviously challenging her. "Is that quitting I hear?"

At the word, his sister frowned, already getting off the floor and staring at him with intensity. "Of course not. Let's go again."

Katsuki smirked at her compliance. Just mentioning the idea of giving up was like a trigger to her. It seemed she didn't even know what that word was. That could be why she kept pushing herself the past couple days to learn her explosions. It was admirable to say the least. Bakugo was kinda impressed.

He picked up his water bottle next to him before throwing another in her direction. She looked really exhausted. It was worrying to him. "Drink first, idiot."

Amari accepted the water and unscrewed the top, watching her brother take a huge gulp. There was something that she was curious about and it seemed now was a good time to ask. "Hey Katsuki, I've been meaning to ask this, but why did you offer to help me? I thought you wanted me to drop out of U.A."

Bakugo put the water down and thought about it for a moment, although the only thing he could think about was that terrible USJ incident. It wasn't that he didn't want her here, he just didn't want her to get hurt anymore.

Shrugging his shoulders, Bakugo replied. "Don't be delusional. I still want you out of U.A."

Amari's face fell at that, casting her eyes away from her brothers. Maybe nothing had changed between them. "Oh.."

At her tone, Katsuki sighed, trying to clean up with words by continuing. "I still don't think you can become a hero or anything like that, but if you are going to try anyways, then I'd rather not have you embarrass me in front of the entire country."

His words, as rough as they were, felt like a tiny sliver of hope to Amari. It was like he was accepting her to be at U.A., regardless of what he wanted. It was a start.

Taking a sip of her water, Amari couldn't help but smile. "I'll try not to embarrass you."

Bakugo only nodded at that, feeling a tiny bit better at the idea of training her. Then maybe he could make sure she'd be okay. "You better not! Then I would have just been wasting my damn time here."

* * *

After a few more days, it was finally time for the sports festival. Thousands upon thousands of people tuned in just to see what the U.A. students had in store this year. Most were interested in the first years though, as they were the ones that fought those villains head on. Needless to say, everyone was quite excited.

Even the students themselves were energized, everyone turning as Bakugo and Amari entered the waiting rooms with their training uniforms. "Good morning Amari-chan, Kacchan!"

Bakugo just shoved past them but Amari stopped to give Deku a quick wave. "Good morning Midoryia. Are you excited about the sports festival?"

Deku nodded his head nervously and she could tell he was already shaking slightly. "Oh,uh yeah! I'm just a little nervous that's all."

Amari only smiled at that, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, you got this Midoriya. You also dreamed about being here for a while, right? Let's show them together!"

Deku felt strangely at ease with her words, smiling back. "Thanks Amari-chan."

She nodded her head only to have Bakugo shout across from them. "Don't get your hopes up! I'm still going to mop the floor with you, you damn nerd!"

Deku and Amari's face couldn't help but fall at that, the girl just laughing silently. "That's Katsuki for you. Don't worry about him. You'll be great."

He tried to forget about Kacchan's words when the door opened again, this time Todoroki entering the space. Deku's eyes caught onto Amari's and he couldn't help but notice her staring at him, a saddened expression now on her face.

Todoroki walked past them without saying a word, obviously focused for the competition ahead. Deku couldn't help but call Amari out on her actions though. "Amari-chan, why don't you go wish him luck?"

Breaking eye contact with him, she turned back to Deku before smiling nervously. "I don't think he wants to talk to me right now."

As if on cue, his voice echoed right behind her. It was low and quiet, causing her entire body to freeze. When was the last time they had talked? "Amari…"

She turned around and found herself staring at his two tone eyes. He looked so serious and cold. His stare was also so distant, almost like he didn't know her. "From watching you fight, I believe I'm the stronger of us two. I already told you before, I will not lose this tournament."

His robotic tone wasn't lost on everyone, especially Amari. He acted like she was a stranger, like they had never actually been friends. "And I already told you Todoroki, that you will never be my enemy."

Todoroki just replied plainly. "Then that is a foolish way of thinking, because you are mine."

His words stung her but Amari tried to cover it up quickly, instead taking a challenging step forward and frowning. "The only one that's being foolish is you."

The room felt like it had dropped in temperature and the rest of the class couldn't help but notice it. What was up with those two? Why were they acting so cold to one another?

Deku couldn't take the atmosphere and decided to call them out on it. "Hey, what happened to you two? I thought you guys were friends…"

Todoroki's eyes dropped at the word, trying to think about the meaning. He didn't have time to think about that right now. He had to prove himself. "There is no such thing as friends on the battlefield."

Amari's eyes widened in shock for a moment before letting her gaze fall away. She couldn't believe he was willing to dismiss their friendship just like that. Fine, if that was the game he wanted to play, then she was happy to oblige.

Taking another step forward, Amari's gaze locked onto his and Todoroki could feel the overwhelming passion coming from her all of a sudden, like she was really serious. "You're wrong about that Todoroki, but if you really feel that way right now, then I'll just have to show you how wrong you are. So, I guess it looks like I can't really lose either."

He felt himself falter at that, only for Ida to enter the room, obviously not noticing the atmosphere. "Already everyone! It's time to take your places! Opening ceremonies have started!"

Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief now that the thick air was cleared, Todoroki just turning around the walking out of the room without another word to Amari.

She shook her head in frustration at his words, wondering what kind of hidden meaning they had. Todoroki seemed off. There was definitely something bothering him about this whole sports festival and she was determined to find out just exactly what it was.

* * *

The crowds cheered in excitement as the first year students entered the field, all of them now fully feeling the weight of the situation with the thousands of onlookers. This was a very important day to prove themselves to the world. It was also important not to mess it up.

Amari stood next to her brother and she could already feel the piercing stares and glares from the other members of the different classes. It seemed her quarrel with Shinso had reached across the school. Lucky her.

The crowds stopped when Midnight stepped on stage, in all her scandalous and revealing fashion, throwing her arms up excitedly. "Welcome Class 1! Now it is time for the player pledge! Representing the first years is Bakugo Katsuki!"

Everyone fell silent, as Bakugo moved towards the stage and all anyone could think about was the idea that hopefully he wouldn't take it too far. Amari herself had already offered to give him pointers on the speech but Katsuki was so stubborn, she wasn't sure if he would listen.

The other classes grumbled at the idea of a class 1A representative, listening to what Bakugo had to say. "I pledge…"

Amari squeezed her hands in front of her, remembering her tips her gave him. _Come on Katsuki, you can do this._

Bakugo just let out a breath, as he continued with his speak. "...that I'll be number one."

Almost at once, the rest of the classes started boo-ing him along with everyone in Class 1A. Amari just put her head in her hands in disappointment at his words. Great, now everyone hated them

He exited the stage and stood back next to Amari, only to have her whispering harshly in his direction. "Katsuki, what about the notes!?"

But he only rolled his eyes, scoffing at the very idea. "I don't need any damn notes, and I don't need any help from you brat. All I know is that I'm going to be number one!"

Amari frowned at his response, knowing that there was no getting through to him when he was like this. Bakugo was too far in the zone now.

Just then, Midnight perked back up, pointing to the giant scoreboard around her. "Now, our first game will be, the obstacle race!"

Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed around her as she continued. "The goal will be to cross the finish line! You can do whatever you want as long as you stay on the course. Now, get to your positions everyone!"

A large gate opened up next to them and the entire class moved to the start line, already eager to get this tournament started.

Amari took in a breath of encouragement before taking the box pills out of her side pocket and emptying three of them into her hand.

Todoroki's eyes couldn't help but glance to her, know feeling a tiny bit of anxiety in his stomach. She usually took one pill before activating her quirk, why was she taking three now? He couldn't help but think the worst, recalling the USJ incident. Was she still sick and just hadn't said anything?

Moving towards her, his hand grasped onto her arm before she was able to take the pills, speaking in confusion and fear. "Why are you taking three? Don't you only need one to activate your quirk?"

She looked down it his arm for a moment before shaking him off and taking the medicine quickly. Oh, so now he wanted to talk to her? Funny. "I'm sorry, I thought I was your enemy?"

Her words processed in his mind for a couple moments before Midnights voice shook him out of it. "Alright, the countdown will begin!"

Todoroki then forced himself to move back towards the certain, trying to ignore what he just saw. He didn't have time to worry about Amari right now. This was what he was training for, this was his chance. She seemed fine so that would have to get him through right now. Todoroki then decided that he would ask her about the pills after the tournament

Suddenly the buzzer rang and everyone took off running all at once, blocking the entrance way and pushing against each other aggressively.

Amari didn't have it easy in the slightest, getting punched and shoved by all of the students. Unfortunately for her, she was perfect elbow height which meant that she was getting pummeled right away.

Thinking of a strategy, she couldn't help but notice Todoroki throw a sheet of ice onto the floor, causing everyone to stick together against the freezing temperatures.

She lost sight of him, only to see Bakugo blast his way past her as well, his explosions carrying him above the ice. This wasn't good, they were beating her already.

Focusing her power, the gold matter started to cover her feet, allowing the ice to melt off of her so she was able to run past the other students who were still stuck. Nice try Todoroki.

Racing around the corner, she caught his two tone hair and smirked, lifting her hand up to create a barrier right in front of him, forcing him to stop. Todoroki noticed this just in time and was able to avoid being hit, now turning around to Amari.

As she caught up to him, Amari replied. "Did you really think you could lose me that fast, tomato boy? Think again."

He only frowned at his failed attempt. "You were faster than I expected.."

She just smirked at that, taking the small victory. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Todoroki sighed when he noticed fast movements right behind Amari. He gasped and put a hand forward, calling out to her loudly. "Amari, look out!"

She blinked in surprise as a long mechanical arm aimed for her body before smacking hard onto the floor. Because of his warning, Amari was able to put up a protective coating before it hit her.

Breathing heavily, they turned to find about a dozen enormous robots blocking their path. "Well, that's not good.."

By this time, everyone had caught up to them, gasping at the sight. "Those are the 0 point villains from the entrance exam.."

This was news to both Todoroki and Amari who didn't have to take the exam, only staring at them in shock. "This is what the entrance exam students had to fight? Rough."

But Todoroki wasn't listening, instead letting his arms fill with ice as his foot did the same. "I can't afford to take it easy, especially since my stupid old man is watching."

Then he aimed his powers towards the ground, causing the entire area to cover with ice and frost. It traveled up with robots one by one, freezing them into one spot entirely.

Amari couldn't help but gap at the move. He did all of that in one motion? That was absolutely insane. Just the idea made her mind numb. He really was the coolest. "Amazing.."

Todoroki must of heard her because he paused for a moment before running in between the machines and out of sight.

Trying to shake off the shock, she Amari burst back to life, trying to follow him when the ice started to crack and break around them.

She heard Todoroki's voice from the distance, calling back to her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I froze them when they were unbalanced so they'll fall over."

As if on cue, the machines started to crumble and break apart, Amari gasping at the action and replying back to him in frustration. "Todoroki, you jerk!"

She couldn't see him, but the boy couldn't help but smile at that, thinking about her words. _Sorry Amari._

Amari dodged one of the machines, putting up a protective coating before the other could hit her. This was going to be harder than she thought.

A scream echoed behind her and she froze when she noticed one of the falling debris about to crash into a class 1H student.

Without thinking, Amari raced up in front of them and placed a shield towards the sky, resulting in the derby bouncing off and just barely missing them. "Are you okay?"

The student nodded their head only to find another robot blocking her pathway. She played the strategies in her head carefully one by one. It would be easier to use her explosion quirk on these robots but Amari wasn't sure if she could control it still. She was just too scared to try right now, especially in front of so many people.

Shaking her head, Amari decided what she was going to do, stepping out in front of three robots before taking a breath. She couldn't think about that now. Who knows how far Todoroki was. "Time to get serious, I suppose."

Everyone then watched as the girls eyes lit up in a sharp crimson, a gold circle now surrounding her feet. Amari then lifted her hand up and three more circles appeared around each of the robots.

Pointing her fingers, the gold matter started to surround the robots, trapping them in a protective dome, all at once, shocking the rest of the students.

Amari then smirked as she closed her fists, watching the robots sizzle and pop under the pressure of the dome, cracking and breaking into tiny little pieces as the space grew smaller and smaller until they were touching the ground.

Releasing her hands, Amari quickly dodged in between the pieces but was caught by another machine, blocking her way.

It's arm flew down at her and she tried to cover herself when a loud explosion was heard overhead. "DIE!"

Blinking twice she found Bakugo blowing a hole on the top of the machine, allowing her to pass. She didn't know if that was on accident or on purpose but she thanked him anyways. "Thanks Katsuki!"

She put her hand up in a salute which caused him to growl. "I didn't do it for you, idiot! Just get out of my way!"

Well that confirmed it, definitely a mistake. She appreciated the action though regardless. "Sorry, I can't do that."

Then she dodged under the last robot as it was falling, already running to the next obstacle. She could hear her brothers shouting and cursing from all the way back here. It was kind of amusing.

* * *

Reaching the second obstacle, Amari looked over the vast area around her. It seemed to be a gorge of some sort with various ropes leading to the exit. Had they really expected them to climb across these things? The sports festival was seriously no joke.

Amari's eyes narrowed, thinking about her solutions. Unfortunately, her quirk wouldn't do her any good here. She would just have to crawl across the old fashion way and hope it wouldn't take forever.

Taking a step forward, she paused when a very familiar and annoying voice echoed to her right. "What? Are you getting cold feet all of a sudden?"

She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "Shih tzu, don't you have better things to do then heckle me?"

But Shinso just crossed his arms around himself, staring at the gorge ahead of them. "Oh don't mind me, continue doing what you were doing."

Amari eyed his movements strangely. It was like he wasn't even trying to win. After all that high and mighty talk she expected him to be serious but this, she hadn't expected this.

Rolling her eyes, she quickly chose to ignore him and grabbed onto one of the ropes before hoisting her over the edge. This obstacle required intense upper body strength and Amari could already feel it in her body.

She ignored the strain and pushed forward, just focusing on getting across as quickly as possible. She couldn't see Todoroki or Bakugo yet which meant that they were probably on the last challenge already. She couldn't afford to be that far behind.

Shinso watched her struggle across the ropes with interested,eyeing her movements carefully. So she couldn't use her quirk on something like this? "Interesting.."

Amari could see a bunch of other students passing her and rearing close but she focused on the matter at hand. This just wasn't something she could beat them at right now. That would have to wait for later.

Once she was off, Amari brushed off her hands once before running down the pathway that the other students went down. That obstacle had taken more unnecessary time then she wanted.

Turning the corner, she found a couple students and smirked, lifting a hand up to create a golden barrier around them. There was no way she could win by speed or strength but she still had sabotage up her sleeve.

They gasped as she passed them, cursing her name for the barricade although Amari only put a hand up apologetically. "Sorry everyone!"

Once she was a safe distance away, Amari released her barrier and put another one up for every student she passed, allowing her to gain the spot she was in before.

Just ahead of her, she saw a blur of red, white and blonde in the distance and Amari smirked, knowing that she had finally found them. She just needed to get through this minefield first.

It seemed a ton of students were having trouble with it as well, letting their bodies go flying across the air and hitting the ground roughly. Amari would have to avoid that if possible.

She quickly eyed the path before stepping one foot on the soil, allowing her gold matter to cover the floor in a protective coating, now safe from the land mines below her.

Quickly running across the path, she noticed a few students trying to use her path as a shortcut and smirked. "I don't think that's very smart."

Narrowing her eyes, the ground below them suddenly grew in temperature forcing the other students off of her path, now yelping at the scalding heat that now graced their feet. Served them right for trying to cheat.

Now seeing Todoroki and Bakugo reach closer and closer, Amari lifted another arm out, this time aiming it at the two boys who were trying to sabotage each other and smiled. "Did you miss me boys?"

They barely had time to register her voice as a gold barrier appeared around their feet, trapping them in one spot. Bakugo noticed it first, cursing aggressively. "God damn it brat! Stop cheating!"

But she only shrugged, running up to them quickly. "I'm not cheating, I'm just using my skills. Now excuse me, but I have a race to win."

Bakugo began pounding against the barrier in rage as Todoroki caught her back in the distance, placing his hand on the ground and freezing part of her barrier away so he could escape.

He let a sheet of ice fire towards her and Amari just barely registered it, stepping aside and just missing it. Her foot was just almost touching one of the mines now. "Whoa, that was close!"

Amari then watched him race towards her, his hands aimed for her waist before grabbing on and trying to push her over the edge into the mines. Was that jerk really doing what she thought he was doing?

Holding her ground, she spoke back, now slightly annoyed. "Hold on, are you really trying to push me into these mines right now?

Todoroki remained his hold, careful not to touch her arms or else she would have an opening to burn him. This was the main reason he decided to hang out with her that day, well before he found out everything about her. He knew he couldn't be blinded by his heart right now, Todoroki needed to win, and overtaking her with strength was the best option. Based on previously flights he knew that was her weak point.

Answering back plainly, he could see her struggle. "I already told you, I can't lose."

Amari just frowned at that, feeling him push her back another step. He really was trying to blow her up right now. Too bad for him though, she had been training with Katsuki to prevent this kind of thing.

Positioning her foot sideways, she grunted and forced her hands on his chest, before slamming her foot down onto his right foot, hard. "That doesn't mean you have to be rude about it!"

Todoroki was shocked by the action which made his grip loosen a tiny bit, allowing her to push him back towards the mines instead of her.

He regained balance quickly though, forcing his strength on her again. Tdoroki really couldn't underestimate her. He needed to finish this quickly before Bakugo was free.

Pusing her back and a couple feet, Amari hissed and shouted back at him in frustration. "Seriously, what is wrong with you?!"

Todoroki narrowed his eyes but continued when suddenly in a flash of light separated the two, flying in between them. "Get out of my way extras!"

Their eyes refocused onto Bakugo who Todoroki was already fighting, trying to freeze his arms as strong punches barreled towards him.

Amari saw this as her chance and tried to sneak away when a sheet of ice stopped her in her tracks, freezing her foot to the soil. She cursed in response,feeling the temperature drop quickly. He had spotted her, crap.

Focusing her power, the gold matter started to melt the ice when Katsuki came barreling at her in full force. Oh no, this was going to be bad.

Unable to move her foot, Amari ducked under his first attack when suddenly a loud explosion was heard from behind the three challengers.

They all stopped at stared at the ball of light before noticing someone flying above the space, a speck of green caughting their eye.

Bakugo, Todoroki and Amari then all watched as Deku flew past them in a single swoop, taking the first place that they were so desperately fighting for. Amari couldn't help but be proud for him. "Way to go Midoriya."

All at once, Todoroki and Bakugo's ideals switched, now running and focusing on beating Deku. Amari saw this as well and cursed, quickly freeing her foot before joining in on the race. She knew very well that she couldn't beat Bakugo or Todoroki in speed. Just making it to the next round had to be enough right now.

Hearing the crowds cheering, Amari raced passed the finish line only to find that Deku, Todoroki and Bakugo were already there. Fourth place, huh. Not bad. She'd take it for now.

It wasn't like she was trying to win in the first place. Amari could have cared less about that. She just wanted everyone to see that she was serious, and to not embarrass Katsuki, so she was satisfied with that.

Her heart pounded in her chest, now knowing that her pills were wearing off. Ever since the USJ incident, the effects lasted an even shorter amount of time than before. Honestly, Amari was worried what this meant. Did that mean that the pills weren't going to work for her soon? She really needed to take it easy through this next round if she wanted to be in the finals.

Letting out a shaky breath, she eyed Todoroki who looked equally as exhausted and frowned. There was definitely something up with him, but she still just couldn't figure out what it was.

* * *

This took forever to write omg. Next chapter will be the cavalry battle though. Todoroki is kind of a jerk yes but he's got his daddy issues to work through and everything. Luckly Amari isn't taking it.

Also, question for all of you! I know it's not the final round yet but who do you want to see Amari fight in the third round? Shinso obviously because I've been building that up but who else do you want her to go against? Todoroki? Bakugo? Lemme know and I'll see what I can do.


	18. S2 Chapter 6

After the first round, there was a short break, allowing for both the students and the audience to take a breath. Everyone filed into the waiting rooms, thinking about the next challenge ahead, although the only thing Amari could think about was Todoroki.

He entered the room shortly after her, choosing to sit at the table in the corner, not bothering to talk to anyone. When had he become so moody all of a sudden?

Amari then decided she couldn't take it anymore.

Walking over to his bubble, she slammed her hand down on the desk, slightly leaning over the top with her eyes narrowed. It was time to figure out what was up with him. "Let's talk."

His eyes met hers for a moment only before shaking his head. "I don't have time. I have to prepare for the next round."

Amari just frowned at that, watching him stand up, already starting to walk away from her. "Seriously, who spit in your coffee today? I just want to talk."

But he only passed her, completely ignoring her wishes. "I'm sorry."

She saw him leave and a hot and angry frustration build up in her stomach. Why was he pushing her away like this? She thought they were friends.

Thinking for a moment, she realized it was now or never and before he could leave, Amari grabbed onto his hand, stopping his movements. "I'm getting real sick of your apologies Todoroki."

Todoroki looked the hand that was now being held captive by her and sighed. He already lost the first round, he couldn't be so easy going now. "Amari, I don't have time for this."

But this time, Amari was serious, clamping down on his hand and replying. "Then we'll make time."

Then before he could speak out again, she took the opportunity and practically dragged him out of the door before turning the corner so they could be alone. Enough was enough.

Once they were alone, Amari put her hands on her hips, finally letting go of his hand. "Alright, now tell me what the hell is wrong with you? You've been avoiding me the past two weeks and just now you literally tried to blow me up!"

Recalling his actions from the last round, Todoroki did feel bad about his treatment towards her, but what else could he have done? She was his enemy. "It's not about avoiding, and I already told you, I couldn't go easy on an enemy."

Amari's brow ticked in annoyance at those words again. She was getting really sick of it. "You sound like a broken record. I think you and I both know that it isn't just about the sports festival. There is something else going on with you."

Todoroki's mind flashed to his father and he couldn't help but frown. He already promised himself that he wouldn't involve her in this. "There is nothing going on."

But Amari wasn't fooled, getting more frustrated by the second. "Look, it's okay if you don't want to tell me but don't try and push me away because of it."

Saddening her eyes, she took another step forward, reaching her hand out in exasperation.

Her voice grew softer then. "You didn't walk away from me when I needed someone so I'm not leaving you alone either. I know it's none of my business, but is it so bad that I'm worried about you? I know there is something really bothering you, you can't fool me Todoroki."

He listened to her words and immediately felt bad. Todoroki then realized that his actions were probably making him act like he didn't care for her, when in fact it was the opposite.

Unable to lie to her face anymore, Todoroki's eyes fell, trying to dismiss his feelings. "It's not something you need to be worried about. You already have so much to deal with."

Amari face grew slack, finally understanding why he was pushing her away. He didn't want to burden her. Maybe Todoroki didn't hate her after all.

Showing her response, Amari carefully grasped his hand before smiling softly. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not burdened by this. You can tell me anything, and I'll listen.

Amari remembered the words in her mind somewhere, like she had heard them before. Todoroki on the other hand recognized them immediately. What she just said were the same exact words he used on her birthday when she was drunk.

Todoroki focused on those words, suddenly wanting to pour out all of his fears and worries to her. The warmth of her hand felt safe and inviting, like he could finally relax for a moment.

Then staring back into her eyes, Todoroki remembered the terrible USJ incident and everything she had to go through. Did he really want to push all of his problems on her knowing that she had an even deeper weight on her shoulders? It seemed selfish to do so, no matter how comfortable he felt right now. He couldn't do that to her.

Tearing his gaze away from her, Todoroki ripped his hand out of hers, feeling a cold chill now overtake his body. His voice then came out low and plain, just like how he was in the waiting room. "There is no reason for you to be concerned with me. It will only add more distractions."

Amari felt her heart drop in her chest at his rejection, seeing that he now clearly wasn't going to tell her anything. "What…?"

But he just turned away, trying to get those terrible feelings out of his head. He couldn't do this right now. "I have to go.."

He started to walk away then and Amari let her eyes fall. Maybe it was a mistake to push him so hard? Maybe they weren't the kind of friends she thought they were.

Balling her hands in a tight fist, she suddenly felt that same fire in her chest rise up again. No, Amari couldn't accept this, she wouldn't. Even if he ended up hating her Amari knew that she needed to help him somehow.

She took a step forward and called back to him, causing the boy to stop in his tracks. "Bullshit. I don't believe it. If anyone knows how to shut down and push people away it's me, so don't even try to use those tactics on me, you jerk!"

Turning around in confusion, he was surprised to see her only a couple feet away now. "Amari.."

But she wasn't having it, blinded by her own rage. Call it a Bakugo trait. "No, you don't get to "Amari" me Todoroki! I'm not going to let you run away from this! You know what, you're right, I do have way too much to worry about, and it's all your fault for not telling me anything, stupid. Do you really not trust me that much?"

His eyes fell at that. "That's not it at all…"

His response only pushed her even more though, now practically shouting across the hallways. "Then why? What is wrong with you? Why are you so afraid and stressed out? What is it with this sports festival?"

Todoroki opened his mouth to shut her down when another voice entered the space then, it was loud and booming, causing the entire room to hush. "Shoto, what are you doing?"

Amari felt the presence behind her and slowly turned around only to see Todoroki's father looking over her in absolute power. "Endeavor.."

Todoroki stance turned cold immediately, almost like he was an entirely different person, a person that Amari couldn't recognize. "What I do is none of your business."

Endeavor just narrowed his eyes in response. "It is when you are messing around out there. You are acting disgracefully Shoto, and here I find you still not taking this seriously."

A chill flew through the air as Todoroki hissed back. "I am taking it seriously."

But his father wasn't convinced, his eyes now scanning to Amari in disgust. "Obviously you aren't. If you simply used your power in your left side, then you would of had an overwhelming victory in the first round, and yet you still choose to act like an unruly child."

His tone was harsh and rough, causing Amari to stay silent. Left side? Now that she mentioned it, she never really saw Todoroki use his fire quirk. Maybe there was a reason for it.

Todoroki remained silent when Endeavor finally noticed Amari, looking down at her size. "You, you're the one in the second recommended spot. Shoto, why are you socializing with the enemy instead of training for the second round?"

Amari didn't like the way he was speaking to Todoroki, son or not he was being rude. "Actually, we are friends."

His father took in her words for a moment giving a hardy and mocking laugh. "Oh now I see what you're doing at that school, you are distracting yourself with these friends instead of training."

Her eyes widened at his words. He was accusing her of distracting Todoroki. Was this really the kind of person he had to live with?

Opening her mouth, she was surprised when Todoroki answered first. He didn't seem pleased either. "Don't be mistaken. I will still win first place and reject you with everything I have."

Endeavor only sighed at this, feeling disappointed. "It seems you still haven't changed Shoto. You'll learn soon enough that you can't reject that part of you. It's only a matter of time."

Then he turned around to leave but not before glancing towards Amari and smirking. "Well, at least you won't have that much competition."

Her face flushed with anger as he left without another word, just leaving the girl internally seething. That man's intensity was far more than Todoroki's. At least now she knew where he got it from.

Amari turned back to Todorkoi to mention something about it when she saw his face. It was an expression she had never seen him wear before. In fact, it was something she had never seen on anyone before. The aura in the room was unmistakable. This was pure and raw hatred.

Feeling herself wanting to shrink away from the intensity, Amari pushed against the idea, for him. It looked like he really needed her right now. "Todoroki, are you okay?"

His voice entered low and angry, hissing on every word. "I hate him."

Balling his hands into a fist, Amari started to connect all the pieces one by one. Was this why he was pushing her away? Was it something to do with his father?

She thought for a moment before walking up to him slowly, like he was an injured animal, placing a light hand on his own. "Tell me. It's okay, I'll listen."

Todorki felt her warmth seep into him them, giving him courage. He knew it the back of his mind that he still didn't want to burden her, but Todoroki also couldn't help but give in to the comfort he felt around her. Maybe it was selfish, but he needed to get it out.

Looking down at the floor, the boy tried to contain his rage. "My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world. When he realized he couldn't pass All Might, he moved on to his next plan. You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"

Amari recalled the term but wasn't familiar with it, shaking her head.

At her response, Todoroki replied. "There are some that only marry with the sole intention of strengthening their own quirk and passing it down to their children, forcing people into marriage. It's less common today but still used sometimes."

His eyes turned cold then, locking his gaze with hers. "The only reason I was born was to be used as a tool to surpass All Might and I refuse to become something like that."

Amari's eyes couldn't help but widened at his words. His father forcibly married his mother just to steal her quirk and create a child as a weapon? The idea itself was disgusting and cruel. Of course Todoroki wouldn't want something like that. That was horrible.

Todoroki must of noticed her shock because he let go of her hand then, lightly brushing his scar with his fingertips. "In my memories, I always remember my mother crying. She would always tell me that I looked too much like my old man, that my left side was unsightly, and one day she said it while pouring boiling water onto me."

Amari's face dropped in utter shock and horror at his words. Who would do something like that to their child? What other painful memories had this boy had to live through? Amari wasn't sure if she wanted to know anymore.

His hand fell from his face then, the intensity in the air unmistakable. "So I've decided that I'll reject him completely by winning first place without my left side. That's why I can't afford to lose."

He stopped speaking then and waited for a response. Todoroki honestly didn't know how Amari would react. Would she yell at him for being stupid, smile and make a joke or would she walk away completely? It was a mystery to him. Frankly, he wouldn't have blamed her if she did run away after hearing everything.

Todoroki watched her face, still sullen in shock as he sighed internally. This might of been too much for her. He shouldn't have told her.

Blinking once, he froze when Todoroki started to notice a single line of tears leak from her eyes, pouring in a straight, single line down to the ground. Her face still remained the same although her tears were thick and sad.

He called out to her, now concerned he may have hurt her somehow. "Amari..?"

His words seemed to snap her back to life, and before he could think, Amari was wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pushing him onto her firmly.

The hold was sudden and Todoroki didn't know how to take it, calling her name again. "Amari?"

But she just tightened her hold on his shoulder, her breath tickling his ear slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't understand."

He felt her body shake slightly underneath him, now knowing that she was crying silently into his sleeve. Why was she crying for him? He didn't deserve anything like that.

Todoroki breathed in her scent and couldn't help but relax at the intake of her breath. When was the last time anyone held him like this, cared for him like this? He couldn't really remember.

Feeling his own hands twitch, Todoroki slowly lifted them up and accepted her embrace, his fingertips lightly touching her back before fully pressing them onto her body. For the first time in his life, he felt at peace, like the sport festival and his father didn't matter anymore.

Amari's heart hammered in her chest at the contact as they separated after what had seemed like hours. She couldn't help but meet his two toned stare and feel that hypnotizing pull again, just like in her dream.

Without thinking, her hand lightly brushed against his scar, his trauma, and held in a breath of anxiety. This boy, he was so strong, so brave and fearless. He was truly amazing.

Todoroki closed his eyes at the action but didn't pull away for some reason, causing Amari to reach even closer, her gaze traveling to his lips.

That dream flashed in her mind again and in her foggy haze of bliss, Amari wanted to test the feeling again, to see if it was the same as that imaginary moment.

She closed her eyes and reached closer, now feeling his breath on her face.

Suddenly, Present Mic spoke loudly in the speaker, causing Amari to break out of her delusions. "Alright everyone! It's time for the second round. Everyone please make your way to the field!"

Todoroki detached from her at the noise, now seemingly acting like nothing had happened. "We should go."

She just nodded her head blankly, putting a hand to her head. "Yeah, I'll be right there. I just have to go talk to Katsuki really quick."

He seemed fooled by her lie and put his hand up in response, now leaving her alone in the hallway.

Once he was gone, Amari's hand immediately touched her lips gasped. Oh my god, had she just tried to kiss him? No, no impossible. What kind of weird reflex was that?!

Her mind began running a million miles per second, shaking her head and reeling from the moment. No, she told herself she wouldn't admit she had feelings for Todoroki. She couldn't. No, it was impossible.

Feeling her breathing lower, Amari just remained in absolute shock. This couldn't be. No, she told herself not to fall for him. She was already going to die. It was pointless to fall in love. It wouldn't even mean anything in the end and she would destroy Todoroki, giving them hope when there was none. She couldn't do that to him.

Amari's legs started to feel numb then, her crumbling to the floor in the devastating realization. Who was she kidding? It was already too late. She already loved him. How terrible was that? He had already done so much for her, and now she was utterly and completely too far gone. What was she going to do now? She couldn't destroy him like that….

Shinso appeared from the hallway then, on his way towards the arena when he caught Amari sitting in the middle of the floor, eyeing her curiously.

Strolling up to her, he smirked. "What, are you feeling the pressure finally?"

But as he focused on her face, Shinso couldn't help but drop his smile. She looked frozen stiff while her face was beat and bright red. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

And yet Amari didn't make any move, instead just holding two fingers up to her lips in utter and complete shock at the realization that she had concluded.

* * *

Short but cute fluff. Decided to break these chapters up cause the next one will be the Shinso X Amari fight and all the drama that comes with that. Also oh boy, finally realizes she likes Todoroki. Took long enough heh. Wonder how that will go?

Poor Amari can't even think about her own happiness because she already knows she isn't gonna live forever.

Next Chapter: Shinso X Amari fight and we see how she deals with that sudden realization now that she knows she likes him.


	19. S2 Chapter 7

Because of Amari's new found realization, she found it hard to focus during the second event, her mind still clouded with the terrible truth. Because of that she barely scraped by in the cavalry battle, making it to the next round. What the hell was wrong with her? She needed to straighten up, and quickly.

Katsuki seemed to notice this also and stomped up to her in anger. She clearly wasn't trying her best in that last round. "Hey brat, what is wrong with you? I told you not to embarrass me, didn't I?"

She looked over to the crowds at these words, putting her head down in shame. He was right, she was being disgraceful. "I know, I'm sorry Katsuki."

He took in her sullen expression and a wave of dread overtook him. That terrible USJ memory flashed back and Katsuki was afraid that she pushed herself again. "Ah hell, wait you aren't sick are you?"

Amari turned her brow in confusion only to have him grab her roughly, already trying to push her off the field. "You are withdrawing, now."

Her eyes widened at this, knowing he clearly wasn't understanding. "Wait, hold on. I'm fine. Stop overreacting. It isn't about that."

Bakugo stopped then, still unsure about her words. She wasn't lying to him just to keep going, right? That sounded like something he would do.

But Amari made his decision for him, wiggling out of her brothers grip and turning back towards her classmates.

Before she left though, Bakugo could hear her voice echo through him, determined but sad. "I'm sorry. I'll try harder."

Todoroki watched her movements from afar and couldn't help but feel partly responsible for her poor performance. She must have really been affected by his past and it was somehow getting to her. He knew it had to apologize to her the next time they spoke.

* * *

The third round started and everyone was surprised to learn that the last event would be duel matches. Amari kinda figured she would have to do that at some point. Just straight hand to quirk combat. It would be difficult but she also knew that she couldn't disgrace herself any further, especially in front of her brother.

A voice sounded above the crowd then, Present Mic speaking louder than ever. "Alright! The first round will be between Shinso Hitoshi and Bakugo Amari. Everyone, get to your places!"

Amari's eyes dropped at her name, now knowing who she would be fighting. That purple haired weirdo was going to regret ever underestimating her.

She knew she would have to forget everything about her and Todoroki for now in order to focus on what was actually important, beating him.

Moving towards the center, she saw him scan his competition before turning away. "Did you finally pull yourself together? It's not too late to run away."

Just eyeing him with disgust, she flipped her hair over her shoulder before scoffing. "I think that's my line. You really want to be beat by a shorty like me in front of the entire country?"

But Shinso just found her words funny. "Just watch, I'm going to take that hero spot right from under your nose."

Amari rolled her eyes in response as they moved to the opposite sides of the ring, Present Mics voice returning. "Alright, the rules are simple. All you have to do is either force your opponent out of bounds or cause them to give up."

Baukgo overlooked the match from his seat and couldn't help but smirk and Present Mics words. Amari giving up? Yeah right, like that would ever happen. Shinso would have his work cut out for him if that was the case.

Glancing at the timer, Amari took out three pills from her back pocket before popping them in her mouth, much to Shinso's was she taking pills? Where they some kind of quirk enhancer? "Oh, so you're already cheating then?"

But she wasn't bothered in the slightest, just remaining silent and letting out an anxious breath. She could do this. Regardless of what his quirk was, she could beat him. She had to.

The buzzer rang loudly and they two challengers just remained still, trying to figure out what each other's moves would be.

Shinso put his hands in his pockets then, trying to egg her on as much as possible. "What, are you too scared to attack shorty?"

Amari's eyes narrowed but didn't speak, causing Shinso to frown. He needed to get her to talk in order for him to win. "And here I thought this round was going to be difficult. What are you waiting for short stuff? Come over here so I can beat you…"

But once again, she didn't move or speak, just stared at him blankly. He then realized that this was going to be way harder than he thought.

Recalling their interactions, Shinso tried to think of something to break her serious shell. She was always so explosive and loud when they were together. There had to be something that would trigger her anger.

Just then, his eyes caught onto Bakugo's and Shinso smiled. He had it. That girl was always so interested in her brother. "Don't you know that you're precious brother would be ashamed of you right now? Refusing to fight, he would think that's cowardly, right?"

Amari's eyes widened at her brothers name, feeling a mix of shame and irritation in her throat. Using that word "ashamed", it made her want to scream.

Shinso smirked at her response, knowing that he had already won. "Look at him, watching you be a coward. You want to impress him, don't you?"

Balling her hand into a tight fist, Amari bit her lip, willing herself to stay silent. He was doing this on purpose, she knew it. Although the words seemed to cut into her, filling her with rage. He didn't know anything about their relationship, and yet why was he speaking such truth? She hated it.

He saw her grit her teeth and leaned closer, now giving the final blow. "Honestly you two aren't even remotely alike. Are you even really a Bakugo? Cause to me you just seem like a disappointment."

That was it. That was the breaking point for Amari. She couldn't help the intense frustration, anger and shame that had built up in her throat. How dare he speak the words that she left inside? How dare he voice her biggest insecurities. She didn't want to hear it anymore, she couldn't.

Taking a challenging step forward, Amari glared back at the boy before shouting her response. "Shut up, just shut up!"

Suddenly, Shinso smirked and Amari's body grew lifeless and empty, almost like a corpse. Her eyes became distant and cloudy as well, staring into space.

The entire crowd gasped at the turning point and Bakugo found himself grasping onto the railing in front of him in anxiety. What the hell was she doing?! She was going to lose at this point.

Shinso found it safe to take a step closer then, speaking low and commanding. "Now, walk out of bounds for me."

Just like on command, Amari felt her body turn around and move towards the edge of the arena. Her mind was clouded and the only thing she could think about was Shinso's smooth and alluring words.

She willied for her body to stop or for her voice to ring out but it was no use. Amari felt like a puppet on a string, allowing her master to control her every move, and she hated it.

Eyeing the end of the arena, she interanlly cursed, wondering how she could be so stupid to allow something like this to happen. Was she really going to lose like this, and while Bakugo was watching? She was such a disappointment, just as Shinso said.

Another step forward and Amari thought about all of the training her had to lead her up to this moment. Katsuki had taken time out of his own schedule to do this for her and yet she still was going to lose. It wasn't fair to him.

She was only a couple feet from the end now and Amari felt this new found passion course through her body. No, she wouldn't let something as simple as this defeat her. She just wouldn't.

Willing everything within her to move her body, she noticed that her fingertips were brushing against the side of her leg as she walked. That could be it.

Then instead of forcing the power in her entire body, Amari only focused it into her fingertips, picturing her gold matter swirling in her hands and activating her quirk.

The sensation felt like needles in her body, Amari pushing against the desire to remain still as an uncomfortable weight clouded her mind. No, she could do this. Katsuki told her that she was a Bakugo so that meant that his words could be true.

She felt the heat rise in her fingertips as they brushed against the side of the legs. Slowly, that numb feeling disappeared and Amari noticed her nerves waking up and restarting. She could feel the pain now, burning the side of her leg and sending signals to her brain.

Shinso crossed his arms over his chest, watching Amari walk towards the exit and smirked. That shorty really was all talk. This was a piece of cake.

But he snapped out of his mind when a small sizzling sound entered the space, seeing a small section of her pants being seared off. What the hell was she doing?

The heavy weight grew slightly lighter and Amari tried lifting her arm, feeling the nerves rub against the command and hiss. Her leg wasn't enough. She needed to wake up her entire body.

Shinso's eyes widened, still confused by her actions when he saw her arm shakely begin to rise up ever so slightly. How could she even move after all of that? He was still using his quirk.

Her arm shook intensely, trying to fight against his words when her palms started to glow, activating her quirk just the middle part of her left hand.

He stood in absolute shock,wondering what she was trying to do when the realization hit him. She wouldn't do that, would she? No, that would be insane.

Amari's foot stepped down over the edge of the boundaries and knew that it was now or never. She couldn't hesitate on this. Yes it was reckless but she was sure it would work.

Willing everything she had within her, Amari's quirk glowed even brighter as Shinso gasped, now slightly afraid for what she was about to do. "Wait…!"

Then without even thinking, Amari willful slammed her hand into her stomach, causing her power to burn and sizzle against the chest. Her nerves awakened at the contact and an intense pain filled her stomach, allowing her to grit her teeth.

Leaning over slightly, she felt herself stop moving for the first time and sighed in relief. The pain had shaken her body out of his mind control, allowing it to think about something else rather than his commands. Her idea worked.

She turned around to look at Shinso, causing him to take a step back in fear. No one had ever broken out of his quirk before, mostly because no one was as reckless as her. She just willingly burned herself to win this battle. It was insane. "How did you do that!? You're insane!"

Although he was shaken out of his thoughts when Amari raced towards him then, fist outstretched for an attack. Shinso gasped and stepped aside, knowing he wasn't very good with hand to hand combat.

He blinked for a moment before caughting her eyes and gasping. They were like fireballs. Was this really the same person he had picked on the last couple weeks? She seemed completely different now, it was kind of scary.

Shinso decided to throw a punch as well but Amari was too fast, dunking underneath him and kicking his legs from underneath him. Maybe he had height on his side but she had tricks on hers.

He fell to the mat in surprise as Amari stood over him, a hand now outstretched in his direction. Shinso could now clearly see the blood and burn marks on her stomach and legs, staring at him with absolute intent and passion. "You shouldn't have underestimated me."

Shinso had just enough time to widened his eyes before Amari created a shield in front of him, pushing the boy back and flying him out of the ring.

The buzzer rang and everyone cheered at the signal. They all quickly began gossiping and chatting about the small girl had that pushed herself so far just to win. "Winner, Bakugo Amari passes to the next round!"

Amari huffed out a shaky breath, taking in the crowds and ignoring the excruciating pain in her stomach. She did it. She proved to everyone finally that she was serious. It was such an amazing feeling.

Bakugo let out a breath of his own, this time in anxiety and sighed. "Well how about that, that brat really did it."

He did feel a little concerned about her burns but knew that Recovery Girl would probably be able to fix her up before the next round, so it wasn't a big deal.

Although, he paused when Todoroki slammed his fist on the side of the wall, shaking his head in his own anxiety for some reason. "She's so stupid."

Bakugo wanted to know what that meant but unfortunately, Todoroki was too fast, quickly moving out the door in a single motion. What had gotten him so worked up?

* * *

Walking backstage, she caught Todoroki leaning against one of the walls, his arms crossed over his chest silently and Amari thought that this was a perfect time to talk about the fight, stilling reeling from the excitement of it all. "Todoroki! Did you see the match? I was pretty cool, right?"

He opened her eyes at her presence before grabbing her hand and pulling her away, much to Amari's confusion. "Wait, where are we going?"

Narrowing his eyes, the boy spoke plainly. He seemed upset about something "Infirmary."

Connecting her pieces, she realized that he must have been worried about her. Because of that, she tried to reassure him as quickly as possible, pulling back her hand. "Wait, you don't have to do that. I'm all good, see? Better than ever! Like a little tiny fight is going to bring me down!"

She put her arms up to prove the point, laughing joyfully at her even words, although Todoroki didn't seem swayed by them.

Narrowing his eyes, the boy poked one finger into her stomach which immediately caused Amari to hiss at the overwhelming pain, having to lean against the wall for support.

Still trying to stay convincing, she righted herself up and smiled. "See? All good."

She then realized that her act wasn't going to work and sighed, lifting her hand up so he could grab it again. "Fine. I get it already. Let's go."

Seeming content with this, Todoroki grasped onto her again before walking dragging her to the infirmary.

* * *

When they got there, they both noticed the absence of Recovery Girl. She must of been treating someone else. The sports festival was filled with injured people after all.

Looking around quickly, Amari put a hand up to the back of her head and laughed. "Well it looks like she's not here, oh well. Guess it can't be helped!"

But as she turned around, Amari noticed Todoroki already taking out a medical kit and pointing to the seat next to him. "Sit."

Amari's face fell as she complied, taking her spot next to him. "I'm telling you, it isn't really that bad. Just a little burn."

But once again, Todoroki wasn't convinced, forcing her to lift up her shirt halfway to see her stomach. He didn't understand why she was being so calm about all of this. That burn looked really serious.

Amari blushed lightly as he grabbed a cotton ball just to him and sighed. "Why are you always so reckless? You know that Recovery Girl isn't able to heal you."

She casted her eyes away from him as the cold antiseptic touched her skin, bringing her to kiss at the contact. "I know, but Shinso's quirk was no joke. I couldn't have won otherwise. It's okay, I can handle it. I've had worse."

Her words didn't bring him any comfort though. "That's just it. You always seem to do this to yourself."

Amari found his words funny for some reason, laughing lightly. "Says the boy that almost pushed me into a bunch of explosives a couple hours ago."

Todoroki just shook his head at that, still feeling partly responsible. "You don't understand. When will you realize that doing these kinds of things makes me even more worried about you?"

Her cheeks flushed at that, turning to him in question. "Wait, you are worried about me?"

He nodded his head in response. "Of course I am. You always seem to run headfirst into danger. You really are like Bakugo in that respect."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that. Being compared to her brother made her strangely happy. "Yeah, call it a negative trait of mine."

Throwing the cotton ball in the trash silently, he sighed. "I suppose this is what I agreed to in the first place. Please, just try to be careful from now on, okay?"

She nodded her head and felt that familiar humming in the back of her chest once more. Now that she realized her feelings, staring at him was definitely not good for her health.

Turning a lighter shade of red, Todoroki seemed to notice and frowned. "That wound didn't give you a fever, did it?"

Amari blinked in surprise before shaking her head. Oh crap. He must of noticed the heat rising in her cheeks. "What, no. It's just kind of warm in here."

Frowning, he surveyed the area before replying. "I don't feel anything."

His words just caused her to laugh while slapping his shoulder playfully. "Well that's because you are like an ice cube half of the time, silly."

Todoroki seemed to buy that, to which Amari was grateful. "I see. I'm going to go watch the other matches. Do you want to come?"

His offer was sweet but she couldn't deny the grumbling her stomach was making all of a sudden. "I think I'm going to get something to eat first. I'll be there for your match though."

He nodded his head in response and Amari watched him leave before putting her head in her hands. This wasn't good. Now that she realized she liked him, it was even harder to act natural in front of him.

She could do this, she could. All Amari had to do was keep quiet about the whole feelings thing and then she could still save him from that terrible fate. If Todoroki never knew then they could just go along like normal, like nothing had ever happened. Yes, that was the safest plan.

* * *

Sitting on a step outside the arena, Shinso replayed the match in his head and sighed in frustration. He had really thought he would have won that round, especially against that small little girl. Technically he would have if she hadn't gone completely insane and burned herself for it.

Suddenly, the boy was hit with a small object, smacking across his face and falling into his lap carefully.

Looking up, Shinso shouted at the stranger. "What the hell…"

A voice answered back, half apologetically. "Oh, sorry! I don't really have the best aim."

Recognizing the tone, he frowned when he realized exactly who it was. She must of been here to gloat. "What do you want?"

Amari stood silent for a moment before plopping down next to him on the step and pulling out a small plastic package. She then pointed to the one in his lap and spoke. "Take it."

Shinso gazed at the snack, relatively confused. Was she, being nice to him? "Is it poisoned?"

But she just sighed, shaking her head. "Rude, and here I was just trying to do you a favor."

He wasn't going to take it but soon felt his stomach grumbling and sighed, giving up and accepted the food. "So what, are you here to gloat or something?"

Looking up at the sky, Amari remembered Todoroki's words on the first day of school. He said the same exact thing. "About what you said before, I'm not from a rich family or anything like that. I just don't like to be looked down on."

Shinso's eyes snapped to hers at her words. "So, I'm guessing you want an apology then?"

Thinking for a moment, Amari smirked. "No, I don't need anything like that. I'll prove my worth myself. That's what I've always been doing. You finally acknowledged me as a rival, that's all I really wanted."

He honestly didn't know what to make of this girl. From the first glance she looked like a complete spastic, slightly hot headed idiot, but maybe there was something more to her.

Glancing at the snack, he sighed, now feeling slightly bad. "Why are you even here? You won, you beat me. You should just go back to those other Class 1A idiots."

But Amari just rolled her eyes, locking her gaze with his.. "Because under that terrible, horrible, rude, prideful, arrogant, aggressively, bossy, grumpy facade…"

Shinso tickled his brow in annoyance at that. "I get it.."

But he paused when she carefully turned her lips into a soft smile. It was an expression he had never seen her wear before. "I think you're really cool."

He blinked in surprise as she continued. "I mean, a brain washing quirk? That's gotta be one of the coolest things I've ever seen! I mean, who would've thought that a rude purple haired weirdo like you would have such an amazing quirk!"

Shinso didn't know what to say to this girl. One minute she was cool and confident and the next she was fangirling and yelling in excitement because of his lame quirk.

Shaking his head, Shinso didn't see the appeal. "It's not that great. Don't you think it's better suited for a villain?"

He already knew what her response would be. Of course it was. That's always what his past friends and classmates used to say. They were always afraid of him in the end.

Amari thought for a moment and Shinso was prepared for her answer when the girl did something unexpected instead.

She just slapped him on the shoulder, laughing. "What, are you kidding? Of course not! Just imagine, you could brainwash villains and they would never even know what hit them. Now that's badass!"

Shinso sat in absolute shock at her response. That was the first time anyone had said something like that about his quirk. "You really aren't afraid of me?"

But Amari just scoffed, taking a big bite of her snack. "I'm afraid of catching your stupid, but that's about it."

Although the insult went right over his head, only focusing on the meaning. He suddenly felt bad for looking down on her so much. "Listen, I'm sorry about the fight. The things I said, I was just trying to get you to talk."

Amari fell silent at that, remembering what he said. "Don't worry about it. The things you said were the truth anyways. I was just too stupid to stay silent about it."

Shinso was automatically concerned about that. The things he said were so cruel and terrible. Did she really believe them? Did that mean that she thought of herself as a disappointment as well?

But before he could ask, Amari jumped out of her seat, stretching her arms in response. "Ahh well it's all over then. Truce?"

Sticking her hand out for him to shake, Shinso just looked at before scoffing. "I don't think so."

But as he walked past her, he couldn't help but allow his lips to curve into a small smile. Maybe she wasn't all that bad after all.

Amari gasped at the rejected, hitting him in the shoulder and shouting. "What, you jerk! I bought you food and everything! That is like the ultimate sign of a peace treaty!"

Chasing after him, Shinso put his hands in his pockets. "And you hit me in the face with it."

To which she just gasped in embarrassment. "That's not my fault, okay? It just gravitated to your face."

Walking back into the hallways, Shinso just smirked. She sure was amusing.

Her shouting stopped though when Todoroki turned the corner, obviously very much in the zone for his match. Amari took in his determination and couldn't help but stare. He was so cool.

Suddenly, Shinso heard a loud thud and turned only to find that Amari had straight up walked into a wall. She really was an idiot. "Did you really just run into a wall?"

She rubbed her face slightly and laughed. "What, no of course not. I was just, uhh, testing to see how stable it was! Yeah, that's it! Looks pretty stable to me ha ha!"

He sighed in disappointment at this when the boy realized the cause of her stupidity, watching her eyeing Todoroki.

A sly smile appeared on his face then. "Oh, I see."

Widened her eyes, Amari tried to play it off, shaking her head. "See what? You see nothing. There is nothing to see, absolute nothing at all."

But Shinso wasn't fooled. "Is that why you're rambling right now? How cute, short stuff has a crush."

At his words, Amari gasped, attempting to cover his mouth to silence the statement. "SHHHHHH just shut up, okay? Forget everything just saw right now!"

The fact that she was trying to threaten him right now was definitely amusing. "Nice try, but your orders won't work on me. Just go over and tell him already."

The very idea brought a heavy blush to her cheeks, shaking her head in anxiety. "No no no no no no no absolutely not! Never in a million years. He's never going to know so just shut up already."

Shinso frowned at this. "Why not? It's not that big of a deal."

Although Amari had another idea about the how thing, whispering harshly in his direction. "No no, you don't understand. It is a big deal, the biggest deal, okay? He can't know, no one can ever know. So drop it already."

Gazing at Todoroki, Shinso probably could've left it alone but somewhere deep down he wanted to help her somehow. She obviously was just too shy to come out and ask that boy out. Looks like he would have to give a little push.

Sighing once, he spoke quietly. "Bakugo..."

At the sound of her last name, Amari turned to him, grimacing at the word. "What?."

Suddenly, she felt her body go numb, just like during their battle, internally cursing. That bastard, he just used his quirk on her again.

Staring into her eyes, Shinso pointed towards Todoroki and spoke plainly. "The next time you want to confess to him, just do it already. Now forget about this conversation."

He blinked after that, and Amari felt her body awake, narrowing her eyes in confusion. What just happened? "What, did I just zone out? What the hell.."

But Shinso only shrugged. "It's because you were drooling over that boy."

Putting a finger to her lips, Amari gasped, slapping him across the shoulder. "Shut up."

Just then, the announcement echoed above them again, encouraging everyone to watch the next duel. This time it was going to be against Todoroki and Midoriya.

Shaking her head, Amari put a hand up to her temple for an incoming headache and spoke. "I have to go. See you Shih Tzu."

He put a hand up in response and watched her leave, knowing that she would be thanking him later for what he had done.

* * *

Eyy We have Shinso and Amari friendship! Well, they still snap at each other but they've come to an understanding. Also oh no, Shinso what have you done? She didn't want to tell Todoroki her feelings. Oof.

Next Chapter: Shinso's "help" happens.


	20. S2 Chapter 8

Amari walked into the sitting area of the arena quietly, halfway thankful that she hadn't missed Todoroki's match. She did promise she would be there for him after all.

Internally she hoped that he would be alright after that interaction with his father backstage. He seemed really shaken up by it and Amari was uneasy because of the altercation.

She could still feel his rigid body against hers, trembling slightly from the anger the boy kept for the man. It broke her heart to see him like that but Amari was also slightly thankful that he was trusting her a bit more. If he really was hurting then she wanted to know and be there for him, just like he was for her.

Catching his hair, Amari watched him enter the arena, the crowds cheering massively around him. He seemed like a fan favorite, but that also could've been because he was Endeavors son.

Deku entered next, looking rather uncertain and small next to the other boy, meeting Todoroki in the middle of the field. She watched silently as the two spoke words she couldn't hear.

* * *

Todoroki eyed Deku from across the field, recalling his father's words in the back of his head. It was time to prove is worth by winning and completely rejecting his father, especially without his left side. "So, you're here."

Deku himself seemed quite nervous, yet still determined, balling his hands into a hard fist. "Todoroki.."

They both got into place, Todoroki spreading his feet apart while Deku raised his arm, his thumb gracing over his pointer finger. It was about to get serious.

A thick air of silence echoed against them as Deku spoke, now even more clear and uncertain. "Todoroki, I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Amari-chan."

This caused the boys eyes to widen. That supposed it made sense, the two were talking in the middle of a public hallway, although the fact that Deku now knew his greatest insecurity made him falter. Had he also seen him hug Amari? He kind of hoped not.

Narrowing his eyes, Todoroki spoke back. "Even if you did, it will change nothing. I will still win this match."

Present Mics voice rang especially loud, encouraging them to start as Deku let out at attack without hesitation. He knew he would have to get the jump on Todoroki if he wanted to win. "Smash!"

Although Todoroki was faster, letting an enormous sheet of ice fly across the arena, stopping the powerful wind from reaching him altogether.

As the wind cleared, he could see Midoryia's fingers, black and blue from the sudden burst of power. All he needed to do was last long enough for Deku to run out of fingers, and then he would win. "Just as I expected.."

Before he could let the boy think, Todoroki threw another sheet of ice towards the boy, only for Deku to smash the cold with his power, causing another broken finger.

Deku realized that he had only a limited number of attacks he could use before all of his fingers were broken so the boy tried his best to survey the area. It seemed like Todoroki was attacking instantly, not allowing him to think. Deku knew he'd have to work around that.

Letting off another blast of power, Todoroki saw this as his chance, using his ice to propel him up to his challenger with ease. He then threw another ice spike which caught onto Deku's leg.

Deku hissed at the contact, using his quirk to shatter the ice and blow Todoroki away from the close proximity, slamming him into a wall of icicles before sliding down to the ground.

Moving the ice away, Todoroki could see Deku struggling, knowing that this battle would be over soon. "What, you're that beat up from just defending and running away?"

Deku gritted his teeth in frustration, knowing the boy was right. He was falling apart with no plan. That was, until he saw Todoroki's arm. It looked to be trembling. Maybe there was a limit to how much he could use his power?

Thinking it was over, the two toned boy threw a finishing blow of ice in Deku's direction, not expecting him to speak back. "Where are you looking?"

Todoroki had just enough time to widened his eyes in shock as Deku broke his ice, the wind carrying the his opponent back a couple feet from the impact. "You're trembling Todoroki. Everyone's fighting with everything they've got and you want to win with only have your strength, even Amari-chan has been fighting as far as she can. So, you need to come at me with everything you've got!"

Amari eyed the match carefully, placing her hands on the railing in front of her while biting her lip nervously. Something had just shifted in the fight.

At her name, Todoroki felt a hard ball of shame rise up in his throat. She was pushing herself for this yes, but Deku just didn't get it His reasons and hers were completely different. "You don't understand Midoryia, don't bring her into this."

But Deku wouldn't let him have an inch. He knew that Todoroki cared about Amari, that she would be able to get him to break out of his isolating shell. He wanted to help him. "I understand enough Todoroki. Are you making a fool of her, of everyone else in U.A. who have given everything to be here?!"

His words brought a heavy irritation in his throat. How dare he bring up things he knew nothing about, especially involving Amari in them. It made him angry. Oh course he didn't think she was a fool. "What are you planning? Did my damn old man pay you off or something?!"

Racing towards the boy, Deku noticed his movements were slower, taking the chance and using his fist to ram it into Todoroki's stomach, punching him roughly.

Todoroki gasped the impact, knowing he had misstepped before stopping his body with his ice and grunting. This boy, he was trying to make him emotional to act reckless, and it was working.

Amari gripped the railing even tighter at this, Bakugo hearing his sister whispering under her breath. "Come on Todoroki, you can do it.."

Her mind was a mess as she watched the two boys exchange words she couldn't understand. They seemed really heated about something.

Watching below, she noticed Todoroki's movements getting slower and slower. He must be overusing his power. Deku was really giving him a run for him money.

Suddenly, Deku voice carried so loud that it couldn't help but reach Amari's ear, now connecting the pieces to exactly what they were talking about. "Because I want to live up to everyone's expectations! That's why right now I think you should stop screwing around and fight me with everything you have!"

Amari's eyes widened, realizing that Deku was trying to get him to use his left side. They must of been overheard back in that hallway. He was pushing him, and she didn't know how to feel.

She could see the poor boy falling apart before her, obviously struggling with the very idea to use the left side he promised never to activate. He seemed to really hate that part of himself.

Gritting her teeth, she couldn't bare to see him like this, to see the boy she cared about so deeply falling apart into tiny little pieces. If only he knew how special he was to her, how wonderful he was, regardless of his left side.

She internally cursed his father for putting such ideas in his head, allowing Todoroki to be so weighed down and burdened by his quirk. Maybe then he wouldn't be as psychologically scared.

Amari tightened her hold on the bars in front of her even more, allowing them to turn slightly red from the anxiety. She then saw Deku narrowing his eyes and shout out something so loud that it filled the entire arena. "It's your power, isn't it?!"

She took in his words and suddenly felt the urge to say the same to him, to scream it from the rooftops to tell him just how amazing he was. If only he could know about her feelings for him, then she would've told him right then and there.

Almost as if on instinct, Amari suddenly felt herself raise from her seat, strangely not by her command and lean forward on the railing. Her mind now clouded with one desire and one desire alone.

She then took a large breath and released her desire onto the crowds of people below, not registering that there were thousands of eyes watching her. "Shoto!"

At her words, Todoroki couldn't help but widened his eyes, noticing that Midoryia had stopped as well. Had she just called him by his first name? The sound made his cheeks flush a bit, flashing back to the last time she had said it.

Turning to look at her, he stood in utter shock, not sure how to process what was happening. "Amari?"

Gripping the railing even tighter, she let her words run wild, not thinking about what she was saying, only wanting to express her kept emotions. "Midoryia is right. You are not your father, you've never been!"

Todoroki listened to her words, now frozen with what she was actually saying. What had gotten into her?

But before he could process them, she spoke again. "You don't have to be ashamed of who you are. Because, it's not only your right side, I fell in love with both parts of you, you idiot!"

At her words, the entire audience gasped, unsure what to make from the sudden confession. They weren't sure if this was planned or not but it certainly was random.

Todoroki processed everything she was saying before lighting up bright red in embarrassment. Did she just say that she loved him? No, that was impossible. Why would someone like her even consider him? He didn't know what to think, or say or do. The poor boy could only stand there in absolute shock.

He had gotten confessions before but this one was worlds different from all the others. Usually he would've just felt awkward but this time, he felt his entire body burning in an intense heat, almost not able to control it. How could she really love both parts of him?

Deku's stood stunned at the display when a giant and burning flame appeared from the left side of Todoroki body, the unruly flames sprouting out everywhere. He did it, he finally used his left side.

At his sister words, Bakugo rose out of his seat and slapped her on the shoulder aggressively. What the hell was she doing in front of national TV?! "Hey! What are you doing brat?! What's wrong with you?!"

The push caused Amari to blink, now feeling a raging headache approach. What the hell just happened, and why was she standing now?

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she turned to Bakugo who seemed angry for some reason. "Huh? Katsuki, what's wrong? Sorry, I kind of zoned out."

Katsuki turned his head in concern, now also confused. "What the hell are you talking about? You're the one that confessed to that icy hot bastard in the middle of the match! Seriously, what is wrong with you? I told you not to embarrass me!"

She replied the words in her head for a moment before freezing, now hearing her own voice echoed through the screen next to her, an instant replay now showing from moments before.

Amari watched herself speak and suddenly the moment came rushing back to her. Her mind started to run in a million directions as she put a shaking hand up to her mouth. No, she couldn't of, she didn't "No.."

Oh god, what had she just done, and on national television also?! She promised herself that she would never tell Todoroki her feelings, so why had it come spilling out like she didn't have a choice?!

It was over, everything was over. It was time to move back to America and change her name because living in Japan just wasn't an option anymore. She had already ruined everything.

Finally feeling strength in her legs, Amari felt herself move back before quickly running out the door. Anywhere was better than here. She just wanted to disappear.

Leaning against one of the walls, she wondered what on earth made her do that kind of thing, and why she couldn't remember it.

Then, the realization set in. It was that bastard…

Pushing her feelings of panic and embarrassment down, Amari was suddenly filled with an undeniable rage, thinking about one thing, and one thing only. She was going to kill him.

* * *

Shinso was watching the match on the waiting room TV when he couldn't help but grow shocked at Amari's sudden confession. He knew she would probably do it soon but in front of the entire sports festival, now that was bold.

He smirked under his breath, knowing he did the right thing when the entire room heard a booming shout, heading towards them at lighting speed. Some of his classmates seemed bothered by the noise. "What the hell?"

Suddenly, the door was kicked open and everyone saw Amari stomp into the room, now knowing where the yelling was coming from. "SHINSO!"

Shinso leaned back in his chair, letting his brow raise at her words. "Wow, you finally said my name right.."

Although Amari wasn't pleased, stomping up to him with absolute intent. "Yeah, cause it's the last thing you're ever going to hear! I'm going to fucking kill you, you asshole!"

Noticing her intent, one of his classmates stepped up then, put his hands up to stop her anger. "Hey, what the hell is your problem? You can't be in here."

Amari just stood in front of the man, hearing her voice growl in absolute hatred. "You have five seconds to get out of my way before I kick you.."

She started counting internally as the boy only gasped. Who knew this short cute girl could be so aggressive? "What? Come on, just calm down already."

Reaching five in her mind, Amari just frowned at his words before taking her knee and kicking him straight in the balls, watching the boy crumble before her. "Five."

Groaning on the floor, she just stepped over him only to lock eyes with Shinso who was slightly amused. "Whoa, be careful short stuff, you are starting to act your brother."

But Amari wasn't pleased, just reaching down and grabbing him by the ear before aggressively pushing him out of the door. "Come here."

Shinso flinched but let her forcefully lead him out of the room, already knowing what this was about.

Once they were out of wondering eyes, Amari let go of his ear and started shouting in his direction. "What the hell is your problem with me?! I tried to be nice to you, I gave you food, I even called a truce, so why do you still want to ruin my life?!"

Although he didn't understand her tone. "I think the word is looking for is you're welcome? Although, I didn't expect you to do it in front of the entire stadium. Talk about bold."

Her eyes began to twitch at that, willing everything within her to not hit him. "Excuse me?! I never wanted him know, you dumbass! You just ruined everything!"

Seeing her so angry certainly confused him. Sure the method was aggressive but the result was still the same. "I think you're overreacting. I just gave you the push you needed."

But Amari didn't seem to find his words encouraging, tightening her fists before throwing her hands up in anxiety. "You don't fucking understand! Stop digging your nose into things that you don't get. This is more than just telling him. That wasn't the goddamn problem Shinso!"

She felt her breathing picked up then, putting her head on either side of her head and muttering to herself. "It's over, everything is over. I can't ever see him again, I can't even look at him. All I wanted to do was save him from being ruined and now it's over, it's pointless. Oh god…"

Shinso's eyes turned to ones of concern then, watching her breathing turn shallow. "Hey, are you okay?"

But she only shook her head, rambling more. "Why, why did you do that?! Why did you have to ruin everything? I didn't want to give him hope, I didn't want to do something like that…"

Suddenly all of the devastation and aggression she put her pushing down came leaking out, feeling burning tears prick her eyes.

Shinso honestly didn't know how to respond to her breakdown, putting a hand out to her, his voice lowered. "Bakugo? Come on, it's not that big of a deal. Now that he knows you two can get together, right?"

But she only shook her head, denying his words. "It's not that simple. I'm not someone that can have something like that, even if I wanted to. I was satisfied just standing next to him and now look what you've done, I can't even have that."

He didn't know much about this girl but, Shinso found her words odd. Was she always this moody and gloomy all the time? Why was she denying her feelings when she clearly liked him? The next step would usually be to confess, right? He honestly could care less about her love life, he just wanted to help her somehow. Why was it such a big deal?

Putting his hands to his hips, Shinso replied. "Come on, now you really are overreacting. Why are acting like this is so bad?"

Looking down at her feet for moment, Amari said her next words without thinking, locking eyes with the boy and speaking serious. "Because maybe I didn't want him to get attached to me and then have to watch him fall apart when I leave…"

Her words seemed strange to him, watching her face line with unspoken tears. It felt like there was a weight to those words. "What does that mean? Are you moving or something?"

Letting her mouth curve into a sad smirk, Amari answered back. "Or something, yeah."

Then she turned her back to him, muttering softly behind her. "I have to go.."

Although, Shinso instinctively felt his hand grasp her arm in desperation. He didn't know why, but he felt a dark and heavy aura around them. Her actions didn't seem like she was moving away, it seemed much more serious. "Wait, you can't just say something like that and walk away…"

Amari froze at his tone, staring at the ground for a couple moments before turning back and locking her gaze with his. She honestly didn't care anymore who knew. "My body isn't strong enough to handle my quirk, so one day, it will eventually kill me. Is that what you wanted to hear, Shinso?"

He stood in absolute shock at her words, unable to process them. All he could do was watch his hand fall from her arm slowly.

She took in his reaction and sighed, brushing a piece of her hair from her face and Shinso now saw the scar on her neck as clear as day. "So, do you still want to call me not serious?"

Knowing she wouldn't get a response, Amari then turned and left him alone, Shinso trying to put the pieces together one by one. He suddenly felt horrible for picking on her the last couple weeks.

She was right, he really didn't understand anything.

* * *

Amari shook her head in anxiety, walking down the hallway when she stopped dead in her tracks, finding Todoroki only a couple feet away from her.

He wasn't paying attention, so she took the chance and turned around sharply, already heading the other direction immediately. She didn't know how to face him right now so it was better to run away at the moment.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Amari relaxed only to hear his voice call out to her. Crap, he must have seen her anyways. "Amari..."

She closed her eyes in fear and picked up her pace, hoping that he would get the hint and just leave her alone. She just couldn't do this right now.

Although, her hope was short lived as he called out again. "Amari, wait, hold on.."

But she certainly didn't wait or hold on, instead she race even faster down the hallways. This wouldn't do, he would eventually catch up to her.

Seeing a door in the distance, Amari threw all respect for herself out of the window and climbed inside before locking it behind her.

Todoroki slowed his pace, seeing her run into the closet and sighed, moving up to the door. "Amari, what you are doing?"

It was silent for a moment before she answered back, half joking. "I live here now."

He frowned at that, noticing the sign above him. "In the janitors closet?"

The silence returned until she called back. "...yes?"

Todoroki sighed at her antics, recalling her words during the match. "About earlier.."

But Amari just cut him off. She really didn't want to talk about this right now. "Ah, right. Can you do me a favor and forget everything you heard?"

He could obviously tell she was uncomfortable, and maybe it would have been easier to follow her request, but Todoroki didn't want to do that. "And what if I say no?"

Her eyes widened at this, feeling the heat build up in her cheeks. "Then I'm never leaving this closet."

Remaining silent, Todoroki put a hand up to the door, touching it lightly. "Amari, please don't run away from me. I want to talk."

He didn't get a reply so instead, he decided to talk to her through the door. It wasn't ideal but it would have to do. "Did you really mean what you said, about loving both parts of me?"

She was so ready to turn him down, to lie to him but actually hearing him talk felt completely different. She couldn't lie to him after that. "Of course I do. You don't have to be ashamed of your fire side. I think every part of you is amazing Todoroki."

Todoroki felt his cheeks flush at her words, wanting more than ever to see her, to meet her eyes and talk. "Then why are you hiding from me?"

Letting her eyes fall, Amari spoke. "Because, I never wanted you to know about that. You weren't supposed to in the first place."

He seemed confused by that. Did she think that he would be disgusted by her feelings? He didn't like thinking about that possibility. "What if, I told you that I was really happy when you said that?"

Amari's breath stopped then, finding herself leaning into the doorframe to hear more. "W-What did you just say?"

Letting his head fall onto the door, Todoroki replied. "No one has ever told me they loved me before. Not my father, or anyone. So when you said it, I was really happy."

Amari put her hand on the wooden surface, letting her eyes fall. Did he really feel that way about her? "Really?"

Todoroki nodded but it was unseen from behind the door, his voice lowering. "I've never done this before so I don't really know what I should be doing."

His clueless nature was cute to her, although he could never know that. As much as she wanted to open the door in that moment, she knew she couldn't "Todoroki, we can't do this. You're not thinking straight."

He blinked in surprise at that. She had already confessed, why was she pushing him away now? "What do you mean?"

Her eyes saddened then, already feeling tears already prick the corners. "I'm not going to live forever, you know that."

The reality crashed down on him, remembering her limited time. Although, he didn't really see her point. "What does that have to do with it?"

But Amari's voice just cracked in response, the tone rising slightly. "It has to do with everything! You don't understand. I don't want to get together just to watch you destroy yourself when I die. I will not be your downfall, I can't be.."

He heard her crying through the door and suddenly felt the need to comfort her. Was this why she didn't want him to know about her feelings? She was tearing herself apart because of this.

Placing his hand to the wood again, Todoroki replied. "That won't happen."

But Amari wasn't convinced, shaking her head in shame. "Yes it will. Somewhere deep down you and I both know that! It's just the facts Todoroki, I'm going to die and if we get closer, it's going to tear you apart."

He wanted to deny it but just remembering the USJ incident brought a heavy lump to his chest. He didn't really know if he'd be okay after she died. Maybe her predictions were right.

She voice lowered then, hitting her head on the door. "If only I was normal.."

Todoroki picked on her words, letting a small smile come to his lips. "If you were normal, I wouldn't be saying these things. I like you because you are you Amari and even if what you say is true, that's not going to stop me from feeling this way."

Her eyes fell in devastation at that, ignoring the heavy thump in her chest. "Then I've already ruined you. We should stop seeing each other than."

Taking a step away from the door, Todoroki froze. Was she really planning on running away from this just because of something that would happen in the future? No, he wouldn't let her.

Narrowing his eyes, he answered back. "Would you really be okay with that? Are you really not going to get close to anyone then Amari? What about Bakugo? Are you going to run away from him also?"

At Katsuki name, her eyes widened. "Of course not."

This gave him the opening he needed, speaking into the doorframe firmly. "Then what is the difference? Amari, you can't spend your entire life afraid of the future…"

She remained silent at that, causing him to continue. "Forget about the pills, forget about your quirk, what do you want to do right now?"

He waited for her answer, but instead only received silence.

That was until she opened the door, stepping out to meet him. Now he could clearly see the tear stains on her cheeks and her red puffy eyes. "Amari?"

She silently, walked up to him, reaching her hand up to lightly press a couple fingertips onto his cheek. Feeling the warm under her hand, she replied. "Why, why did I have to fall for you? I told myself I wouldn't, and look what that did ..."

Letting her eyes crumble, Todoroki followed her movements and placed a light hand to her cheek, before dipping his head down and pressing his lips onto hers.

Amari felt the contact but didn't pull away, instead running her couple fingers through his hair, feeling the same sensation as she did in her dream a couple weeks ago.

Melting into him, Todoroki put his arms around her waist, almost instinctively, drawing her closer to his body that was burning up from her touch.

It that moment, nothing else mattered. Amari didn't care that her life was ending soon or that she probably shouldn't have been doing this. All she cared about was his touch and warmth, feeding into her and making her feel safe and loved.

He turned his body then, Amari feeling her back hit the wall behind her in her own delicious state. That dream seemed closer and closer to reality now.

Suddenly, a loud voice broke them out of their trance, shouting loudly in their directions. "What the fuck?!"

Breaking apart, Amari blinked a couple times once to have her eyes focus on someone she really wish hadn't seen the moment they just had, it was her brother. "Katsuki.."

Bakugo immediately turned away, feeling the bile rise in his throat. "Oh my god. Seriously?! I think I'm going to be fucking sick. That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."

Feeling her cheeks blush with embarrassment, she couldn't even look at Todoroki now. "We were just..uhh…"

But he just put his hand up, stopping her from finishing that sentence. Then he took one look at the guy who was kissing his sister and glared. Oh no, this was not happening. "You know what, I don't want to know. We will talk about this later."

Amari casted her eyes away at that. "Katsuki, it's really not.."

Yet once again, Bakugo didn't want to hear it. "I said later! Now hurry up, the next round is starting soon."

She nodded her head slowly before turning to Todoroki and coughing. "So uh, I'll see you later?"

He nodded his head and watched her leave before being seeing someone step in front of him, an aura of absolute rage now coming off of him.

Bakugo was about to have some words with this boy.

* * *

This chapter was so much fun to write omg. The drama, the fluff! AHH my little fangirl heart was happy, I hope yours was also!

Next chapter: Last chapter of the sports arch


	21. S2 Chapter 9

The aura around the two boys was heavy and ominous, so much so that you could almost cut it with a knife.

Katsuki stared daggers at the boy who he had just witnessed kissing his sister, the memory still sickly stuck in his mind. He already had a rocky relationship with that icy hot bastard, but this? This was drawing a line and Bakugo knew he had to stop it.

Amari was so stupid and dumb, it was obvious that Todoroki was only using her to get a leg up in the competition for top hero, and even if that weren't the case there was no way in hell he would let her fall for his shady antics.

Todoroki stared at him for awhile as well, a thick silence blowing through the space before he just let out a heavy sigh and turned away, already trying to leave the situation. He already knew that there was going to be no arguing with Bakugo so it was pointless to even try.

Her brother didn't seem to like this though, seeing him try to escape from what he had just done. Oh no, he wouldn't allow that.

Gritting his teeth, Bakugo ignited his quirk, throwing a small explosion in the boys path causing him to stop. Just a couple inches further and it would of singed his foot. "Hey, where the hell do you think you're going icy hot?!"

Todoroki glanced at the explosion before sighing once more, turning to her brother and trying to defuse the situation. "I have nothing to say to you."

This got Katsuki livid, now grabbing the poor boy by the collar and forcing him against the wall. His sarcasm had pushed him over the limit. "Good, cause I have a lot of things to say to you. First off, what the fuck do you think you were doing?!"

He could have easily broken out of his hold, but Todoroki knew it would have escalated the situation even further, choosing to stay put. "I think you're overreacting Bakugo."

Bakugo's eye twitched in response, recalling his sister being pinned against the wall by this bastard. "Fuck you! How dare you touch my sister! You wanna die?!"

He was making it sound like Todoroki forcibly kissed her which wasn't the case at all. The very idea was starting to make the boy angry, pushing the Bakugo's hand off of him. "I didn't do what you are suggesting.."

Although Katsuki wasn't pleased with the response, watching his quirk start to glow and pop with rage, shouting back. "You better stay the hell away from her, you bastard! If I see you near her ever again then I'm going to personally kill you myself, you got that?!"

Throwing a fist down, Todoroki caught his anger, now feeling a slight irritation as well. He knew Amari loved her brother but he also didn't know how she dealt with him sometimes. "Bakugo, I'm not going to stay away from her."

Bakugo looked down at his fist, taking in his words and seething. What had that bastard just said? He really was trying to pick a fight. "What the hell did you just say?"

Todoroki knew that her brothers words were probably from the good place but he just couldn't follow his orders. There was no way in hell Todoroki would let Amari live as lonely as she was before, regardless of what Bakugo threatened.

Narrowing his eyes, Todoroki replied. "I'm not going to stay away from her. Maybe you should consider what Amari actually wants as well."

His cocky attitude was not lost on Bakugo, instead throwing another explosion and barely missing the boy. "I don't care want she fucking wants! I'm not allowing her to be touched by a shady bastard like you!"

His last couple words caught into Todoroki's tongue. "Shady?"

Taking another dangerous step forward, Katsuki answered. "It's so obvious what you're trying to do, thinking you can get ahead in the race to be top hero. Even though my sister may be dumb and stupid, I'm not."

Todoroki thought about his words. Yes, that was how their friendship started out but there was absolutely no way he still felt that way. Amari wasn't someone he wanted to use, he wanted to cherish her.

Narrowing his eyes, the boy spoke back. "What? You think I'm trying to use Amari for my own gain? That's not it at all Bakugo."

Although Katsuki wasn't convinced. "Bullshit! What other reason is there?! I've seen you during this sports festival. All you've ever cared about is beating dear old dad, right?!"

Bakugo didn't know much but Amari's outbursts during his match told him that he had a grudge against his father. Him flat out ignoring her leading up to the festival was just him showing his true colors finally.

At his father's name, Todoroki's hand grew into a hard fist. "You're wrong. Maybe at the beginning I saw her like that but now, it's different. I wouldn't use her like that against my father, ever."

Although, once again Katsuki Bakugo wasn't satisfied. He knew better than to trust someone like him. This boy, he was always so cocky and rude. He just knew Todoroki wasn't good for his sister.

Balling his hands into a first, Bakugo hissed back. "Like I would believe anything you say. There is no way in hell I'm going to let you near her ever again, you bastard. Maybe I fucked up before but this time, I will protect her from her own stupid decsions."

That proved it. Todoroki now confirmed that Bakguo was just trying to protect his sister, in his own stupid way. Although, out of all the things in her life, this wasn't something he needed to get involved in.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Todoroki now knew he couldn't fully be upset with him. He just didn't understand everything that had gone on between Amari and him before he showed up.

Knowing his answer, Todoroki locked eyes with the boy and spoke seriously. "Bakugo, you are looking in the wrong place, and regardless of how much you try to threaten me, I will not abandon her."

Katsuki couldn't help but widened his eyes at the boys words, taking in the serious nature of them. It was so off putting that the phrase allowed Todoroki to slip away from her angry brother, moving down the hall.

When he was gone, Bakugo tightened his hold on his fist and narrowed his eyes. No, he couldn't let this happen. He would protect his sister, regardless of what she thought.

That bastard was clearly no good for her.

* * *

Amari was walking down the hallway, still reeling from her moment with Todoroki. She really shouldn't have kissed him, now things were even more messy because of it. Although, she couldn't deny the buzzing that her lips still felt, silently wishing she could go back.

Suddenly, Amari collided with the tall, strong body, causing her to shake out of her own delusions. She really wasn't looking where she was going. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Although, the voice that answered back made her freeze. He didn't sound happy in the slightest. "Oh, it's you. That was quite a spectacle you put on earlier."

She looked up at the man, now knowing exactly who she had bumped into. It was Todoroki's father, Endeavor.

Unable to speak, he decided to do so for her. "You are just the person I wanted to see."

Amari seemed confused by his statement. Why in the hell would he want to see her? It was very clear that he didn't like her. "You wanted to see me?"

Nodding his head, Endeavor then took a step forward, his flames bouncing off his body ominously. "Yes, I wanted to warn you not to get any ideas with that confession of yours."

Remembering Shinso's mind control, she internally cursed. His father had seen her act like a complete idiot as well.

Although, then she really thought about his words. Did he just threaten her? "Excuse me?"

He sighed heavily at her confusion. "It would be in your best interest not to involve yourself with Shoto any more than what you've been doing."

His words brought her to a standstill. The way he was staring at her, it was like she was a nuisance, a distraction. She didn't know why but it brought a heavy ball of irradiation to her throat.

Thinking about his past actions and now, Amari finally got exactly what he was trying to say, and she didn't like it. "Wait, you think I'm not good enough for your son…"

Endeavor only chuckled at that, crossing his arms around his chest. She was half right. "No, I know you aren't good enough for my son."

Her eyes widened at his words, causing him to continue, circling her like she was some kind of prey. "I did some research on you, Bakugo Amari. Your backstory is rather tragic, just a poor girl with a weak constitution. I admire your determination, although I have no need for that type of quirk."

Balling her hand into a fist, Endeavor added. "I'm sure my Shoto has told you about our family line? The Todoroki family has always prided itself on being the strongest and the best of the best, and you do not fit in that category in the slightest. You would be a disgrace on the family line. That is why I ask you don't reach further then what your place is."

Amari couldn't believe what he was saying. This wasn't just about disapproving of their relationship. No, he looked at her like she was utter trash, like she didn't matter at all. It was something she had never felt before.

Taking a challenging step forward, Amari replied. "Wait, hold on. Why are you talking about marriage? We are only fifteen. I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself there."

He thought about her words before nodding slowly. "You are correct. It's true, who even knows if you will survive that long. Although, I'd rather not have you get your hopes up in the future. It's better to establish these things now."

Establish what? That she shouldn't even try to have a relationship with Todoroki? The idea itself was ridiculous. She already knew that. Was this the kind of person he had to live with all these years? She was starting to understand his hatred now.

Amari had never felt this angry before. Forget herself, he couldn't control Todoroki like that, she wouldn't let him. "So what, are you just going to force a quirk marriage on him then, just like how you did with his mother? Do you really think he'd accept that?"

The fact that she was talking about his family life was not lost on him. Shoto must of told her everything. Foolish boy. "I am doing what is best for the Todoroki family. Shoto will learn to accept it, just like how he accepted his left side. There isn't any need to talk about something you aren't involved in."

But his words only made her even more furious, narrowing her eyes in disgust. "How dare you, a father isn't supposed to control his son like that. Regardless of what you think of me, Todoroki is not, and will never be you, no matter how hard you push him."

Endeavor couldn't help but frown at that. "I guess we'll see about that, although none of this concerns you so you should just hurry on and prepare for the next round. I've said all I've needed to say to you."

Turning from her, Todoroki's father then started to walk away when Amari realized she wasn't done with him. Why was this pompous prick trying to force her into staying away from Todoroki? All she knew at the time was that it wasn't going to work.

Amari gritted her teeth then, shouting back towards Endeavor loudly. "Hold on, you don't just get to say whatever you want and then leave, asshole! I'm not done talking to you!"

Her wording indeed made him pause, now turning back and giving a threatening aura around him. "What did you just refer to me as?"

Holding her ground, Amari began to stomp up to him. "I called you the way you are acting right now. You can't just threaten me and then leave like nothing happened! You know what, I may not be the strongest or the smartest person in the world but what I do is my choice and my choice alone. I will NOT let you bully me into your wisms, so you can just forget about that."

Her defiance was certainly a shock to him. She kind of sounded like Shoto. "Perhaps you are more like my son then I originally thought. You both are stubborn and brash. Although, that's even more reason for you detach yourself from him."

Although Amari only found this funny. "Too bad I don't follow your orders. You know, I tried to be civil with you since you are Todoroki's father but now that I know how you truly are, I have lost all respect for you, Endeavor."

Her words pricked his skin and a slight sense of irritation rose from them. This girl, she had no sense of manners at all.

Taking a threatening step closer, his voice dropped low and dangerous. "You should be careful how you speak to your elders, Bakugo Amari."

He expected her to run away or become frightened by his tone but Amari only stood still, locking eyes with the man and smirking. "See, that's the problem. My "weak constitution" makes me a bit more reckless. So what, are you going to hit a student now, Mr. Number Two Hero?"

She had hit him right where it hurt, causing his eyes to narrow in anger. A hand began to raise towards her but even still, Amari didn't move a muscle, almost daring him to lay a hand on her just like how he did with Todoroki as a kid.

Suddenly, the buzzer rang above them, an announcement going off and shaking the air around them. "Alright, it's time to get ready for the semi-finals. Challengers, get ready."

Amari blinked and before she could register it, Endeavor had already moved away from her, instead making his way down the hall.

But before he left, she could vaguely hear his voice, cutting through her entire body. "Watch yourself, child."

* * *

Reaching the arena entrance, Amari let out a heavy breath of anxiety. Because of everything that had happened, it was hard to keep track of the festival as well, which meant she didn't really knew who had made it to the next round. Who she was fighting was going to be a mystery which was scary in itself.

She entered the area slowly, hearing the crowds cheering for her. It seemed that fight with Shinso had given her a little bit of popularity, never mind confessing in front of the entire country. From those two instances the crowd gathered that she was bold.

Present Mic spoke loudly through the speaker, shaking Amari out of the thoughts quickly. "Alright! It is time for the semi-finals. In this corner we have the fearless, be it a little reckless student, the confession girl, Bakugo Amari!"

Lifting her hand in response, the crowd cheered back, although stopped when she really thought about his words. Oh god, is that always what she is going to be known as now? Freaking Shinso.

She then directed her eye to the other corner. "And her opponent will be, for the first time in the history of this sport festival, we have a sibling rivalry here today!"

At the word sibling, Amari's eyes widened, now knowing exactly who her challenger would be. "Please welcome, Bakugo Katsuki!"

She saw him stomp towards her, intent in everything step until they were face to face. Of course this is how it played out, of course.

He looked less than pleased, probably because of the display he saw with her and Todoroki. "Alright brat, I'm telling you this only once. I'm not going easy on you so you better come at me with your full strength, or else I'm going to kick your ass."

Blinking once, she remembered their training before looking down at her hands. She didn't know if she was ready to use her explosions yet.

Bakugo sensed her hesitation and opened his mouth to speak when the announcements cut him off. "Now, get to your places! The countdown will begin now!"

The clock suddenly blinked to life with the countdown and the two siblings turned away from each other, Amari taking three pills silently.

A slight burn appeared in her chest and she just tried to ignore it. This sports festival had her taking more pills than usual so it was messing up her system. She had to overdose to win since the effects lasted shorter than before. Not recommended though.

The buzzer rang and before she could process it, Bakugo was already throwing a huge explosion in her direction. "DIE."

She caught it just in time though, putting up a protective shield in front of her to block the blow. Then, she relayed her options quickly.

The same approach that Amari had used during the recovery battles wouldn't be able to work this time. It wasn't about outrunning the clock, it was about beating the opponent, which was even harder for her. Amari knew she had to be smart, lucky she had a few tricks up her sleeves for this.

Katsuki on the other hand had all the confidence in the world. Sure, he wanted to help her train for the festival but in doing so, he had already figured out her fighting style and moves. Knowing her weaknesses right away, he knew this battle would end fast.

Seeing her block his hit, Bakugo used this opportunity to propel himself above her and aim another explosion at her exposed back.

Amari gasped and quickly changed directions, but not fast enough. His impact caused her to falter, falling onto the hard ground and groaning. So he was going to be like that.

A fist came down towards her face then, although she seemingly rolled out of the way in time, his power cracking the floor around where she once was. Yeah, he really wasn't playing around this time.

Reaching her feet, Bakugo knew he had already won, racing at her so that he could win in the feat of strength. She was always terrible at that.

But then, Amari did something he wasn't expecting. Usually she would have faltered under his weight, trying to shoulder it all on her own. But this time, she was acting different.

In a single motion, she turned her foot and used the rest of her body weight to throw him over her shoulder, hitting the matts in the hard thud. Wait, that wasn't what she usually did in training.

Clapping her hands together, Amari sighed, watching him to get up. He looked rather confused, she guessed that was expected. "Sorry Katsuki, I had a feeling that things would end up like this, so I had to be careful when we were training."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes in confusion, now going for another move that would always trip her up.

Reaching his hand out, he let out a large explosion dangerously close to her face, only to have her push his hand away before it made impact, slipping past him quickly to escape the attack. That move proved it. She was fighting completely different then before. "What the hell.."

During her training, there were certain moves that she would always mess up on, that she just couldn't get right. But right now, he didn't see any of that in the slightest. Hold on, had she been messing with him the entire time?

Feeling the frustration in his throat, Katsuki called her out. "Hold on, were you pretending and messing things up on purpose before!? You were trying to make me look like an idiot…"

Saddening her eyes, Amari put a hand up to him. "I wouldn't put it like that. I just knew I couldn't have you figure out my strategy so early in the game. You told me I couldn't win by strength so I had to come up with another method to beat you."

Her explanation made him internally and externally furious. Thinking back it did seem weird how she would mess up so much, being a recommended student and all. Although, the fact that she was faking it the entire time made him feel kind of stupid. Why didn't he realize it? Did that mean that her explosions being unstable were a lie as well?

Balling his fists in anger, Bakugo raced towards her, intent in his step. "Are you fucking kidding me?! You were lying this entire time!"

Although that wasn't the entire case, Amari didn't mention it, only covering her body with her gold coating so he couldn't touch her. "I'm sorry, I was just happy you asked to train together. I wanted to spend time with you Katsuki. That's all."

Noticing her arms turn gold, Bakugo withdrew, instead aiming for her stomach instead, hitting her right where her burn was. "I don't even know why I even bothered. You were just trying to waste my god damn time!"

Amari crunched over then, holding her stomach and seething. Yes, it may have not been the most honest thing to hide all her skills from Bakugo but she couldn't deny how happy she was when he offered to help her. She couldn't just pass that up. "It's not like that Katsuki.."

Although he wasn't having it, throwing an explosion at her body and blowing her back a couple feet, now hitting the ground. The stomach wound didn't give her a fast enough reaction.

Groaning loudly, Amari stumbled to her feet, hearing Katsuki shout in her direction. "What do you take me for, an idiot?! I told you to come at me with your full strength and you were still holding back? Un-fucking-believable."

Breathing heavily, she crunched over and took in his words. Of course he was pissed, she knew he would be. The last thing she wanted was for him to be mad at her.

Bakugo took in his sister's appearance and realized he had enough with this half assed fighting. He was going to force her to fight with her full power, whether she liked it or not, and he knew exactly how to do it. "Damn it Amari, First you with that bastard, and now this."

Amari knew exactly who he was referring to by the comment, her ears perking up. "Come on, we are going to do this now?"

Although she got she answer soon enough, as Bakugo threw a large explosions in her direction, causing her to jump out of the way. "Of course I fucking am. What is wrong with you?!"

Rolling her eyes, Amari placed her hand up in front of her, gold circles now appearing on the ground. If only she could trap him in one. "Nothing is wrong, and it's none of your business what I do with my life.."

Bakugo noticed her plan and jumped up, avoiding all of her circles, now propelling himself in the air. "It's my business when I see you sucking god damn faces!"

He then propelled himself towards her body, explosions at the ready. "How stupid are you?! It's obvious he's just using you.."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari jumped out of the wall, causing his explosion to crack the area around them. His words were making her irritated. "Katsuki, stop it. Don't bring him into this."

Although he wasn't stopping in the slightest, throwing a punch in her direction. "Screw you! I want to know what's going in that idiotic head of yours, you damn brat!"

Amari ducked underneath his hand, sighing heavily in anger. "Stop it, you don't understand anything …"

Bakugo was quick though, turning around and aiming his other fist to her stomach again. "You're right Amari, I don't fucking understand!"

Widened her eyes, Amari grew a protective shield but wasn't fast enough this time, causing the gold matter to glitch and shatter around his fist.

Todoroki watched in surprise, knowing that they were talking about something heated. He hoped it wasn't anything to do with the two of them. Her brother did see them after all. Amari already had way too much to worry about without Bakugo trying to poke his nose into this.

Coughing in pain, she wiped a beat of sweat from her forehead before blocking another attack. Katsuki really was not giving her any mercy this time. He wasn't even letting her fight back. "Damn it Amari, fight back!"

That low and uncomfortable heat started to rise in her stomach again but this time, she shoved it down, not wanting to use her explosions. It was still too risky, the control she had was still little to none. "Cut it out, I know what your trying to do but I already told you they aren't strong enough and using Todoroki isn't going to help!"

Although he gave no mercy, coming at her again and again. "The one who's being used is you, you dumb ass! How dare you let that fucking bastard do what he wants. Are you really that stupid?!"

Not liking the way he was acting, Amari fired back while dodging underneath another fist. "Oh please, I'm not letting him do what he wants. Quit acting like he's some sort of villain, would you? He isn't like that. It was my decision and mine alone!"

Bakugo shouted back just as quickly though, sarcasm laced in his voice. "Oh really? And how do you know what that bastard is like? You've known him for what, a couple months? Grow up you damn brat!"

Twitching her brow his annoyance, Amari felt that heat in her stomach start to grow again. "You're the one that needs to grow up, Katsuki! So now out of all times now you wanna be my big brother? We are same age stupid, stop trying to dictate my life!"

He pressed his palms against hers, pushing her back a couple feet and shouting. "I don't want be in your life but you keep such stupid ass things, I can't help it!"

Frowning, she pushed against him. No, he wouldn't beat her like this. It seemed like that with every word he said, that tempting hot ball of anger was rising more and more. Soon, she realized she wouldn't be able to control it. "Shut up.."

But he wasn't listening, only pushing against her body harder, causing her to falter another step. "Open your eyes, do you really think he would be interested in a weakling like you? All you do is lose."

At his words, something snapped within Amari, recalling the conversation that she had with Endeavor before this. Even he said that the Todoroki family would never consider her because of her weak constitution. The idea itself was absolutely ridiculous.

She was trying so hard to stand next to Katsuki and everyone else in U.A. but even still she was at a disadvantage. They thought she was an easy target. Too bad for them that wasn't the case.

Deku eyed the fight with fascination, seeing the difference between the two siblings. Bakugo seemed to be shouting at the poor girl but Amari didn't seem phased in the slightest.

Speaking to no one in particular, he spoke. "Wow, they really are polar opposites. Amari's always so calm, unlike Kacchan."

Although, he paused when a voice next to him answered, turning to find Todoroki. "That's not it Midoryia. She just hides it better."

Deku turned his brow in confusion, when suddenly the crowds gasped in shock at the display. Something must of happened.

Focusing their eyes, Bakugo was now in the ground, a couple feet away while Amari was standing in the same spot, her hand outstretched. The air around them was smoky, as if an explosion went off. There was a new aura around the girl now, a much more sinister one.

Groaning at the impact, Katsuki stumbled to his feet, now seeing his sister staring at him with utter rage and frustration. Yes, that was look he wanted.

Amari felt the pop and crackling heat from her palms, shouting out to her brother so that he could hear. "Stop calling me weak!"

Smirking under his breath, Bakugo raced towards her again, only to have her side step and throw a huge explosion by his feet.

He jumped over it easily, aiming a hit of his own from above, causing her counteract quickly. "I'll make you sorry for underestimating me, Katsuki!"

Her emotions were going haywire, unable to control the fiery rage in the pit of her stomach. The only desire she recognized at the time was to beat her brother, and to show that no good father who was currently watching that she wasn't backing down.

Throwing a first down, Bakugo easily caught it, countering it with a hit of his own and causing damage to her face.

Although Amari couldn't careless, not even reacting to the hit and ducking under his arm before kicking him in the back aggressively.

She felt the effects of her pills wearing off and cursed, knowing she wouldn't be able to fight soon. She would have to give her everything right now.

Jumping back a couple feet, she saw Bakugo race towards her palms outstretched and Amari knew what she had to do.

She braced her foot quickly before running in the same direction, her palms matching his own in an attack. It was time to fight fire with fire.

They ran towards each other with everything that they had, shouting out before an extremely large explosion filled the entire arena. The entire area started to fill with smoke and clouded the playing field, now wondering who had won.

Once the air cleared, everyone blinked, now focused on finding the victor of the round. It really was anyone's game at this point.

Amari coughed, her gold matter glitching and disappearing in front of her. It was a miracle she was still on her feet. That explosions had pushed her back quite far.

Seeing Bakugo in the distance, he also appeared to be in his feet, wondering the same exact thing. He didn't expect that brat of full on hit him with her entire strength.

Present Mics voice sounded then, also seemingly shaken up. "And the winner of the semi-finals is, Bakugo Katsuki!"

Letting her eyes fall, Amari saw her foot over the boundary line and cursed. Even after everything, she still lost. Bakugo was just too strong. "Damn it."

Her rage started to diminish, and all that was left was that same crushing disappointment that she'd come to know. Katsuki was right, all she could do it lose. Not like it matters anyways, she just wanted her brother to be proud of her. Although, it seemed that this caused the opposite though.

Feeling hard sting in her stomach, Amari slipped away from the wandering eyes. It seemed the the effects were wearing off now. Great, just great.

She coughed, leaning against the wall next to her before gritting her teeth. Yeah, overdosing was not a good idea after all.

Coughing again, she froze when another person appeared behind her. The movement made her jump and turn around, fear now in her expression.

Although, once she realized who it was, she sighed in annoyance. What was he doing here? "What do you want?"

Shinso blinked in surprise, now staring at her palm with intense anxiety. "Is that, blood?"

Noticing where he was stating, Amari looked at her palm only to find that he was right. Her coughing must've caused it earlier.

She felt somewhat embarrassed by this, rubbing her hand against her pants quickly to erase the evidence. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Although, Shinso didn't think it was nothing, recalling the conversation they had before. He came out here to call her out on her bluff, saying that she was just messing with him. But seeing this, it made him falter.

Reaching down to grab her hand, Shinso replied. "Hey hold on, you can't just call that nothing. Bakugo didn't hit that hard. What's wrong with you?"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance at his question, already trying to get away from him. She didn't really want to deal with him right now. "It's not from the fight stupid. Just leave me alone. I'm still pissed at you."

Heaving out a breath, Amari turned to leave when Shinso raced forward again, wrapping his hand around her arm in slight fear. She was acting really strange, and for some reason, it made him worry. "Don't just walk away from me, I'm talking to you."

The motion was too sudden, the Amari found herself losing her footing almost immediately. She still wasn't completely over the effects of the pills and it was making her woozy.

Shinso saw her lean forward and gasped, catching her body so she wouldn't fall. "Hey, what are you doing? Are you okay?"

But Amari just frowned, feeling the room spin around her. She had to close her eyes from the light. "Ugh shut up. Stop with all the questions. I'm fine."

Yet Shinso was not convinced in the slightest, noticing her face twisted in pain. "No your not. You're going to infirmary right now."

Noticing his hand on her waist, Amari groaned, forcing herself away. Why did he have to see her in this sorry state? She hated it. "Don't touch me. Stop overreacting Shinso. The infirmary won't do anything. I just need a minute."

She put her hand up to quell her headache as he eyed her with concern. "Bakugo, this isn't a joke. You need more than a minute. Come on.."

Forget everything Shinso thought about this girl, right now she needed him. It looked like she was about to pass out at any moment and he wasn't about to let that happen. Was she like this after every fight? He didn't want to know.

Wrapping his hand firmly around her arm, Amari began to protest. If only she had her strength, but that fight with Bakugo had completely worn her out. "I said don't touch me. What are you doing? Let me go.."

Shinso didn't listen to her demands though, still concerned for her safety. The infirmary would know what was wrong with her. "No, you are getting checked out right now."

Amari groaned, pulling back when another body stepped in between them, looking less than pleased. "She said let go."

Focusing her eyes, she saw Todoroki in front of her, his hand resting on the arm that Shinso was holding. He didn't know what was happening but she looked uncomfortable he didn't like it.

Shinso took one look at the boy before sighing, removing his hand. Now that Todoroki was here, he could relax. "Fine. I was just trying to help. Don't look at me like that, would you?"

Shrugging his shoulder, Shinso then turned away, trying to forget what he just saw. No, there was no way that everything that girl claimed was true. She wasn't going to die, no way.

At least that's what he kept trying to tell himself.

* * *

Once Shinso was gone, Todoroki looked down at his hand on her arm. "Are you okay? What was he trying to do?"

Rolling her eyes, Amari put two fingers up to her temple again. It seemed her headache was slowly dissipating. "Nothing, he just freaked out for no reason."

Seeing her in pain, his brow turned to one of concern, stepping closer. "What's wrong?"

Waving his hand away, Amari laughed nervously. "Right, so don't be mad at me.."

That sentence never meant anything good, and Todoroki knew it, now seeming more anxious. She must of did something reckless again. "What did you do Amari?"

Laughing again, her cast her eyes away from him before replying. "Right so, it's a funny story, well it's not really funny but it's a story, so umm…"

He noticed her rambling and placed a hand up, aggressive but not forceful. "Amari, tell me."

She paused for a moment before letting her eyes fall. Then, she took out her small package of pills and showed him. "Ever since I came back from USJ incident, it's taken a larger dose to active my quirk. They also don't last as long anymore. I think it's a sign that my body is rejecting them now. Pretty soon, they won't work. Just to compete I had to overdose my intake, and the effects, they aren't great."

Todoroki took in her words before letting his hands fall of her arm. Did that mean that she didn't have that much time left? And why was she pushing herself for the festival is she knew it would do this to her body? Of course he had the answer, even if he didn't like it. Amari was just too stubborn.

Shaking her head, Amari continued. "That's why I said we can't do this Todoroki. I'm a ticking time bomb, not something you want to get involved in. Let's just forget about before."

She started to turn away from him when Todoroki reached down and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Amari, I think we are a little past that point now. I'm already involved with you. Why didn't you tell me before?"

Looking down her his hand, she smiled sadly. "Well, you were a little busy. We didn't really have time to talk."

He internally kicked himself for not being there for her when she was probably terrified for the future. He was only blinded by the need to reject his father, Todoroki didn't even see what was in front of him.

Closing his eyes in shame, Todoroki tightened his grip around her arm before pulling the poor girl forward, wrapping his arms around her in a firm embrace, much to her surprise.

Amari's eyes widened at this, feeling his hands now on her back. "Todoroki?"

But he only gripped tighter, speaking softly. "I'm sorry. You must of been scared, right? I was just too focused on my old man, I shouldn't have pushed you away like that."

Turning her brow into one of confusion, Amari replied. "Hey, it's okay. You were dealing with your own things too. There is no reason you need to be concerned about me anyways."

He shook his head in response, now pushing back to stare at her face. Like he could do that. "You can't tell me not to be concerned about you."

Staring into his eyes, Amari felt that same comfort she always felt in his arms. She wished she could stay like this forever and forget about her painful future. But that wasn't possible.

Amari's eyes saddened then, pushing against his arms roughly. "Todoroki, stop it. We can't do this. What happened before was an impulse. That's all."

Recalling the kiss, he knew it was more than that. She was just afraid to reach any closer, and he wouldn't allow it. "We both know that's not the case, Amari."

She thought about his words, throwing her arms up in frustration. He was right, she didn't want this moment to end, but it had to. "Then what should I do? The evidence is in front you Todoroki! The pills aren't going to work soon. I might not even have another year. Do you understand that?"

Listening to her explanation, his hand slowly rose to her face, lightly touching her skin. A year? The word felt so painful against his ears. Why was the universe this cruel? He finally found someone to care for and it wouldn't even be eternal.

His voice echoed through her soul, smooth and low. "I do, but I'm not going to run away from you, and you shouldn't run away from me. It doesn't matter if you have one year or fifty years left. That's not going to change the way I feel about you."

Amari stood silent, taking in his confession and feeling her cheeks flush. Was he even understanding what he was signing up for? "But in the future…"

Todoroki stopped her then, tracing his hand over her face lovingly. "Forget about the future. Let's take it one step at a time, okay? Forcing each other apart won't solve anything. It's not going to erase my feelings. What about you?"

He watched her eyes saddened, tears starting to form in the corners. Amari knew he needed to push him away them, to lie to him and tell him that he meant nothing, but she just couldn't.

Reaching forward, she touched his face in response. Her voice was cracked and uneven, like she was unable to hold the words back. "No, I don't want that either. I really don't."

Todoroki watched a tear slid down her face as he cupped her cheek, leaning in closer until they could taste each others breath.

Amari closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. The kiss was gentle and light, almost like he was afraid she would break in her heightened emotional state. It was surely different than their last encounter.

Running her hands through his hair lightly, Amari pulled away before she lost herself in his embrace. How terrible was she? She told herself she wouldn't do this.

Touching his bottom lip, Amari's eyes fell, her voice still like sandpaper. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm so selfish but I don't want to let you go."

Todoroki brushed a hair from her face in response, shaking his head slowly. He already knew what his answer was going to be. "You can be selfish all you want Amari. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

AHHH okay okay there was a lot here. Over protective brother Bakugo, fluff, sadness. Here Todoroki and Amari decide to not break away and instead pursue their relationship. How cute. Poor Shinso is going through some stuff though.

Next Chapter: Mama Bakugo finds out about her daughters relationship. More feels and fluff ensue.


	22. S2 Chapter 10

The day after the sports festival, the results were all over the news. The top three overall challengers ending up being Amari in third place, Todoroki in second, with Katsuki winning the entire festival. Usually that would've made the boy ecstatic but ever since their fight, Bakugo was in the worst mood ever.

He hadn't even seen tried to speak to her since everything and Amari felt that sense of loneliness creep into her stomach again. They were doing so well, she didn't want to go back to how they used to be.

Sighing heavily, she watched him stomp down the steps the next morning before grabbing a piece of toast, still not uttering a word to her.

Amari could hear her father watching the news in the background, recapping the festival in vivid detail loudly. "Enough about the third years, this time the ones to look out for were the first year students of Class 1-A which blew the competition away and claimed the top three spots. That class is definitely something to look out for."

Swirling the spoon into her cereal, she listened to the announcers words silently. "And what may have shocked everyone the most was the unexpected confession by the third place ranked student, Bakugo Amari of Class 1-A. Talk about bold."

At his words, she dropped her spoon in embarrassment, already racing to the TV to stop replaying that terrible moment in her mind. "Turn it off."

Quickly grabbing the remote in her hand, she turned it off quickly before sighing in frustration. That bastard Shinso was making her the laughing stock of the entire country.

Her father just looked confused when Amari heard her mother enter the room, looking rather shocked. "Wait, Amari, do you have a boyfriend?!"

Realizing she must of heard the TV, the girl put her hands out quickly. Calling Todoroki her boyfriend didn't seem right for them right now. "Oh, uhh well…"

Just then, Bakugo appeared from nowhere, shouting back for her. "No, she doesn't."

Their mother frowned at his answer, slapping him across the head once. "Shut up Katsuki, I wasn't talking to you. Don't answer for your sister."

She then flipped her personality around like she usually did with Amari. "Now Amari sweetie, do you?"

Glancing towards her brother's angry expression, she replied. "Well uhh, I wouldn't really call us that just yet."

But of course, their mother took that as a yes and smiled proudly. "AHH that's wonderful dear. You should invite him to dinner tonight. I would love to meet this boy."

At her words, Amari gasped, already putting her hands out in a hard rejection. There was no way she would subject Todoroki to their crazy home life. "Oh no no no, that's okay. I'm sure he's really busy anyways with school and training and everything. Also it's so sudden, I don't want to seem rude or anything like that or you know seem too pushy or anything…"

Putting her hand up to stop her daughter's ramblings Amari's mother answered. "Oh, it would be no trouble at all. We'd all love to have him over."

Bakugo didn't seem thrilled by the idea though, slamming his hands on the table in front of him. "Oh no, I don't want that ice hot bastard anywhere near my house. I already see him enough as it is!"

Frowning at his response, Amari realized that maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. Bakugo already had a problem with him. The whole thing would probably just be awkward. "It's okay mom, thanks for the offer though. I think it would be better if he didn't."

Their mother paused for a moment before narrowing her eyes and speaking hard. It was the first time she had ever spoke to her daughter in that tone. The air suddenly felt dramatically different. "Amariana Bakugo, you will invite this boy tonight for dinner."

Widening her eyes in slight fear, Amari realized she was using her full name for the first time in years. She must have been really serious about this. There was no way to disobey her now. "Okay.."

Then, just as it arrived, their mother snapped back to life, smiling like a crazy person. "Perfect! I'll go shopping while you're at school then. Now, hurry on. You two are going to be late!"

She then happily threw her arms out, pushing her two children out of the house and slamming the door behind them before they could process what was happening.

Amari thought about what she had just agreed to and groaned. She kind of hoped that Todoroki would reject her offer, or else things were gonna get messy.

Turning to her brother, she already saw him leaving without her. Internally she wanted to talk to him but when she took a step forward, he frowned. "Don't even think about following me brat. I see enough of you already."

That caused her to stop, watching him leave completely. It seemed they were really back to step one. The very thought made her wither slightly.

* * *

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Amari walked towards the school alone. She silently wished for Todoroki's presence, although they stopped going to school together before the sports festival. Now it was usually just her.

She reached a street crossing and paused, seeing the walk sign flashing red. Amari sighed heavily and hoped it wouldn't take very long when a voice next to call spoke. "Hey, you're that girl from the sports festival, right?"

Blinking in surprise, Amari turned to find an older man staring at her. She replied quietly, hoping that the rest of the people around her wouldn't hear the conversation. "Oh uhh yeah, that's me."

Although her plan didn't work well as soon, everyone around her started whispering, pointing in her direction. "Hey, look! It's Confession girl!"

Her eyes widened at the term, glancing towards the red sign and wishing for it to go by faster. She really should of changed her name. "Please don't call me that."

But the people around her weren't listening, only continuing loudly. "Good luck, Confession girl! I hope he answers your feelings!"

Feeling the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks, Amari's face flushed. Was this how it was going to be now? She really hoped not. "Ah thanks.."

The comments and voice kept coming after that, crowding the area around her all at once. Why wasn't that light turning green?

Just then, the light finally changed and Amari found herself sprinting across the road, trying to get away from these crazy people as quickly as possible. She didn't know if her heart could take this everyday.

Reaching the other side, she heaved out a breath when the people next to her gasped and whispered in excitement. "Oh my god, that's her right? The Confession girl…"

The name pounded against her skull and all she wanted to do was get out of there, to find any place without people. But she couldn't find anywhere, just all eyes on her.

Taking a step away, she felt someone grab her arm and Amari was pissed, snapping around to yell at the random stranger. "Seriously, what is your problem?! Don't touch me!"

But she ended up freezing when Amari realized who it actually was. She had just yelled at Todoroki.

Pulling his hand away, he took a step back, not knowing what was happening. Had he just offended her somehow? "Sorry."

Widened her eyes, Amari's tone changed immediately, putting her hands out in desperation. Why did it have to be him? "Oh no no no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I thought you were someone else."

Her words didn't put him at ease though, now turning around to see who she was talking about. "Are you okay? You seem upset."

Sighing heavily, Amari replied. "It's nothing, it's just that stupid sports festival. Seems like my outburst is public knowledge and now I just want to crawl into a hole and die."

She noticed his confusion and changed the subject quickly. "But never mind that, what are you doing here? I thought you train every morning now?"

Todoroki paused for a moment before letting his eyes fall, recalling the mistake he had made while being focused on beating his father. "I already told you, I'm not going to leave you alone again, but I understand if you don't want to walk together anymore."

Amari stood silent for a moment. Did that mean they could go back to walking together? She didn't know why, but his words made her so happy.

Nodding her head enthusiastically, she jumped up to him in her usually spazzy nature. "No, I do. I really want to! I've never wanted anything more!"

Todokori took in her excitement and couldn't help but smile under his breath. "You don't have to go that far."

Realizing her mistake, Amari's eyes fell. "Ah sorry, I'm just really happy."

He shook his head in reply, already used to her excited and over the top attitude. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you're happy."

Amari smiled at this when a person next to her gasped, calling out to her loudly. "Hey! It's Confession Girl and the boy she called out to! Good luck Confession Girl! We're rooting for you!"

She groaned at the words, putting a hand to her face in embarrassment. "Seriously? When will they stop?"

Todoroki noticed her uncomfortable stance and before she could process it, he had already taken her hand, dragging her away from the crowds. "Come on, let's go."

Amari gasped at the contact, feeling his warmth pour into her as the crowds of people noticed the actions as well, now screaming with excitement. "Whoo hoo! Way to go Confession Girl!"

But this time, Amari couldn't hear them over the sound of her own heart beat. They were just holding hands, she shouldn't have been this embarrassed.

They walked side by side with each other, now noticing that Todoroki hadn't let go of her hand. They kind of looked like a couple like this. "Hey, Todoroki? I don't think they can see us anymore. You can let go now."

Looking straight ahead, the boy only tightened his hold, answering back. "What if I don't want to?"

Her eyes widened at that, feeling her skin turning even more pink by the second. Trufuly she didn't want to let go either. "Oh, then I guess you don't have to."

His heart hammered in his chest at her response, now feeling slightly nervous himself. This was the first time he had ever wanted to get close to someone. It was different.

An awkward silence appeared between the two of them before Amari spoke, low and quiet. "So uhh, does this mean we are, you know…?"

She didn't finish the sentence but he knew exactly what the words meant. Did this mean that they were in a relationship? The words felt forgein in his mind.

Thinking for a moment, Todoroki answered. "I suppose, but you don't have to think about all of that right now. We agreed to take it one step at a time, right?"

Amari nodded her head slowly. Somehow calling them dating or her boyfriend didn't sound right at the moment. They had already gone through so much together. That simple term couldn't possibly describe everything that had happened between them.

She took in the warmth of his palm between hers and suddenly wanted to try something, although she wasn't sure if her heart could take it.

Squeezing his hand softly, her voice echoed out low and small, catching him completely off guard. "Thanks for being with me, Shoto."

At the sound of his first name, Todoroki completely stopped, now standing still in utter shock. He felt his cheeks start to burn and immediately let go of her hand.

Because he wasn't able to control his left side fully yet, his flames started to burst of life in utter embarrassment and dismay. He wasn't expecting her to say something so out of the blue like that. It made his heart go crazy.

Amari gasped at the reaction, turning away in embarrassment, hoping that he couldn't see her reddened expression as well. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. it's still too weird, right?"

Calming himself down, Todoroki placed a hand to his face. "No, it's not that. I was just caught off guard. Sorry, I still can't control my flames yet. Are you hurt?"

He quickly grabbed her palm but when he saw her unhurt, he relaxed. He needed to be careful not to accidentally burn her one of these days. "No, I'm okay. You pulled away in time. Sorry."

Not liking her apology, Todoroki tightened his hold on her hand. "Maybe you should hold my other hand this time, just in case."

Amari smirked at that, replying. "So what, you can freeze me next time?"

This caused him to smirk as well, reaching down and wrapping his right hand around hers firmly. "Sorry, I'll learn to control it."

They started to walk away when his voice returned, low and smooth. "I'll get used to it, so you should just keep calling me by my first name until I do."

Amari blinked in surprise and turned to him only to find his eyes casted away. She could see a line of pink under his eyes. "So, it's okay? You didn't hate it?"

Nodding his head, Todoroki tightened his hold. "That wasn't the problem. It was the opposite actually."

His words caused Amari to blush, silently happy that he didn't outright hate her action. Although, she would need to get used to him as well, or else her heart wouldn't be able to take it. "Oh.."

* * *

Reaching the school, the two almost at the gates when Amari noticed a bunch of students outside the buildings. She looked down at her hand in Todoroki's and stopped.

He seemed to notice her residence. "Amari, what's wrong?"

Amari sighed heavily at his words, lowering her eyes. "It's just, everyone's gonna know about us if we walk in like this…"

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Todoroki answered. "And what's wrong with that? Do you not want anyone to know about us?"

She felt his grip loosen and Amari gasped, shaking her head. "No, it's not that. I'm just nervous about it I guess. Everyone is probably going to stare at us and you are the most popular boy in school and everything and I don't know, I guess it's just going to be really awkward and everything and…"

Noticing her start to trail off, Todoroki stopped her words by lifting his hand up, showing her the proof of their relationship. "Hey, it will be alright. I'll be right there next to you the entire time. Let's do this together.."

He squeezed her hand in reassurance and Amari sighed, giving in. "Alright, I guess."

Todoroki nodded his head and they continued walking together through the courtyard together.

Just as Amari had predicted, many students stopped and stared at the couple, whispering and gossiping about them being together. Amari felt just as embarrassed as she thought she would but Todoroki's hand kept squeezing hers every couple of minutes, calming her down quietly.

Soon they reached the classroom and when they entered the area, everyone seemed to freeze, taking in the two of them together. Well, everyone except Bakugo who acting like he wasn't paying attention.

They all looked between each other, wondering who would speak out about it first, Kirishima losing the battle. "Hey Amari, are you guys together?"

Casting her eyes away, Amari put a hand up to her neck in embarrassment. "Uhh yeah, I guess we are.."

Then entire class stood in silence for a moment before jumping out of there seating, clapping their hands wildly. "Finally! I thought you two would never figure it out!"

Amari's eyes widened as Denki pulled out a small notebook before everyone started to take money out of their wallets. "Alright, who said after the sports festival? Dang it, I was so close!"

They then started placing money on the desk as Ayoama groaned. "Amari, why couldn't you have figured it out before the festival? You made me lose the bet! I pushed you and everything!"

Letting go of Todoroki's hand, Amari stomped up to them in about anger. So that's why Mina and Ayoama where all over her about this. "Wait, you all created a bet about this?!"

She grabbed the notebook off the table as Deku ran up to her, trying to quell her anger. "I told them it wasn't a good idea, Amari-chan."

Opening the notebook, Amari found a bunch of names and dates, each other them trying to figure out when she was going to actually confess. They really made a bet about her relationship. Unbelievable.

Throwing the book on the ground, she then turned to Katsuki. Was he in on it also? "Hey Katsuki, did you know about this and just didn't tell me?!"

But Bakugo only grunted, turning away from her. "There is no way in hell I would participate in something so stupid. Keep dreaming brat."

Well, at least he didn't know. That made her feel a tiny bit better, although not much.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find that Todoroki had picked up the book. "Amari.."

Her shoulders fell immediately at that, already calming her down. Then she watched as he moved up to Denki, holding the notebook out for him to grab. "Here."

Denki reached out to grab the object when it spontaneously caught on fire, burning the poor boys hand and dropping the book. "Hey! You did that on purpose!"

Shrugging his shoulder, Todoroki only turned away, now moving to his desk as well. "Sorry, I still can't control my left side very well."

Amari and everyone both knew that it was no accident though. He seemed he was equally as bothered by the bet as she was. That was reassuring to know.

Just then, she remembered her mother's words and internally groaned. She guessed she would have to bring this up sometime. "Hey, so feel free to reject this but my mom is set on having you over for dinner tonight."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion at that. This was the first time Todoroki had heard of this. "Dinner?"

Amari nodded back, already feeling mentally exhausted from just thinking about it. "Yeah, I tried to turn her down but for some reason she was really pushy about it."

Snapping out of her own thoughts, she then smiled while putting her hand up in defense. "But you really don't have to go if you're busy or anything. It's probably just gonna be awkward anyways."

She expected him to agree with her, to just say alright like he always did. That was his usual response after all. Todoroki didn't need to be in this mess.

Although what she got was something completely different. "I'll go."

Blinking in surprise, Amari gasped. "W-What? It's really okay if you don't want to. I'll just tell her that you're busy or something…"

But once again, Todoroki surprised her, answering back. "No, I want to. I want to meet your family. I want to learn more about you."

His words made her cheeks turn pink again, not expecting him to agree to her mother's request. Although, she couldn't deny him that request now that he was so serious about it. "Okay, I mean, if you're sure."

Just then, Aziawa walked in and halted their conversation. She silently wondered why he would be so enthusiastic about the idea?

She guessed that settled in then, Todoroki was coming to dinner.

* * *

Right after school ended, Amari and Todoroki walked together towards her house, Amari herself feeling like a nervous wreck. She silently hoped this wouldn't be an utter disaster.

Turning to face him, she spoke. "Alright, feel free to leave at any time, and try not to feel intimidated by Katsuki or my mom. You don't have to stay that long either if you get uncomfortable at all."

Todoroki noticed her nervous demeanor, seeing her house in the distance. "Hey, it will be okay. I'm doing this because I want to. You don't have to be so worried about it."

Although Amari wasn't sure, now standing in her doorway. "I know, and I really appreciate it. Just promise me you'll tell me if it gets uncomfortable, okay? It will make me feel better."

He nodded his head to quell her anxiety as they saw Bakugo walking in front of them. Oh boy, this was going to be interesting.

Releasing her hand from Todoroki, Amari smiled. "Hey Katsuki.."

But Bakugo didn't feel the same, now noticing that icy hot bastard next to him. It was going to be one long night that was for sure.

Then without answering, he just groaned and slammed the front door right in her face. Yeah, he was still pissed.

Todoroki eyed this as Amari sighed. "And we were doing so well. Looks like we are really are back to square one now. Ah well. Sorry about that."

He just frowned at her response, already knowing why he was so upset. Bakugo was so sure that he was using Amari for his own selfish reasons. He knew it was coming from a place of love but that didn't mean he had to be such a jerk about it.

Suddenly, the door sprang to life again, this time revealing her mother. "I'm so sorry about that. Katsuki can be kind of an asshole, but I'm sure you already know that. Come in, come in!"

She pushed the two kids inside before shutting the door behind her. "You must be Amari's boyfriend. I'm Bakugo Mitsuki. It's nice to meet you."

At the word, boyfriend, Amari felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Mom, I already told you it's not like that yet."

Although Todoroki didn't seem bothered, just bowing his head in respect to the woman. "It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Todoroki Shoto. Thank you for letting me take care of your daughter."

Amari blinked at his polite nature, but she supposed that did make sense, given that he was from such a rich family and everything.

At his last name, Mitsuki perked up. "Todoroki..oh I know you, you are Endeavors son, right? I saw you during the sports festival. You really were impressive I gotta say."

Groaning internally, Amari put a hand up to her face. They were only a couple minutes in and her mom was already making him uncomfortable. Great.

Todoroki didn't seem to show it though, only answering plainly. "Thank you. I appreciate the compliment."

Her mother smiled at his response, only to turn around and yell across the room. "Bakugo Katsuki, you come out here and greet our guest right now! And stop being so rude, will you?!"

He seemed shaken by the change in attitude when Bakugo shouted back. "No way! I already see that bastard way to damn much already! Just leave me alone you old hag!"

Sighing in frustration, Mizuki smiled softly in the twos direction. "Give me just one moment. I'll be right back."

Then they watched as Amari's mother stomped up the stairs, hearing the door to Bakuog's room slam open with a loud thud. "Katsuki, I swear to god you have five seconds before I drag your dead body down here for you!"

Todoroki listened to the interaction before speaking. "Is it always like this?"

Amari just laughed slightly at his question. "Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes I think it's better that I lived away from my parents. I feel like I might have ended up like Katsuki otherwise."

He couldn't help but shiver at the thought, not wanting to tell her that she kind of did act like them when she was angry. "That would've been really scary."

She laughed at his words, nodding her head. "Yeah, I think so to. But to be honest, it's really weird that she was so determined to have you over. Usually my mom doesn't care what I do."

Todoroki turned to her at that. "What, why?"

Looking down at the floor, Amari smiled sadly. "It's always been like that. You just saw it, she treats me and Katsuki completely different. I could dye my hair three different colors and she wouldn't care. Perks of having a shortened life span I guess."

He took in her words, the piecing clicking into place. The reason why she let Amari do what she wanted was because of her weak constitution? That was actually kind of depressing.

Amari then clapped her hands together and continued. "That's why it's so weird. I can even usually avoid my birthday but this? She wouldn't take no for an answer. I wonder why that is?"

They were shaken out of their thoughts when Mitsuki came back, this time dragging a very unhappy Katsuki down with her. "There! Now we are all here! Sorry for the wait."

Bakugo crossed his arms in annoyance as their mother hurried into the kitchen. Now you three chat while I get dinner ready, okay?"

Once she was gone, the air around them had grown about a hundred times thicker. Why had her mother let them be alone like this? It was only going to bring trouble.

Bakugo and Todoroki just stared each other down in utter silence, the hatred radiating off the two of them. It was like she was in the middle of a battle zone.

Just then, their mother came back, completely disregarding the atmosphere. "Oh no! I totally forget to get a cake for desert. Katsuki, do me a favor and take your sister to get one for me."

Bakugo didn't seemed happy about her idea though. "What? Oh hell no, it's not my fault you forgot a damn cake. Go make icy hot get one if he wants it so bad!"

Their mother didn't seem to like his answer though, already taking a challenging step closer. "I'm not going to let our guest of honor do that. That's terrible manners. Don't make me count to three…"

Katsuki grumbled in response as Amari spoke for him. She didn't like the idea of leaving Todoroki with her mom either. "But mom, I don't want to leave Shoto alone. He doesn't know anyone here.."

Their mother smirked at her calling him so informally, placing a hand on the poor boys shoulders. "It will be alright. Todoroki is going to help me cook, right?"

Although this was news to him, he didn't seem to mind. Maybe spending time with her brother could help them reconcile. "Of course, I would be honored Bakugo."

Clapping with excitement, Mitsuki smiled, already shoving her children out the door like she did this morning. "Good! It's settled! Katsuki, don't you dare leave your sister behind!"

Then she slammed the door in front of them and Amari had an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. Her mother wasn't usually this forgetful.

There was something off about this whole thing, she just didn't know what.

* * *

Todoroki found himself standing next to Amari's mother silently, stirring the pot of soup next to him every couple minutes. He never really had a family like this before so it was hard to figure out what to say.

Mitsuki hummed while chopping up the vegetables next to her. "So, Todoroki, how did you meet Amari?"

Thinking about his answer, he flashed back to the first time they had met. "We met at the opening ceremonies for U.A. She called my eyes pretty."

She laughed at his story, shaking her head. "That sounds about right. That girl is always so scatterbrained. I honestly don't know where she gets it from. Living apart for so long, her traits have become rather different then the rest of our family.

Throwing the vegetables into the pot, Todoroki wondered something. "That's not true. She has your families determination and passion. I've seen it."

Mitsuki couldn't help but smile at this, moving away from the pot towards the table next to her. "Todoroki, come sit down. I want to talk to you about something."

He blinked in confusion before complying, watching her pull out a book of some kind. "I assume she's told you about her condition, right?"

Nodding his head, Amari's mother continued. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really thankful for you, but I just want to know if you are with my daughter for the right reasons."

Widening his eyes, Todoroki answered. "What reasons would there be?"

Mitsuki's eyes fell then, crossing her hands in front of her. "Amari has always been distant since she went to America. She used to be so open with her feelings but now, I find her trying to push everyone away for some reason. It worries me."

Opening the book next to her, she turned it over to show Todoroki. There in front of him were picturing of a younger version of Amari, maybe kindergarten age.

She had a goofy smile on her face but Todoroki couldn't help but notice the tubes and wires hooked up to her. She also looked sickly pale and skinny, far more than she was now.

Mitsuki spoke again, sorrowful this time. "I'm going to be honest with you Todoroki, I never wanted her to become a hero or go to U.A. I've already had to watch her go through so much and after that USJ incident, it makes me want to pull her out even more."

Turning the page, Todoroki's eye caught a picture of Amari and her brother together, both wearing goofy grins while her mother continued. "But what kind of mother would I be then? That girl, it's as you said. She has so much determination for this, I can't take away her dream like that. Who knows when she could relapse and disappear from this world? I can't be selfish."

He took in her words and quickly realized that her mother wasn't careless like Amari had claimed. She just wanted to give her daughter everything while she still could. By her explanation, it seemed like she didn't know about the effects of the pills either, just that Amari was still sick somehow.

The woman then locked her eyes with the boy, and intense air suddenly appearing. "That is why I ask, if you are only with my daughter because you pity her or what to do some kind of charity work, then I'll ask you to step away. Amari needs a strong support system and if she won't confide in me, then she needs someone else to trust."

Closing the book in front of her, Mitsuki's eyes saddened. "Can I trust you, Todoroki?"

A few moments of silence passed before he had his answer, leaning on his hands carefully. "Your daughter is very special to me. Even though we grew closer because of her condition, that's not the reason I care for her, and I can promise you right now that I will never abandon her, regardless of what happens in the future."

Taking in his intensity, Mitsuki blinked in surprise before smiling softly. Amari really did find a keeper, huh. "Thank goodness. I don't know why but that makes me so relieved."

She then wiped a tear from her eyes before standing up, enthusiastically. "Alright, now let's get dinner done before they get home, okay?"

Nodding his head, Todoroki joined her, now knowing the kind of person Mitsuki Bakugo really was. Amari was really lucky to have her as a mother.

* * *

The air around Katsuki and Amari was certainly thick to say the least. They ended up walking to the shop in complete and utter silence, until pulling open the door and stepping inside.

Seeing the row of cakes in front of her, she couldn't help but gasp in joy, now running up to the case. "Wow, these all look so good! What kind do you think we should get Katsuki?"

Although Bakugo didn't seem interested, just shrugging his shoulders. "I don't care. Just hurry up. The sooner we get this crap the sooner I can go home. I don't know even know what that damn woman was thinking."

Amari's face fell at that, quickly choosing a simple strawberries and cream cake before sighing. Well, this was a better time than ever to try and talk to him. "Hey Katsuki, are you still mad?"

Raising an eyebrow, the boy scoffed. "Of course I am. You even let that damn bastard into our house. I don't even know what you see in him. It's so obvious he's using you."

She tapped her finger on the class then. "It would be better if he was."

Her words caught Bakugo off guard, now gaining his full attention on her. "What the hell did you just say? You actually want him to use you?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Amari sighed. "It would easier at least. Then he wouldn't get so attached."

Katsuki had no idea what she was talking about, but he knew that he didn't like it. Why was she thinking so low of herself? "Excuse me, don't just let that bastard walk all over you like that! You are a Bakugo and Bakugo's don't take that kind of bullshit, you hear?"

His words made her strangely happy inside, hearing him call her a part of his family. Maybe they weren't completely back to the beginning. "I have no idea why he would even want to be with me anyways. He deserves someone better. It would make more sense if he was using me. I don't mind being used if it can give me that one moment of happiness."

Bakugo couldn't believe the words he was hearing. Was his sister always this down on herself? He had never heard it before today. "Hey, I don't know what kind of bullshit you are spewing but that bastard isn't good enough for you, you hear me? So stop acting all depressed and shit. It's getting on my nerves already."

He watched her eyes fall at that, running her hand across the glass. Why did she look so sad? What the hell was wrong with her today? "Katsuki, can we stop fighting? I don't want to have to choose between you and him. Please don't make me. I just don't want you to hate me again."

At her words, his ears perked up, especially at the last part of her sentence. "What the hell are you saying? I never hated you, dumbass."

Amari blinked in surprise at that. He was nothing but cruel to her in the past. That wasn't hate? "Y-You didn't?"

Bakugo suddenly remembered the words Todoroki said back in that terrible hospital room. He hated to admit it, but the way she was talking, it seemed like maybe that bastard was right. "Wait, did you think I hated you?"

Watching her eyes cast away, his sister put a nervous hand to her neck. "Oh uhh, no. Of course that. That just seems stupid, right? Ha ha."

Katsuki knew she was lying right away, now growing even more concerned. Maybe his sisters was much more fragile than he originally thought, watching her change the subject quickly. It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it.

Watching the worker pack up the cake, Amari sighed. "I also wanted to apologize for the sports festival. You spend all your time training me and I still lost. I guess what you said was true, all I do is lose.I embarrassed you after all, right?"

He was about to yell at her but the look on her face stopped him from doing so. She looked so sad and disappointed in herself. Was she really that beaten up about losing? She really was a Bakugo then. "Come on, stop it with that shit. Yeah I'm pissed that you lied about the training but that doesn't mean you have to be so depressed about it. So you lost, whatever. You just have to prove it next time, right?"

Amari thought about his words, feeling her chest grow a tiny bit lighter. Was he trying to cheer her up? She didn't know exactly but Amari wanted to think that was the case.

Just then the worker handed her the cake. She smiled at the gesture before turning away, already itching to get back to Todoroki. Who knows what her mother could be doing? "Come on. We should go back."

Bakugo agreed, moving towards the door when he noticed that sadness still in her eyes. She was still really upset about this.

Groaning in frustration, Katsuki put a hand to her head before rubbing it aggressively, like she was a small child. "Hey, stop that. I'm not mad anymore so cut it out, okay? You didn't embarrass me stupid so don't even start with that. I'm sorry for ignoring you."

Amari blinked in surprise at the sensation on her head. This was the first time Katsuki had ever shown her such affection and love. It was overwhelming and she didn't know how to take it. "What.."

But as soon as it was there, he hand disappeared, already turning for the door. "Now hurry up, would you?"

Lightly touching her head with her hand, Amari couldn't help but smile, tears pricking her eyes around the edges. She didn't know why, but she felt loved at that moment.

* * *

When they got back home, everything proceeded as normal. Todoroki joined them for dinner and when the cake was finally finished he and Amari had offered to take care of the dishes together.

Standing by the sink, Amari picked up one of the plates carefully. "Hey, my mom didn't say anything weird to you, right?"

Recalling the conversation he had, Todoroki just shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, I think your mom is really amazing."

She didn't fully understand his words but just went along with it. It seemed like she didn't say anything bad so that was good enough for her.

Todoroki spoke out next, grabbing her plate carefully. "How was Bakugo? Did you two manage to talk everything out?"

Recalling the hand on her head, Amari smiled under her breath. "Yeah, I think we're good. I can never tell with him though."

He seemed satisfied with her answer as well, taking a good look around the space before speaking. "I never really had this kind of thing. It's always just been me and my sisters so I really enjoyed being here. I finally got to see what a real family was like."

Amari's eyes saddened at this. She really hated to think of Todoroki's past and the pain that went with it. He always looked so sad when he talked about it. "Shoto?"

Just then, he grabbed her hand, lifting it from the soapy water carefully. "Being here made me realize something. I was always afraid to face this kind of thing but I think that I can face it if you are with me…"

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, he finished his sentence. "Amari, will you come with me to visit my mother?"

Her eyes widened at his words, almost dropping the plate in her hands. He wanted her to meet with mother? She was sure that memory was still incredibly painful for him. "Are you sure?"

Todoroki thought for a moment before answering. "Yes, I want to face this together with you. That is, if it's okay?"

Feeling the heat in his palm, Amari didn't even have to think about her answer. "Of course I will. I'll always support you Shoto."

At her answer Todoroki was filled with such relief and joy, lifting her hand up to meet his lips before kissing the surface lighty. "Thank you."

Amari blushed at the action, almost dropping the plate again when Bakugo voice echoed through the entire space. "Oh god! Can you not do that in my house! Seriously, have some self control. Absolutely disgusting, I swear…"

They took in his words and couldn't help but smile at the display. At least Bakugo wasn't going to kill him this time. It was progress.

* * *

This was supposed to be a short chapter...18 pages later….what have I done? Okay so I always have vague outline of things I want to happen in each chapter but for this one, I just kept coming up with ideas as I was writing and then BOOM, long ass chapter. I hope you liked it though

Can we just talk about how flipping cute Todoroki and Amari are. The ship is going strong lemme tell you.

Next Chapter: Amari meets Todoroki's mother and the intern arc starts. Oh boy.


	23. S2 Chapter 11

Todoroki and Amari had agreed to meet in front of the hospital at five o'clock sharp, although due to her nervous and anxious demeanor, she ended up showed up a couple hours early. She spend the time just pacing back and forth before sitting on a nearby bench.

Why had she even agree to this? Todoroki's mother would surely hate her and she feared things would end just like how they did with his father. She couldn't have both of his parents hating her.

Directing to no one in particular, Amari put her hand out, practicing her greetings. "Alright, It's okay. You can do this Amari. You just have to go up to her and say 'Hello, it's nice to meet you! I'm Shoto's girlfriend.."

Almost immediately she groaned. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't ready to use that term. So, she tried again. "Hello, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Bakugo Amari."

Her hand fell again quickly after. His mom wasn't the queen of England. There was no need to be that formal with her. She would just look stupid then.

Somewhere in the middle of her practicing, Todoroki walked up the path, now seeing Amari waving her hands and shouting at absolutely nothing. What was that girl even doing?

He approached just in time to see her throw up a couple of finger guns and a wink. "Hey, it's your girl Amari, It's super great to finally meet you!"

Raising an eyebrow, Todoroki knew he had to make his presence known but couldn't deny the amusement he felt, watching her repeatedly introduce herself to the air. He really shouldn't have been surprised by now. Although, he also had to admit that seeing her bounce around like that was really cute.

Amari put an anxious hand up to her neck, thinking about what was the correct way of going about this when she caught Todoroki's eyes from a distance.

They just stared at each other for a moment, Amari now in complete and utter shock. How long had he been standing there watching her like a complete idiot? It was so embarrassing.

She pretended to be cool about the whole thing, leaning back on the bench. "Oh, heyyy Shoto, when did you get here?"

Although in her act, Amari completely missed the bench and tumbled to the ground roughly, in the most ungraceful way possible.

Todoroki sighed in exasperation, already putting down the flowers he bought for his mother and kneeled down next to her. "Amari, what are you doing?"

Extending his hand, she accepted it in embarrassment. "Nothing really. Just, practicing?"

He lifted her off her ground carefully, noticing her attire now. She seemed to be wearing a black and white dress with a matching ruffle shirt underneath. "I had a feeling you would be here early. Did you even sleep last night?"

Casting her eyes away, he knew he caught her. "Uhhhhh maybe? Sorry, I was just too nervous about this whole thing. Your father already hates me, I just don't want your mother to be the same."

He picked up the flowers then, shaking his head in response. "I wish I could reassure you but I haven't seen my mother since my father locked her away when I was a child. I'm not too sure of myself as well."

Amari then quickly forgot about her own fears, now only thinking about Todoroki instead. This was way harder for him than it was for her. She couldn't think about herself right now.

Placing her hand over his own, Amari smiled softly. "Looks like we are both going in blind, then?"

He nodded his head at that and began making their way up the steps of the hospital quietly, Amari now focused on her hand in his. Being here was bringing back unpleasant memories herself.

* * *

They reached the door in almost an instant, Todoroki now remaining absolutely still, his hand hovering over the handle silently. It was as if he was afraid of moving any further. "I've come here a couple times, but I've never actually had the courage to open the door."

Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, Amari placed her other hand on the door handle as well. "Hey, it will be okay Shoto. I'll be with you the entire time. We promised we'd do this together right?"

Just her presence next to him meant so much, but he didn't know how to express that silently. He promised himself that he would do this, he had to.

Giving himself a breath of courage, Todoroki threw open the door, only to reveal a silhouette he hadn't seen in years.

Her white hair shown in the sun as she looked out the window, not noticing his presence yet. She was here, she was really in front of him.

Knowing he had to speak, Todoroki managed to squeak out one word. "Mom.."

At his voice, the woman perked up before slowly turning in his direction. There were tears in her eyes as her voice shook. "..S-Shoto?"

Amari took a step back but still remained close to his side, trying to give him his space. She already knew that the minute he looked uncomfortable, she would pull him out of there.

Taking another step inside, Todoroki showed the flowers to her. "I'm sorry it took so long mom, these are for you."

His mother took one look at the gift before pushing his arm aside and embracing him in a suffocating hug. Her voice shook underneath him, the tears pouring down her cheeks now. "I'm so sorry my baby, my Shoto. I missed you so much. Thank you for coming, even though I don't deserve it."

Squeezing the life out of him, Todoroki just stood in absolute shock, not really knowing how to respond. That same familiar scent of his childhood started rushing back all at once, and all the pain that came with it.

She must of noticed him tense up because his mother pulled away then, taking a step back awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I got carried away. You must be uncomfortable, right?"

Uncomfortable wasn't the word that he would've used but he surely did feel awkward. "No, I'm really happy to see you as well. It's just, been awhile."

This got her to smile, wiping another tear away "You really grew up to be such a wonderful young man. I watched you during the sports festival. I'm so proud of you, my son."

At her words, Todoroki couldn't help but feel a hard ball of emotion rise up in his throat. Up until recently the only thoughts he had of his mother were ones of pain and sorrow. But after meeting Amari's parents, he realized that maybe that's not all there was. "You didn't think my left side was unsightly?"

Her eyes widened at that, breaking eye contact with him. It was obvious she was ashamed. "Shoto, my baby, of course not. Have you been thinking that all this time? Back then, I wasn't in my right mind. Those words, all this time I wished I could've taken them back."

Hearing her say that made him feel strange. All throughout his life it had been so ingrained in his mind that his left side was evil and terrible. That he wanted to reject it as much as possible. Having her say this now, it was like the idea wasn't sinking in.

His mother took a step closer then, carefully touching his face, his scar and his trauma. She had done this to him, she had made him hate himself. "My Shoto, I love you so much. I want you to know that."

Feeling her fingers on his skin, a sharp shiver ran up the boys spine. He thought he would never hear that from her ever again. "Mom, I forgive you."

She remained silent at that, seeing the tears started to form again. After all these years and guilt, was her son actually forgiving her for her terrible crimes? It didn't seem real, she didn't deserve it.

Reaching a hand out, she gently cupped his face before smiling through her own tears. "I love you so much. You deserve to more forward, to not hold anything back anymore. You go show the world that you are a Todoroki."

As much as he wanted to stop it, Amari saw tears start to from in his eyes as well. He was really trying to hold everything back.

Just then, his mother noticed Amari's head popping out behind him, now noticing her presence for the first time. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there. You had to see such an embarrassing display."

Putting her hands up, Amari replied. "Oh no, it's okay, really."

Todoroki then turned to her, taking a step back so his mother could fully see the girl. "Mom, I'd like you to meet someone."

Moving forward, Amari nervously smiled before bowing in respect. "Ah yes! Hello! My name is Bakugo Amari, it's nice to meet you."

His mother just eyed this curiously as Todoroki quelled her suspicion, grabbing her hand lightly. This seemed to get the message perfectly clear. "She is someone very important to me."

Watching the action, his mother couldn't help but smile back, seeing her son all grown up. "I'm proud of you Shoto. You found someone to cherish. As a mother, that makes me so happy."

Amari let out a huge breath of relief, knowing his mother approved of her. In fact, his mother was completely different than his father was. She could almost see why Todoroki was the way he was.

Taking a step forward, Amari spoke. "I can see now where Shoto gets his heart and kindness from. You two are more alike than you would think."

His mother took in her words and couldn't help but feel calmed by them. She could already tell that this girl saw her sons true essence. "Well, I don't know about that but I'm happy you seem to think so dear."

After that, they talked for a couple more hours, Amari carefully watching Todoroki to see how he was feeling but found only a mask of emotion. She really hoped that he was okay.

As they said their goodbyes, Todoroki walked out first when his mother called back to Amari softly. "Bakugo.."

She turned around slightly, answering. "Yes?"

His mother was silent for a moment before taking a step closer and carefully grasping her hand lightly. "I just wanted to thank you. I think the reason Shoto has become more open is because of you. He's always needed someone to look after him, and I'm so happy he can finally confide in someone again."

Amari stood still at her words. She was really giving her way too much credit than what she deserved. "Oh no, I really haven't done anything. We haven't known each other for that long and I couldn't possibly take responsibility for something like that."

Then she glanced in the direction he went and smiled sadly, thinking about the messes he had to clean up because of her. "Besides, I think I'm more of the one that confides in him."

From her response, the woman could tell that there was something deeper going on with them but didn't want to pry. She didn't have the right to. "I don't know about that. I can already see that he values you greatly. That child still has many scars from the past, but I have a feeling you will be able to help him."

Amari was about to deny her again when Todoroki came through the door, confused as to why she wasn't behind him the entire time. "Amari, what are doing? We should head back before it gets dark."

Nodding her head, the woman dropped the conversation, already knowing that it had affected the girl. "Of course, you two should hurry along. It was very nice to meet you Bakugo."

She bowed back in response, recalling the words his mother just said. There was no way she was that special, she couldn't help him like that. "Ah yes! It was very nice to meet you also."

Then Todoroki grabbed Amari's hand and pulled her out the door silently before shutting it behind them.

* * *

As they were walking down the steps, the girl sighed, echoing out a huge breath of relief . "Ahh I was so nervous! But I think it went pretty well. At least she didn't hate me, right Shoto?"

She laughed slightly at her own joke when she realized him not responding, and when she turned Amari saw him in complete, utter thought. He must of not heard her.

Staring at his face, it was obvious that Todoroki was thinking about something serious, his face now turned down into a small frown. Maybe that meeting didn't go as well for him. "Shoto?"

Todoroki then heard her name and snapped out of his thoughts, seeing her confused expression. "Sorry, what is it?"

As they reached outside, Amari wanted to somehow make him forget about his lingering thoughts, to ease his mind if only a little. Those childhood memories must of been coming back.

That's when she noticed a large outdoor water fountain park, bursting to life with screaming children and energy. Why hadn't she noticed this coming in?

All at once, her inner child began to scream in joy as Amari let go of Todoroki's hand, pointing to the area in excitement. "Whoa! Why didn't I see this before? I love these things!"

He eyed her with confusion and before the poor boy could think, she was already gone, racing towards the object quickly and running through one of the streams of water.

She laughed joyfully, turning back to him and smiling. "Come on in, the waters great!"

Looking down at his formal attire, Todoroki sighed. "We aren't children. What are you even doing? You are going to get sick like that."

But of course she wasn't listening, running across another stream of water happily. "Oh come on old man, live a little!

She used to see these kinds of things outside her window of the hospital everyday but this was the first time she ever got to experience them. Sometimes she would see Katsuki run through them as a kid but it wasn't the same feeling as right now.

A couple children noticed her playful nature started to chase her around, Amari happily complying, now dodging in-between the spurts of water.

Todoroki just stood there watching the girl as the water bounced off her blonde hair. Her dress was now partway soaked but she didn't seem to care in the slightest.

Just then she smiled towards the kids and he felt his heart hammer in his chest. She was acting childish and spastic in this moment but Todoroki couldn't deny how much he liked her like this, how much his feelings for her continued to grow. That in this carefree moment, she looked really beautiful to him.

Her voice suddenly shook him out of his thoughts, calling back with her hand outstretched. "Shoto, come here for a minute. I have to tell you something important."

Todoroki grew confused but complied, wondering if something was wrong, he surely hoped not. "What's wrong?"

Reaching the very edge of the fountain, Amari just answered back quickly. "Come here, I can't tell you over there."

He took another step closer then, grasping her outstretched hand lightly. "Alright, I'm here. What's wrong?"

Just then, her face twisted into a sly smirk as she firmly grasped his hand, causing him to lose his footing and tumble forward face first into the water. "Got you!"

The children around them began to laugh, now taking in his soaked clothes and hair. She was just messing with him, he should of known. That was a classic thing for her to do.

He stood silent and Amari suddenly felt bad. Maybe he really hated her action. He certainly didn't look like he was enjoying it. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that. Come on, let's just get out and…"

But she was stopped when a huge burst of water flew right into her face, almost like it was thrown. Blinking back, she paused when she saw Todoroki smiling back at her. "You shouldn't let down your guard Amari."

She gasped back, now knowing that he was the one that drenched her and tried to throw a counter attack, although he was too quick. "Hey! Come on, let me get my revenge!"

The children laughed around her as the two of them began chasing each other around, throwing handfuls of water at a time towards each other until their entire bodies were soaked through. Although, neither of them seemed to mind.

Todoroki couldn't deny the level of enjoyment he was feeling at that moment. He had never had much of a childhood so doing this kind of thing was new to him, giving him a new sense of emotions and feelings.

Then, for the first time in a long time, he couldn't help but laugh, happiness feeling in entire body. Was this what it felt like to completely let go? He kind of liked it.

At the sound of his laugh, Amari couldn't help but stop, staring at him through the spirits of liquid. She had never seen him like this before. He looked, happy.

He also seemed to notice her staring, calling her out on it. "Amari, are you okay?"

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, her own words tumbled out before she could think about them. It was just like the day they had first met. "Yeah sorry, I just thought that you looked really beautiful right now."

Both of their faces turned pink as she suddenly realized her words, throwing a handful of water onto him to hopefully erase everything. "Ahh I mean, nothing! Sorry, forget that."

Trying to run away from her own stupidity, she suddenly felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her waist, pulling her back.

His voice returned then, tickling in her ear low and smooth. "I felt the same."

A sharp shiver ran up her spine at his words. Did he just call her beautiful? No, that was impossible. There wasn't anything remotely beautiful about her.

Although the moment was quickly interrupted when the kids called back to them, urging them to play around some more, so that's exactly what they did.

* * *

Once the sun had set, the two said goodbye to the group of the children and hurried on their way, now both completely drenched from head to toe. Luckily, Todoroki was able to use his fire side of to warm both of them up.

Not wanting to go home just yet, they decided to walk to the spot he showed her during Amari's birthday dinner, the view still looking just as breathtaking as always.

Stars littered the sky now and Amari couldn't but flop down on the soft grass, staring at the surface. "Ahh that was so fun. I'm surprised you went along with it also, given how serious you are all the time."

He looked down at her and followed her position, laying his body next to her in response. "It wasn't that bad. I actually enjoyed it also."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, Todoroki now thinking about his meeting with his mother. They supposed they were alright now, although it was hard to change ideals so quickly. All his life, he silently resented her for his scar, along with his father.

He didn't know why, but all of those unwanted emotions were starting to come back. "Amari, can I tell you something?"

Blinking in surprise, she answered. "Of course. You can tell me anything."

Todoroki thought for a moment before continuing. "I told you that I wouldn't run away but to be completely honest, I'm not fully confident in myself either."

Amari narrowed her eyes in concern as he spoke. "As a child, the only thing I've known from my parents was anger and hatred. I've seen my father strike my mother more times than I can count. Truly, I don't know what love is, or even how to express it."

Hearing him talk about his childhood brought a heavy weight in her stomach. This poor boy already had to live through so much. In some ways though, she was glad he was finally able to talk about it though.

She remained silent, just letting him talk freely, without interrupting. "I'm so afraid of my fathers blood inside me. I just don't want you to have to go through the same torment and suffering that my mother did. I don't want to become like him, I refuse to. Although, a part of me understands that maybe I'm just being foolish. I already have his power, what else could be next?"

Bringing a hand up to touch his face, Todoroki ran his fingers across his scar. "I've never even had a family before, so how can I be so sure of myself? How can I give you the support you deserve when I don't even know how to give it? Seeing my mother made me realize that I don't want to repeat the past."

Taking in his words, Amari couldn't be silent anymore.

In one motion she lifted herself off the grass and leaned over the boy, a hand now on the other side of his body so that they were closer. "Can I say something also?"

Looking up at her, her face stood out against the starlit backdrop, framing her face evenly. "Of course."

Just then, she smiled and Todoroki felt his cheeks flush. "You are not your father, and you will never be. Midoryia already told you, right? That power is yours and yours alone."

Lowering her eyes, Amari continued, her voice growing lower. "You just being here next to me is all the support I need right now. I may not be confident in myself either but I know that at least."

She then trailed her fingers across his scar lightly. "Regardless of what you think, you've already given me far more than I could have ever imagined, and I'll be forever grateful for that. You don't have to worry that you're not good enough, because I already know you are. In fact, I'm so lucky that I met you Shoto, and even if that means that the past has to repeat itself, then I would still take it in a heartbeat. Although I know that won't be the case because you are strong and brave and smart and wonderful. That's not because of your father, but because of your own power."

Amari could be a bit of a dork and a child sometimes but now right was certainly not one of those times. Her words were so serious and smooth, her voice carrying through his entire body, making him feel light and calm. He didn't deserve to be called those things by her, he wasn't worthy of them.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment and Todoroki couldn't help but focus on her red eyes, piercing through the night. He had never felt like this before, never had he felt such an overwhelming emotion for one singular person before. Was this what love felt like?

Feeling the desire to touch her, Todoroki found his arms reaching up on their own, wrapping them around her shoulder and pushing her body onto his roughly. "S-Shoto?"

Amari collided with his chest, now firmly on top of him and couldn't help but blush. His scent wrapped around her entire body, pulling her into his embrace and forcing her to surrender to him.

His arms tightened around her waist as he spoke in her ear, the breath tickling her and bringing a sharp shiver up her spine. "Stay like this, just for a moment."

Amari complied, resting her head on his chest and hearing his heart hammer in his chest. It seemed to be going relatively fast for him. Was he nervous also? "Okay.."

He stared up at the sky and thanked whoever had allowed him to have her in his life, somehow wanting to thank her as well. "Thank you for coming with me today."

Muttering against his chest, she replied. "Of course. I'll always be here for you. Well, not always but I'll be here for as long as I'm able to be."

That last part of her sentence made him frown. She always seemed to do that. It was like she was trying to tell herself not to get too comfortable, that she couldn't get carried away. He hated that.

He was going to call her out on it but stopped when he felt the soft intake of her breath against his chest. Was she sleeping? He supposed that made sense, remembering what she said before. She was too nervous to sleep last night apparently with the visit to his mom.

Tightening his hold around her waist, Todoroki leaned his head down and kissed the top her head softly before whispering to himself words that he was always afraid to say. "I think, I love you."

Although she couldn't hear his confession, Todoroki still felt a sense of embarrassment from them.

Maybe one day he'll have the guts to say it to her for real.

* * *

Amari flopped her eyes open at the sound of the phone ringing loudly in her pocket. What time was it? Her half awake mind wondered as she took the object out.

Noticing a trail of drool on Todoroki's shirt, Amari quickly wiped it away before answering the call, her voice still groggy. "Hello? Who is this?"

A voice answered back, shaking her out of her sleepy nature and waking the girl up immediately. He sounded pissed. "What the hell do you mean, who is this?! It's your damn brother, and why do you sound like that?! What the hell are you still doing out?! I've been calling you over and over."

Jumping up from his voice, Amari cursed, noticing Todoroki had fallen asleep as well. Crap. "Oh sorry Katsuki, I guess time just got away from me."

Although, he didn't seem pleased. "That's no god damn excuse, now you get your ass back here before I come over there myself. What are you even doing anyways?"

His loud voice had managed to shake Todoroki awake as well, rubbing his eyes slightly, his voice also groggy. "Who is that?"

Bakugo heard his voice on the other line and couldn't help but allow his mind to wander to something unpleasant. "Oh no, you are not out with that bastard. What are you two even doing?! I swear Amari, if you thought you were going to spend the night with him.."

At his accusation, Amari gasped, pulling the phone away so Todoroki couldn't hear. "Shut up Katsuki, it's not like that, okay? We weren't going to..forget it. I'm coming home right now."

Bakugo grunted in response as she hung up the phone. Then she put the object down and face palmed in embarrassment. "Oh god, he totally got the wrong idea. I'm so dead when I get home. Why did I have to fall asleep?."

Standing up from her spot, Amari then turned to Todoroki and smiled. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Sorry for falling asleep. It seems that I've inconvenienced you again."

Todoroki stood up as well, brushing some the grass off his body and replying. "It's my fault as well. Come on, I'll bring up home and explain everything to Bakugo."

They then started to walk back towards her house together, Amari putting her hand up nervously. "I don't think that's such a good idea. He might kill you."

Although Todoroki didn't seem to be phased in the slightest, just slipping his hand into hers silently.

* * *

After a very stern talking to and a little bit of yelling, Bakugo seemed to understand what had happened, although he still wasn't very happy about it.

The next day came quicker than usual, and soon enough, Amari was sitting back in class, watching Aizawa move towards the front. "Alright class, now that the sports festival is over, it's time to focus on your upcoming internships."

He then placed a large stack of papers on the desk before pointing to them. "Right so, these are all the offers you've received during the festival. That means the names and agences on this list have recognized your talent and extended an invitation to intern with them. Those without offers will have a small list to choose from that will be provided after class. Make sure you choose carefully as this is your future."

The class cheered in excitement as the teacher began passing out the papers one by one, until he stopped at Amari.

She took the paper out of his hand and smiled. "This is so cool! I wonder who put out an offer?"

Humming slightly, Amari turned over the surface but immediately stopped when she read the first name on the list. That son of a bitch…

Todoroki turned his head in confusion when he saw Amari grumble to herself, tearing the top sheet of paper off and crumbling it in her hands in anger. "That asshole.."

Throwing the object on the ground, the paper landed next to his feet, picking it up slowly. "What are you suddenly so upset about?"

But it quickly got his answer as he unraveled the paper and read the first offer on the page. It was from his father, Endeavor. "Why did my old man send an offer to you?"

Narrowing her eyes in anger, Amari replied. "He probably wants to make me realize that I'm not good enough for you, wants to show first hand me how useless I am."

Her words, they sounded like she had heard them before. This was starting to make Todoroki uneasy. Had his father attacked Amari without him knowing? "How do you know that?"

Recalling his father's words, Amari answered nervously. "I may have painted a target on my back at the sports festival..."

This didn't ease him in the slightest though, already leaning forward in anxiety. What did that bastard do to her? What happened that he didn't know about? He needs answers. "Amari, what happened?"

Amari couldn't help but laugh at that, trying to make light of the situation. "Oh not much, I may have, kind of, you know, threatened him? Ha ha…"

Threatened him?! And she was still alive? How was that even possible? The terror in his eyes grew as he shot up out of his seat. "What?! Are you okay!? Were you hurt!?"

Grasping her arm aggressively, he searched for any type of cut or bruise that indicated he hurt her. If that bastard did anything to her, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

But Amari just shrugged him off, trying to calm him down. "Hey, I'm okay. He didn't do anything. We only talked, but he did piss me off so I may have gone a little overboard."

Narrowing her eyes in anger, she scoffed. "Trying to tell me that I should stay in my place and not to try and reach further then what I'm able to. Saying that I'm not good enough for you, that I would be a mark of shame on the Todoroki family. Talk about bullshit."

Todoroki heard the words that his father threatened and a hot, fiery rage grew in his stomach. How dare he try to hurt Amari like that, to drive her away. That disgusting and terrible man. He hated him.

Touching the paper in her hands, she spoke again. "It's obvious he wants to make a fool of me, to prove to me first hand that exactly what he said was true. There is no way he did this because he recognized my talent."

Todoroki listened to her and realized that what she was saying was probably right. His father just wanted to play around with her. He was so vile, the boy couldn't stand it.

His eyes saddened, knowing that he was responsible for the harassment. "I'm sorry. You are going to reject his offer though, right?"

But that's when Amari just smirked, crumbling the page in her hands all at once. "Oh no, I'm accepting it. Too bad for him, I never run from a challenge."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that, recalling all of the abuse and intense training his father gave to him throughout the years. He couldn't bear seeing her like that, having her experience that pain.

No, he wouldn't allow it. Todoroki had to put his foot down. "Amari, no. You know he won't make it easy for you. He will purposely try to drive you out."

Any normal sane person would've taken his words to heart and reject the offer, not wanting to put themselves through that kind of tortue and pain. But, unfortunately Amari wasn't that kind of person.

Instead, she only turned to him and smirked once more, the scent of a challenge being too good to turn down. If Endeavor thought she would run away because of this, then he was surely mistaken. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

* * *

*finger snaps* She's such a dork, I can't. Also Amari's gonna intern at Endeavor's place. That's gonna be some drama oof. Also fluff everywhere in this chapter. So flipping cute. We focus a lot of Amari's part of the relationship so this chapter I wanted to talk about Todoroki's feelings and emotions about the whole thing.

Next chapter: The interning starts.


	24. S2 Chapter 12

Moving towards Endeavors agency, Todoroki and Amari were strangely quiet. It was agreed that after she wouldn't back down from this, Todoroki also wanted to train with his father. Part of it was for her sure, but the other part was just because regardless of the past, Endeavor was a pro hero for a reason. He still wanted to learn from the best.

They saw the outline of the tall building in the distance when Amari suddenly stopped, her hand now with an air of uncertainty in it. "Hey, Shoto?"

He stopped as well, seeing the look of distress on her face. Maybe she was second thinking this dangerous choice? He sure hoped so. "What's wrong? If you don't want to do this we can just go back to U.A. and choose another agency."

Although Amari just frowned shaking her head in frustration, almost like she was upset by the idea. "What? No, that's not it. I wanted to talk to you about something before we go in."

Todoroki eyed this with confusion before letting her continue, having her voice come out rather quiet. "Listen, I think it would be better if we weren't in a relationship while we are here."

His eyes grew to ones of shock, releasing her hand at the same time. What was she talking about? Did she want to end their relationship? "What? You don't want to be together?"

The look betrayal and sadness must of been transparent because Amari immediately put her hands out, speaking fast to backtrack. "Oh no no no, I didn't mean it like that. Of course I do, it's just…"

Sighing heavily, Amari casted her eyes towards the ground. "I already know I'm going to have a target on my back while I'm here and I don't want that for you too. They are already going to think I came here will ill intentions.."

Todoroki didn't really understand what she meant, but he also knew he didn't like the idea. "Amari, I'm not just going to sit there and watch my old man hurt you. I'm sorry but I just can't do that."

His intentions were good, but yet she still felt saddened by them. "This is the choice I've made. I know you are worried but I'm not backing down from it."

Todoroki shook his head in frustration at her words. It was obvious she didn't understand what his father was capable of. "I understand, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you. If it becomes too much, just tell me. I will fix it."

Amari thought from a moment before he watched her frown, somehow not enjoying his declaration. He was treating her like a fragile doll, like someone that needed saving. But that wasn't what she wanted.

Brushing her hair behind her ear, Todoroki caught sight of one of her scars while Amari spoke, low and suddenly serious. "Shoto, not to be blunt but I think you are underestimating everything I've been through to get here."

He stood silent at her tone, watching the air around them have a more ominous feel to them. Her eyes, they looked focused and distant, almost like when she was in battle.

Just then, her tone shifted back, Amari giving out a heavy sigh and clearing the atmosphere. She then grabbed hold of Todoroki's hand. "Right now, I don't need your help, I need your support. Please, can you do that for me?"

Looking down at her hands, Todoroki still felt that small sense of doubt in his stomach, although he pushed it down for now. He still wasn't about to let her get hurt on his watch. "Alright."

She smiled then, making his palms rise with heat. "Thank you. Now, shall we?"

Todoroki nodded his head in response as they moved towards the building, now with detached hands. It was time to get serious.

* * *

Knocking on the surface, Amari and Todoroki opened the door to Endeavors office quietly, seeing the man himself seated at his desk. Although, when he caught Amari's eyes, he was less than pleased. "Welcome my Shoto, so you've finally agreed to my path for you."

Although Todoroki didn't seem amused, only shaking his head. "No, my decision had nothing to do with you as a father. You just happen to be one of the top pro heroes."

His father frowned at that. "I see, well it's a step in the right direction. You are making progress, that's all that matters."

Then he rose from his desk, moving over to Amari. This girl was becoming a real pain in his ass. He halfway thought she would've ran home crying by now. "And you, I hope you didn't think I sent that offer because of your talent.."

His chocky attitude was not lost on the girl. Instead, she only matched it, smirking back. "And I hope you didn't think I stupid enough to actually beileve that. Oh please, I know exactly why you are interested in me."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that girl's response. She had no idea what she was getting into. Why was she trying to get herself killed? She needed to stop being so reckless.

Endeavor didn't seem to enjoy her response either. "Interested is not the word I would use. Yet, even after knowing this you still came here? I'm not sure if I should call you foolish or bold for that decision."

Crossing her arms across her chest, she replied sarcastically. "Well, how could I possibly turn down an offer from the greatest number two hero? Now that would seem foolish."

It was obvious she was mocking him and Todoroki was more then afraid for her by the second. What was she even thinking. He had to stop it before she got hurt.

He prepared his courage when Endeavor cut him off, taking a step closer to the girl. "Listen child, you seem a little too confident in your answer. Doing this will not strengthen your worth to me."

Clapping her hands together, Amari laughed at that, narrowing her eyes "That might mean something if I actually cared about what you thought of me."

Endeavor stopped then, already fed up with this girl. She was acting so cocky. Let's see how she is after this week is up. Then she'll learn her place.

Letting his anger diminish, Todoroki's father spoke back evenly. "Let's see how confident you are after the week is up. I assume you already know that this agency won't hold back, regardless of your fragile constitution. You better prepare yourself child."

Although Amari didn't feel intimidated in the slightest, only welcoming the challenge. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Narrowing his eyes at her disrespect, Endeavor then stepped past her, pointing towards the door. "Very well. I will take you both to the training ground to meet the other trainee's and sidekicks."

Todoroki and Amari looked between each other then before slowly following Endeavor out of the room and down the hall. Todoroki couldn't help but feel a lump of anxiety already rising in his throat. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

Following Endeavor down the long hallway, the two just silently looked between each other and shared a silent look. It was almost as if Todoroki was asking if she was okay, but the only response he got was a slow head nod.

They stopped in front of a large door before pushing it open, the smell of sweat and the sound of loud shouting echoing through the space all at once.

When the strangers caught Endeavors form, they immediately stopped whatever they were doing, already making their way over to him. "Sir, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Todoroki father then stepped aside to show his son. "This is my son, Shoto. He will be interning with us this week as part of his U.A. training.

At the name, the others sprung to life, excitedly, crowding the poor boy. One in particular began to speak. "Oh, I've heard about you! You are the one that dominated the sports festival. Pretty impressive. It will be good to have someone strong like you on our side."

Although Todoroki seemed uncomfortable already. He really hated being in his father's shadow. "It's nice to meet you all."

They all smiled when Amari stepped out from Endeavors, tall form. It was obvious he wasn't going to introduce her so she'd have to do it herself, jerk. "Hello, my name is Bakugo Amari and I will also be in your care this week."

At her words, everyone just stopped and stared at the now small, cute little girl next to them. Were they hearing things? Did she just say that she was interning here also? Impossible.

Almost at once, everyone blinked in surprise, the boy same that was talking to Todoroki know turning to her. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard right. Did you just say that you're interning here also? That's a good one kid."

Amari just narrowed her eyes at this, taking a challenging step forward. "You have a problem with that?"

The boy seemed shocked as Endeavor's voice cut through the space. "Yes, these two will be in your care this week. Be careful not to push them too hard, or else it will be a stain on our reputation as a company. Okay, Katsu?"

He said that to both of them but it was so obvious that he only meant Amari. Of course he would single her out like that.

Katsu smirked at that, already scanning her worth and finding nothing. This little girl was cleary in over her head. She wouldn't last an hour. "Understandable Sir."

The other members seemed to not be pleased either, circling around her like they found a new prey. "She doesn't look like much. Are you sure shrimpy here can really handle this? Maybe it would be better if she left before she cries."

Todoroki heard all of the insults and couldn't just stand still. They were picking on her because of her size, already singling her out. He didn't want this for her.

Puffing his chest out in anger, he stepped forward then, placing a warning hand on Katsu's arm. "Don't speak to her like that."

Although the boys only seemed to laugh, finding amusement in his words. "Oh look it's the knight in shining armor here to save the princess. Does he always do this for you kid? That's how you got here in the first place, isn't it?"

At his words, Amari's face turned to one of irritation, reaching down at removing Todoroki's hand roughly. He was making things worse. It was as if she was angered by his help. "Shoto.."

Even with just the sound of his name, Todoroki knew she was not pleased, so he complied, dropping his hand slowly. "Amari?"

They shared a silent look before Katsu laughed again, eyeing the two carefully. "Wait, now I know who you are. You are the one that confessed to him in front of the entire festival. Oh so now I see why you're here. It's just to be with your beloved boyfriend, right? Well, this isn't a game, just go home kid."

Todoroki wanted to tell him off so badly, but because of her body language, his resisted, although just barely. They really thought she cheated her way to get here when in actuality Amari had worked harder than anyone. It was ridiculous.

He was stopped when Endeavor's voice cut back in. "Aright, now that you've introduced yourself, we will start by patrolling the area. Come Shoto, we have much to do."

Hearing him single her out, Amari stepped forward as well, calling back to him. "Wait, hold on. You are supposed to train me as well. Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Endeavor stopped then, the air turning slightly more dark. "Oh you didn't think I was going to waste my time with you, did you? How foolish. Only the most capable of my team are sent to patrol, and I don't want to have to be responsible for a lesser hero like you. We are not a babysitting service."

Amari stood in silence, carefully seething at his words. He was calling her nothing, a nobody that didn't even deserve to stand next to Todoroki. The very idea made her infuriated. He really was going to leave her behind.

Todoroki noticed her displeasure as well and also wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving her. Who knows what could happen without him next to her? "If she doesn't join then I'm not following you."

Endeavor took in the disobedience slowly, although it wasn't him who spoke out about it, it was Amari. "Shoto, you should go.."

Blinking in disbelief, he answered. "What? Amari I already told you I'm not leaving you alone.."

The other sidekicks and trainees starts to chuckle at his declaration which made Amari even more uncomfortable. "I don't need your pity. If he doesn't want me to go then that's that. This is a good opportunity for you. You need to take it."

He supposed she was right. This was a good opportunity for him in terms of learning how to be a better hero, although leaving her behind felt wrong.

She could see that he was wavering so in order to quell his mind, Amari smiled softly, nodding her head in acceptance. "Hey, I'll be okay. Don't hold back because of me. I don't want that for you."

Staring at her face, he found it harder and harder to say no. If she really wanted him to do this then he couldn't deny her. "Alright. But let me know if you need anything, alright?"

Amari gave a halfhearted nodded, as Endeavor started to drag him away, but not before whispering something to Katsu. "Put her through the hardest level we have. Don't stop until she gives up and goes home."

Katsu nodded his head, already knowing what the plan was. He wanted to drive this little girl out. He could comply to that. "Understood."

Todoroki's father smiled then, taking one last look at the poor girl before turning away. She wouldn't even last the rest of the day.

Once they were gone, Amari put her hand down, hearing the heckling voices behind her. "Are you sure you wanna do this shrimp? It won't be very pretty and your boyfriend isn't here to save you now. Just give up already like you did with protolling."

Staring at the ground for a moment, she only smirked. Of course this wasn't going to be easy. She was going to have to claw her way back to the top again. "You are mistaken, I haven't given up. I just need to force him to look at me."

The other teammates seemed confused by her words. "You talk pretty confident for someone that was just rejected."

Turning around back to the boys, they suddenly felt a new air around this girl. It was dark and ominous, almost challenging in a way. She looked completely different from just a few moments ago. "Oh, I wasn't rejected. He just doesn't realize how serious I am yet."

She then took the box of pills from her back pocket before lifting a challenging hand to Katsu. "Well, then, shall we begin?"

* * *

Endeavor returned after sunset, slipping away from Todoroki to check up on Amari. As he stepped into the agency he was sure that she had already gone home hours ago, probably crying and whining along the way. Now he wouldn't have to bother with her anymore.

Approaching the second floor windows that overlooked the training grounds, he was about to peak in when one of the trainee's burst through the doors, clutching his side. "Oh, Sir! You're back."

He eyed his injury with interest, ignoring it for now. "I came to check on the intern, although she must have gone home by now, correct?"

They boy turned nervous and that when another sidekick, Katsu, burst through the doors breathing heavily. "Sir, where did you even pick this one up? She's insane."

Not understanding his question, Katsu continued. "I don't know what is wrong with that kid but she has a death wish or something. I followed your orders and haven't let her rest since we started, hoping it would drive her to quit faster."

Now even more curious, Endeavor somehow knew he didn't like where this was going. "And?"

Katsu then nervously pointed towards the window in question. "Take a look."

He put a brow up in question as Todoroki's father made his way towards the training ground windows. Katsu must of been mistaken. It had been nearly five hours since he last left her. There was no way she was still going strong.

Glancing into the window, his eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight before them.

Amari was still there, breathing heavily as the sweat dripped down her face. She looked relatively close to exhaustion while fighting off her attackers, although she was still somehow standing.

They came out her all at once, quirks aimed at her body but Amari was not giving up, using her gold matter to trap them in their own separate domes. It honestly looked like it physically hurt her to use her quirk but she still wasn't backing down.

Noticing Endeavor in the window, she frowned, closing her fist so the attackers were face planted into the floor. Good, he was watching.

Then, she turned to him and shouted out in short gasps of breath, obviously struggling to breathe. "Now are you ready to face me instead of sending your lacky's to do the dirty work instead? Am I worthy enough to be in your presence now, Endeavor?"

Katsu's eyes widened at her tone, speaking towards his boss carefully. "This girl, is she even human? It's like she doesn't have any fear at all."

Endeavor watching the girl challenging him with pure hatred in her eyes, still not giving up. "Hey! I'm talking to you asshole! Come here and face me, you coward!"

All the sidekicks looked at her like she was insane when their boss himself walked into the room, looking less than pleased. This caused everyone to shrink away from the poor girl. Oh, now she's done it.

He stomped up to her, intent in his step until they were only a couple inches apart, trying to intimidate her. "What did you just say, child?"

Although she didn't seem phased in the slightest, looking up to meet him. "You heard me."

The crowds around them began to whisper wildy at the girls courage and stupidity. She really didn't know what she was getting into.

The air was silent for a couple minutes before Endeavor came to a decision. Looks like this girl wasn't getting the point. Instead he would have to drive it home himself.

Speaking low, he finally replied. "Alright, I will face you. But do not regret your decision. I will show you first hand just how weak and useless you are to the Todoroki line. I will prove to you that you are not strong enough for my training. Prepare yourself."

Finally giving Amari what she wanted, she couldn't help but turn her lips into a sly smile. His father was going to see first hand how serious she was about this. "And I will prove to you that I shouldn't be underestimated."

Moving away from each other to get in position, Endeavor could already tell this girl was going to learn her lesson. He needed to take to cocky attitude right from under her. "Once you learn your lesson and give up, I'll stop."

But Amari only found his words funny. "Bold of you to assume I'm going to give up."

Then, all at once, he came barreling towards her, Amari now trying to play the options in her head. This was going to be extremely difficult but she didn't need to win. She just needed to show him she was serious.

Throwing a first down, Amari's small size allowed her to slip under his large arm, throwing up a protective shield to get her away from his flames.

Endeavor turned away at the move, throwing a ball of fire in her direction and she put her arm up to block it. Although, the impact was so forceful that it cracked her shattered her shield, causing her skin to burn.

Amari seethed at the pain, in shock. This was far different than any other student she had faced before. It was like he was in another league. His hits, they were so forceful.

Seeing her burned skin, Endeavor put his hand down for a moment. "Now do you understand? Stop this before you get yourself killed."

But Amari just narrowed her eyes, already readying her quirk for her next attack. "This is nothing. I've had far worse before."

Then, she ran at him again, intent in her step. This time she tried a new strategy, lighting up her palms with good matter in order to return the favor and burn his skin as well.

But before she could process it, Endeavor reached down and grabbed her arm twisting it an unnatural way in a careless manner. It was like he wasn't even trying.

Picking her off her feet, he tightened his hold around her before throwing the poor girl to the other side of the ring, her body hitting the surface, hard.

Amari groaned and rolled over, coughing up a spit of blood before feeling her limbs prick with needles and pain. He really wasn't holding back.

Seeing the poor girl on the floor, he called out to her. "Give up child."

But she only frowned, already willing herself back to her feet. Her legs shook because of the shock but Amari tried not to notice. "No.."

Endeavor raised an eye at that, Amari now realizing just her gold matter wasn't enough for him. She would have to use her explosions.

Trying to heighten her emotions, she shouted out. "You know, I've never really hated anyone before. Funny, right? I think you're the first."

She then felt that same hot ball of rage in her stomach, along with the desire to continue. If she stopped now then Todoroki would always be controlled by this man. She needed to show him that he couldn't do as he pleased to her.

Feeling her palms start to spark, she ran towards him again, this time throwing a large explosion in his path.

Although, he was able to step aside again, grabbing her arm once more. To avoid the same fate, Amari grunted through her pain with everything she had, forcing her power into her palms.

It seemed to work because Endeavor loosened her grip just slightly, allowing her to break away. She smiled at the small victory.

Yet, it was short lived as a first collided with her stomach, knocking the life out of her in a single breath. Then, because of her weak state he was able to throw her to the side again.

His hit made her eyes blurry, slightly wondering if this was the training Todoroki was talking about it. To face this as a small child, she didn't want to think about it.

Coughing even more aggressively, Amari felt like her limbs were about to fall off. Endeavor watched the girl in disappointment. "Why do you even keep trying? Face it child. You will never be a hero with a body like that."

Feeling his words fill her entire body, she discovered a new sense of determination, already willing herself back to her feet slowly. No, this wasn't going to be over until she was dead. "Shut up."

* * *

Todoroki walked into the agency and sighed. Nothing had really happened during patrolling and being stuck with his father for that long was certainly not ideal in the slightest. The entire time he couldn't help but slightly wonder about how Amari was doing. He hoped she was okay.

Recalling back to a couple hours ago, he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with her. She looked so annoyed when he tried to help her against those sidekicks. Just hearing their insults brought a low rage in his throat. He hoped everything was okay now though.

Moving back towards his father's office, Todoroki couldn't help but notice the crowds of people gathered around the second floor of the training hall. They seemed excited about something.

Just then, a couple sidekicks quickly hurried by him, clearly hearing the conversation as they passed. "Hey, did you hear? That intern was crazy enough to challenge the boss!"

Todoroki stopped then,a sense of dread filling his stomach as he listened to their next phrase. "Yeah! Let's go take a look! I heard that he's kicking her ass hardcore. Well, that's the boss for you."

The words crashed into his mind all at once, now with a ring of terror in his body. No, that was impossible. Amari was reckless but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't have done that, right?

He found his feet running on their own, towards the huge group of people, shoving his way through as his heart beat hammered in his chest. Please let me her okay, please let her be okay.

Finally getting to the front, Todoroki froze when he saw the display before him.

What those sidekicks had said before were right. Amari was trying to fight his father, and losing immensely. He watched as Endeavor held nothing back, destroying the poor her and throwing her to the ground over and over again.

Placing a shaking hand on the surface of the glass, Todoroki couldn't help but think about his childhood, and the training his father gave him. He didn't want this for her. He needed to stop it.

Before he could even think, he was racing down the steps to reach the training grounds. He had to stop this, now..

* * *

Amari heaved out another breath, feeling herself close to exhaustion. If she kept this up then she would fall unconscious, and that would mean she gave up.

Sighing in frustration, Endeavor also seemed over their match. "We will stop here. If you continue like that you are going to die, and I don't want to be responsible for something like that."

Heaving out another breath, he continued. "Take this as a lesson. Shoto and Todoroki line doesn't need anyone like you. You would just a burden to us all."

He started to turn away then, when Endeavor heard heavy groaning.

Looking back, he couldn't help but stop, now watching the very broken girl still trying to stand on her feet. "What are you doing? You already lost. Don't be stubborn."

But Amari wasn't listening, just clawing her fingers into the ground and forcing her body up to her feet. "I don't know the meaning of that word. As long as I'm still alive, I'm not backing down asshole. I'm not finished with you yet!"

He couldn't help but seem surprised by this girl's actions. Here was this child, on the verge of exhaustion and death, and yet she was still somehow making herself stand back up.

Recalling the words his sidekicks said, Endeavor now realized what they had meant when they said she wasn't human and a possibly monster. Right now, he could see that.

He blinked in surprise at her nature, replying back. "You really are possibly insane. Do you actually have a death wish?"

But Amari just smiled at although, it was more of a grimace. "Now you are understanding. You said it yourself, I'm already going to die, so what's the point if it's now or later? If you really can't stand me then you better be prepared to finish the job."

Endeavor honestly didn't know what to say to that. From her looks and actions it was very clear to tell that she wasn't joking in the slightest. This girl really was insane. There was something strange about her.

Bringing his fist down to his side, he couldn't help but feel defeated. She really was something else. "Fine. I'll train you, but don't assume that this means I've accepted you in anyway."

Blinking at the realization of her victory, Amari replied. "Good, and don't assume this means I hate you any less."

Endeavor just remained silent at that when the door next to them slammed open, revealing a very scared and angry Todoroki. "Amari!"

She recognized his silhouette and smiled, taking a step towards him before realizing her weak legs and falling forward. "Shoto.."

He gasped and caught her just in time, cradling his arms around her before staring daggers at his father. "What do you think you were doing?!"

His father only relied plainly. "I was answering her request. She demanded I face her. Don't be so soft Shoto. It was her decision."

Blinking in surprise, Todoroki frowned before focusing on taking Amari out of the situation. He didn't know what had happened but he wanted to get her far away from here.

* * *

Once they were outside, Amari carefully shrugged his arms off her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm okay."

Although Todoroki knew otherwise. "No you aren't. What were you thinking challenging my old man?! You're insane."

She somehow found his words funny. "Yeah, I've been told that before."

He didn't seem to like she light hearted tone through. He was too worried for her to accept that. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Look what happened. Come on, let's go find a new agency."

Amari took in his words and couldn't help but feel a slight anger to them. Okay, what is with you? You've been like this all day. What I did was my choice and you need to accept that."

Todoroki found her words ridiculous though. "I'm not going to accept you pushing yourself like this!"

Throwing her hands up in frustration, Amari answered back. "Isn't that was being a hero is about? It's about pushing yourself past your breaking point, standing back up regardless of whatever obstacles are in your way. I'm sorry to break it to you Shoto but being a hero is all about getting hurt."

She had a point, but Amari was taking it to the extreme, and he needed her to know that. "But you need to take care of yourself as well. You can't just take all of these burdens on alone."

His words seemed forgien to her, flashing back to own her terrible memories. "But that's all I've ever done. If I don't push myself then I'm never taken seriously. I've alway had to claw my way just for the opportunity to stand next to everyone else. That's just how it is for me."

Todoroki thought about her words and realized that her mindset was so warped from being left alone in America. She would always have to do this reckless things because she had no support to learn onto. Her independence was hurting her.

Gently touching her shoulder, Todoroki spoke. "Amari, I understand but doing these kinds of things worry me. You have to stop being so reckless. You could've just walked away from my old man. There was no reason to face him like you did."

But she just shook her head at him. "No, walking away is the same as giving up, and that's the one thing I will never do."

Then he watched her as her eyes turned distant, almost as if she was recalling something. "A long time ago, I was told that giving up is the same as dying. That if I ever give up, I'm just better off dead."

Wrapping her arms around her shoulder, Todoroki couldn't help but become even more worried and cornered for her. Those words sounded so cruel and terrible. Was that really how she lived? Thinking she had to push herself to the brink of death rather than just walking away? What kind of horrible things had this girl been through to be taught that?

Todoroki lowered his voice in concern then, thinking back to all of her scars and burns she showed him. They was something wrong with all this. It was like she was taught to be a robot, a machine rather than a person. "Amari, what happened to you?"

She closed her eyes in pain at that, willing the memories away. "I don't want to talk about it., not now at least."

The worry was making him go insane but her body language made him hold back. She looked so afraid, so haunted by something. If she didn't want to tell him now then there was nothing he could do.

Todoroki eyes saddened, instead choosing to bring her into a warm embrace, his voice now tickling her ear. "It's alright. You don't have to tell me now, but I'm always here for you okay? It's not the same as back then, now you have support, now you have me."

Amari felt the warm embrace and couldn't help but melt into his touch. He saw this and sighed in relief.

This girl, perhaps she was more broken then he thought.

* * *

Endeavor heard a heavy knock on the door before revealing Katsu. "Sir, here is the file you wanted on Bakugo Amari."

Grabbing the paper, Todoroki's father flipped open the folder carefully. "Thank you."

Katsu spoke back evenly. "If I may ask, are you really going to personally train her? It's just you've never really done that for anyone, minus your children."

Scanning the file, Endeavor couldn't help but sigh. "There is something about her, something different. What did you find out about the girl?"

Katsu then pulled out his own folder and began reading. "Not much. Like you said before, she's just a weak girl with a weak constitution. Although, we did find something strange."

Endeavors eye raised at that, allowing him to continue. "When she studied in America, Bakugo attend Primrose Academy. Although, there is just one thing about that. Primrose isn't a hero school. In fact, using quirks there is mainly unheard of. She wouldn't have had that kind of extensive training there."

Narrowing his eyes, the man recalled his fight with the girl. Her training was clearly advanced for a child, so this piece of evidence was certainly strange. Where did she learn to fight then?

Katsu then turned the page. "Because of that, I did some research on the academy itself and it turns out that during the time she attended, in the last five years, at least one student had gone missing, never to be seen again. That is, until something changed.."

Taking a step forward, Kastu showed Endeavor a piece of paper, it looked to be a missing poster. "Bakugo Amari was announced missing for a month before coming back unharmed. The school never reported the incident and it was swept under the rug before news outlets could get the scent. After that, no other children have been reported missing"

The man couldn't help but listen to the information with interest. If Amari was a missing child, then why hadn't the school reported on it? And why has she come back unharmed?" "Was there anything different about the child when she returned?"

Katsu nodded his head then, leaning forward. "That's just it, before she went missing, Bakugo was basically quirkless, but after she returned, the girl was suddenly able to control her quirk. It was like a complete turn around in her condition, but that's all the information we have.."

The information brought even more confusion in the air. Endeavor was right, there was something strange about this girl, and he was going to find out what it was.

* * *

We are slowly connecting the pieces to the grand story in all of this. Amari's a badass though, like dang.

So basically her mindset revolves around doing everything for herself and pushing herself past her breaking point. The girl is careless and has no self control. Definitely a character flaw but what can you do if you were forced to do that your entire life? And poor Todoroki just wants to protect her but she doesn't even know what that means. She's never been protected before.

Next Chapter: Endeavor trains Amari and Stain appears.


	25. S2 Chapter 13

The next day approached and Amari sat down at the kitchen table about stirring her cereal around with a spoon slowly. All she could think about was the challenges ahead of her.

It was very clear that Endeavor hated her, and that he would probably try everything within his power to take her down, attempting to make her quit. Too bad he didn't know who he was dealing with.

Sighing heavily, Amari paused when she caught Katsuki descending the stairs in a loud manner, now staring at his appearance with widened eyes. "Good morning Katsuki."

His normally spiky hair was now replaced with a neat and combed down look. It was honestly one of the funnest things she'd seen in awhile. What had Best Jeanist done to him?

Narrowing his eyes in anger her brother replied. "Don't even go there.."

Staring at the surface, Amari couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth slightly, much to his dismay. "Hey, shut up, will you?! I'm going to kick your ass if you don't quit it."

She clamped her mouth shut then, although a tiny giggle still managed to escape. "Sorry Katsuki, but what happened? You look, different."

He wasn't happy with the heckling so for revenge, Katsuki moved up to his sister before pushing her head down for a moment, still clearly upset. "I said quit it! It's all that dumbass's fault. I can't believe he's making me wear this."

By dumbass, Amari knew he meant Best Jeanist, now dropping her spoon in her bowl. "Wow, and I thought I had it rough."

Slumping down in his seat, Bakugo took the bowl of cereal out of her hands and taking a big bite. It was his revenge for laughing at him. "It doesn't matter what that bastard does. I'm still going to be the best regardless."

Looking down at her empty hands, Amari saddened at bit. She guessed she was finished with breakfast. "I don't doubt it."

Bakugo took another bite before noticing her sadness and feeling immediately bad for stealing her food. Why was she always so dramatic? "How is it over at that other bastards agency? You're with icy hots father, right?"

Nodding her head, he saw her sigh heavily, now tapping her fingers on the table. "Yeah, it doesn't seem he likes me very much. I sure have my work cut out for me."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow at that. Amari was always a people person, if only a little awkward. Why would Endeavor hate her? "And why the hell doesn't he like you?"

Laughing nervously, Amari smiled. "Oh uhh, I may have threatened him back at the sports festival?"

Katsuki's eyes widened at that, dropping the spoon in the bowl in surprise. Amari threatened the number two greatest hero? She really was crazy.

Processing the words, Bakugo couldn't help but crack a smile at the idea, leaning forward and rubbing the top of her head roughly. That sounded like something he would have done. "You actually did that? Damn Amari, I guess you really are my twin afterall."

At the contact, Amari froze unsure on how to process it. His words were filled with such pride and admiration. He just called her his twin. She realized that was the first time he has acknowledged something like that. It almost made her want to cry. "Really?"

Nodding his head, Katsuki then pushed the bowl over to her before smirking. "Hell yeah, and here I thought you were just a wimp but it looks like you've got some guts as well. You go show that bastard what a Bakugo is made of."

Amari looked down at the milk, for a moment before a soft smile crept into her lips. Now she knew she couldn't give up, not after those words. "Thanks Katsuki. I will."

Now feeling the motivation, she stood up from her seat before grabbing the bag next to her and smiling. It was like she couldn't help but feel the overwhelming joy from his encouragement. "I'll make you proud."

Placing a hand on the table, Bakugo only nodded back. "Damn right, you better."

* * *

When Amari reached the training grounds, Endeavor was already waiting for her. He looked unamused as always to be there. "Listen child, it's not too late to back down. My training is not for the faint of heart. I'm sure Shoto has already explained some things."

Flashing back to Todoroki's broken words, Amari felt her newfound determination start to bubble within her. "And that's exactly why I'm doing this. You can't control me like you think. I'll make you realize that, one step at a time."

He only sighed heavily at that, shaking his head at the defiance. "Very well. Do not regret your decision."

Amari just rolled her eyes at that, watching Todoroki's father step closer to her. "Go ahead and try to land a hit on me without using your quirk."

Narrowing her features, she complied, already racing forward towards his body in a raging shout. All she had to do was get one hit. Seemed simple enough.

She swung her fist down only to have him step to the side, faltering her balance. Using this advantage he was easily able to counteract her with a swing of his own.

Amari gasped, dodging the hit before he grabbed her arm, pulling it back painfully in an unnatural position.

She groaned at this and fought for his grip to release but it was no use. He was stronger than her.

Then before she could process it, Endeavor had pushed the poor girl onto her knees forcing her to bow down in utter humiliation. He won, damn it.

Looking down at her struggling, he spoke. "This is your problem, you fight recklessly, without disregard to anything else. Using that much strength so quickly will only end in your demise. You need to be more calculating."

Amari pushed against his body then, gritting her teeth in frustration. She hated the position she was in. It made her feel so powerless. "Let me go.."

But Endeavor only shook his head. "A villain wouldn't so I won't either."

At his explanation Amari hissed. "What's the difference?"

Not enjoying her sass, Endeavor pulled her arm back harder, causing the girl to grit her teeth. "Also, I wouldn't recommend insulting the one who has the advantage. That's extremely foolish. Now, Bakugo, you need to learn how to get out of the hold yourself."

Then, he released his hold, causing Amari to touch her sore muscles. He really wasn't playing around in the slightest. "Let's see how long you last, child."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari dusted herself off slowly. "Sound to me like you are underestimating me again, Endeavor."

He thought about this for a moment before answering plainly. "Alright, fine. If you can manage to get one hit on me before the week is up then I'll allow you to patrol with Shoto and I."

Balling her hands into a hard fist, Amari already knew her answer. Now she had a new mission. "You're gonna regret offering that to me."

But Endeavor only shrugged before throwing a huge fireball in her direction without warning.

Amari gasped and threw up a shield only to have to shatter and break at the impact. It was just like when she faced him before. His power was insane. "Shit."

She coughed at the pain of the shatter, only to have Endeavor throw another fireball, causing another shield to break under the pressure.

Seeing her struggling, he only sighed. "You're first test is to maintain your quirk without it shattering and breaking. You need to build up your endurance."

He then started to throw multiple spits of fire at her, causing her to quickly defend herself to not be burned. He really wanted her to fail.

Amari groaned as she blocked another attack, the gold matter shattering during impact and pain exploding in her chest. Endeavor seemed unimpressed by this though. "Is that all you can do?"

Narrowing her eyes in anger, she tried again, this time with more focus and when the impact hit, the shield didn't shatter. Although she couldn't deny that it did hurt immensely to take the impact.

Seeing her struggle, he pushed against her power only to have her falter and tumble to the ground with a hard thud. It was still too weak. "Stop letting your emotions control your quirk. You have much to learn."

Amari groaned, already picking herself back of the face and wiping a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth. This week wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Endeavor came in the next morning only to find Amari running laps and training by herself already. He made him wonder how long she had been there? It was pretty early in the morning after all.

The days following, he pushed her in her training but Amari wouldn't falter, no matter what he tried and said, only focusing on the matter at hand.

Throwing a fireball in her direction, Amari shielded herself, now feeling less of a strain from the impact. He seemed surprised by this. She was improving.

He tried to push against her power like before but found the girl more stable this time, pushing him back with her own strength. "Focus on maintaining your quirk. That's it."

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Endeavor saw her veins popping out of her skin, taking everything within her to just maintain his power.

She gritted her teeth at the sensation as he spoke. "Focus Bakugo."

He pushed back harder causing one of her steps to falter. No, not this again. He wouldn't beat her like this. Well, that's what she thought before his power grew closer and closer to her face.

Thinking back to her brother and Todoroki's encouragement, Amari knew she couldn't loose and found herself firmly planting her feet on the ground before eyeing him seriously.

Then, with everyone she had, Amari screamed, pushing back towards Todoroki's father with her quirk, focused on the love and encouragement that had filled her life the last couple days. It felt different then her anger. "You..won't...beat..me...again…"

Endeavor had just enough time to widened is his in surprise when the shield in front of him grew to about double his size, pushing the man off his feet and being swept away by her power.

Breathing heavily, Amari let her arms fall. They felt like solid lead bricks now as she eyed Todoroki's father, standing in shock a couple feet away.

Then she noticed him move his fingers up to brush his cheek, causing her to freeze. There on his skin was a small cut. Had she created that?

It wasn't much, but that little hit meant so much to Amari. "I did it, I won."

Hearing her words, Endeavor sighed. "Don't get too cocky. A small hit like that is nothing to celebrate over."

He said that, but Todoroki's father couldn't help but be surprised by his little girl power. Maybe she was right, he did underestimate her.

Taking a step forward, she crossed her arms across her chest, ignoring the weigh in her limbs. He was trying to turn his around on her, but that wasn't going to happen. "It doesn't matter. You better keep your promise Endeavor."

Recalling back to a couple days ago, he internally sighed. Looks like he was going to have to babysit her tonight after all. "I am a man of my word."

Amari couldn't help but smile at his words. Before he told her that only the most capable of his team were able to patrol. It was like for the first time, he was recognizing her talent.

Just then, the door to their right slammed open revealing Todoroki. Amari blinked in surprise at his presence. "Shoto, what are you doing here?"

He took one look at his father before turning back to Amari. "I'm taking a break. You should as well."

Recalling her sore arms, Amari knew she couldn't give up now. "Oh, that's okay. You have fun though."

Yet it seemed he wasn't taking no for an answer, already reaching forward to grab her arm. Then he turned to his father before stating. "She's taking a break."

Before his father could answer, Todoroki had already dragged the girl out of the training room and down the hallway. "Shoto, I said it's okay."

Todoroki stopped then, recalling her fight with his father a couple days ago. He knew she was pushing herself again. "When was the last time you relaxed? I already told you, you need to take care of yourself."

The words seemed strange in her mind. He did have a point. She had been so focused on beating his father, when was the last break she took? "Alright, sorry."

He sighed heavily at that, taking a water bottle out of his bag and throwing it in her direction. "Here. Drink."

Amari complied as a couple sidekicks past the two of them. Although the whispers they shared were far different than the ones he first heard a couple days ago.

Back then when Amari past them, they would chuckle and sneer in her direction, calling her cheating or a shrimp. But now, now she was known to them as the one that challenged their boss, the one who was just insane enough to personally train with him. She had done that.

They walked to a grassy area on the rooftop when Todoroki noticed the small circles under her eyes. When was the last time she slept?

Sitting down on the surface, he called down to her. "Amari, come here."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she listened, plopping herself down next to him quietly. "Okay.."

Then once she was seated, he pushed her head down so that it was laying on his lap. Maybe this will help her relax.

Amari though was just too embarrassed at the action already feeling the pink swirl around her cheeks. "Whaaa are you doing? You don't have to do this. I already said I'm fine."

She paused though when she felt his fingers running through her hair, relaxing her all at once. "Just relax Amari. I want to do at least this much for you. You work so hard. It's okay to close your eyes, just for a moment. I'll be right here."

His words swept through her causing her body to hum with acceptance. "I guess so, but only for a minute."

Closing her eyes, Amari focused on the sound breeze although with the motion of his hand. When was the last time she relaxed like this? It was almost like she could fall asleep.

She thought about the idea for a moment when a couple voices shook her out of her lulled state, focusing on them instead. "Hey, look! It's that girl. The one who's training personally with the boss. I hear she challenged him in front of the entire agency."

The other voice next to him only laughed though. "Come on, you don't believe those rumors, do you? Just look at them. It's so obvious the boss offered that because of her relation to his son. Talk about cheating."

Their words brought an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach all at once. Those jerks could say anything they want about her, but she wouldn't let them assume such things about Todoroki.

He noticed her unease and lightly touched her face, not understanding what had brought it on. "Amari, what's wrong?"

Opening her eyes, she gazed at him sadly before turning away. "I was right. We can't do this here. They already think I used our relationship to get ahead. Now they are saying that you used some kind of underhanded tactics as well. I hate it."

Todoroki took in her words, turning to stare at the people she was referring to. Why was she this affected by what others thought of him? He honestly could care less.

To prove this point, Amari opened her mouth to speak again when it was cut by his lips, leaning down and colliding with hers suddenly.

She widened her eyes at the action but didn't turn away, only feeling surprised and caught off guard.

He pulled away then and the embarrassment set in all at once, causing Amari to cover her face with her hands in an attempt to hide her surprised expression from him.

Although the action only worried the boy, thinking he had somehow done something wrong. Maybe he was too forceful. "Amari, what's wrong? I'm sorry…"

But she shook her head on his lap, muttering quickly in her hands. "No no it's okay. Don't apologize. I was just caught off guard, that's all."

Feeling the need to seeing her face even more now, Todoroki lightly covered her hand before forcing her fingers away from her face. He didn't want to think she was crying or anything like that. That would break his heart. "Then let me see."

She reluctantly uncovered her face only for Todoroki to freeze, now seeing her redded and embarrassed expression under him all at once.

The reveal was too much, now mimicking her embarrassment and accidentally having his fireside appear on his hand at the action.

He pulled away just in time lucky, only to have her turn away again. "Ah I'm sorry! You just didn't give me enough time to pull myself together. I wasn't expecting a surprise attack like that."

Although her face looked far more embarrassed then a surprise attack. It was like they had kissed for the first time, even though that wasn't remotely true. "Amari, we've done this four times already. There is no need to be that embarrassed."

Nodding her head in understanding, she replied. "Yeah I know, but…"

Then she stopped herself, recalling what he just said. Did he just say four times? That didn't seem right. "Wait, four? I thought it was two.."

Todoroki froze at that, recalling the other two times that she didn't remember. "During the USJ attack I fed you your medicine while you were unconscious."

Thinking back, Amari nodded her head. Okay that wasn't bad, that made sense. "Okay, that's okay.."

But then, he continued. "And then back on your birthday, remember when I said I came to visit you?"

Amari nodded back, not sure where this was going. She couldn't remember anything on her birthday, expect that weird dream she had…...

And then, the pieces clicked. Oh no. Oh no no no no. In her dream she attacked him. Please don't tell her that was real?! "Oh god, that was real?! I attacked you?!"

Todoroki blinked in surprise, not expecting her to remember. "You remembered?"

His response didn't make her feel any better, already rising from his lap in utter and complete embarrassment. "I just thought it was a bad bad dream. I can't believe I jumped you like that! Oh god, I'm so so sorry. Why were you even friends with me after that?!"

Grabbing onto his shirt, Todoroki just placed a hand on hers. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Amari shook her head at that, muttering to herself loudly. "Because I jumped you! I'm so terrible. I'm never drinking again…

She seemed really upset by the realization so Todoroki only did the one thing he could do, he leaned forward and kissed her without warning, just like what she did on that night.

She stopped speaking after that, causing him to reply. "There, now we are even."

Amari stood silent for a moment before casting her eyes away, a hard blush appearing. "That's not fair.."

She was saying that, but Amari felt her body grow closer and closer, ignoring the other sidekicks that might of been watching. "You shouldn't, they might be watching. Who knows what they'll think."

Although Todoroki only put a loving hand to her face, his voice dropping lower and sending a shiver across her spine. "I don't care what they say."

Amari closed her eyes in the moment when Katsu appeared in front of them, looking unamused. "The boss is looking for you. You two can flirt another time."

They flushed with embarrassment, breaking away as Amari stood up. "Calm down, I'm coming."

Then she turned to Todoroki sharply before smiling. "Oh, right! I forget to tell you, I'll be patrolling with you later. I finally got Endeavor to agree."

He seemed surprised by this. His father wasn't one to give up easily. "Wait, how?"

Although she only smirked, throwing a wink in his direction. "Oh Shoto, were you underestimating me?"

Blinking in surprise at her response, he could only smile back. "Of course not. I've always been aware of how amazing you are."

Amari froze then, not knowing how to respond. "Whaa, I was trying to be the cool one. You can't turn it around on me, jerk."

Katsu rolled his eyes in response. "Are you finished? The boss doesn't like to be caught waiting."

Blushing in response, Amari nodded her head, now embarrassed that he caught the display. "Right, sorry. See you later tonight?"

Shoto just nodded his head in response, watching her leave.

He still couldn't believe that Amari had gotten his father to change his mind.

She really was amazing, although somewhere in the back of his mind, Todoroki help but get an unpleasant feeling in his stomach.

It was like this was just the calm before the storm.

* * *

I know I promised Stain but it was taking too long to combine both chapters so I hope you don't mind it being split. I just wanted to get something out for you all

We have sweet brother sister bonding moment and boyfriend goals. Todoroki taking care of Amari when she won't do it herself. I love these dorks.

Happy late Thanksgiving btw!


	26. S2 Chapter 14

Later that night, Amari, Todoroki and Endeavor traveled to Hosu to patrol. Apparently there was a string of killings around the area recently and they called the number two hero to check the area out.

Stepping onto the street, Amari felt the bustling noise of the city. After so many years that dream of being a hero was closer and closer now. It couldn't help but make her smile.

Endeavor felt a hand on his shoulder only to find Katsu staring at him. "Are you sure about this, letting Bakugo come? It could be dangerous."

But the man only sighed. "A promise is a promise, regardless of how I feel. Just make sure she doesn't die. It will look poor on our agency."

Katsu nodded his head in exasperation, watching the boss walk up to this student. "And that goes the same for you child. Don't do anything that will disgrace my family name."

Although Amari just rolled her eyes, whispering to Todoroki quietly and sarcastically. "Your father is just as charming as ever today."

Todoroki couldn't help but smirk at that, messing with the strap on his hero suit. The amount of guts she had for calling out his father was impressive. "I'd like to say that you get used to it, but I can't."

She smirked back at his jab, pushing his shoulder lightly when Endeavors voice returned. "Did you hear me Bakugo?"

To which Amari just groaned. "Yeah yeah I heard you the first time."

Endeavor couldn't help but notice her disinterest and narrowed his eyes. "You would do well to respect your superiors."

But the girl could only chuckle at him, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "And you would do well to stop acting like a jerk all the time. I get it already. I'll play by the rules."

The other sidekicks around them widened their eyes at the disrespect, although it seemed Endeavor was used to it by now. "As long as you understand. Shoto will go with Katsu around to the north side at I'll babysit Bakugo on the south."

Amari couldn't help but feel surprised and yet slightly annoyed at that. "Why do I have to be with you?"

Although Todoroki's father only replied plainly. "Because I don't trust you."

His remark bothered her but she supposed she should have been glad for him allowing her to be here in the first place at all. She would just have to deal. "Rude."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Todoroki couldn't help but feel a sense of worry in his stomach. He knew that she told him not to baby her but he wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. Dealing with his father wasn't going to be fun.

He put her light arm to her shoulder before speaking. "Amari, are you going to alright?"

But she just nodded her head, giving him a reassuring smile in return. "Yeah, I'll manage, even though your father is a real ray of sunshine."

Todoroki didn't seem fully convinced but let the idea go, knowing that she could handle herself. She did personally train with him the last couple days. "Let me know if you need anything, and don't try to do anything reckless."

Although, the words seemed funny to her, smirking back. "I would like to promise that but have you met me?"

She meant it was a joke but Todoroki knew that she was telling the truth. If something did happen, then she would probably dive head first into danger. He had seen it before.

Seeing his frown, Amari's face fell, now bringing a hand to his face carefully. "Hey, I'll be okay. I promise, I will try not to do anything stupid."

He nodded his head at that, now hearing his father call for her loudly. "Bakugo, let's go already."

Todoroki saw her roll her eyes once more before putting a hand up as a quick goodbye. "Looks like that's my que. See you, Shoto."

He replied with the same gesture, slightly hoping that nothing would happen and that she'd be okay with his father.

What wishful thinking that was at the time.

* * *

Endeavor and Amari walked the south side of town in utter silence, the atmosphere so thick that you could cut it with a knife. It was obvious that they hated each other.

That was until he spoke. "You know, there is something that has really been bothering me the last couple days."

Glancing off to the side, Amari answered plainly. "What? You finally realized what a terrible person you are?"

Endeavor narrowed his eyes at her response, brushing it off. "No, I've looked into you Bakugo Amari, and it seems during your time overseas, you attended a non hero academy, correct?"

Amari's eyes widened at that, now stopping dead in her tracks. What was he digging up? "So what, you've been stalking me? I thought you said I wasn't good enough for your son. Why do you care so much then?"

He answered back almost immediately. "Don't be mistaken, I firmly believe that you still are not worthy enough for the Todoroki line. I suppose I was only curious to see where you gained your reckless behavior and attitude from."

Feeling a tiny sense of anxiety in her stomach, Amari tried to brush it off. "I'm so glad you can justify your stalking. I'm going to tell you this only once, don't dig into my past."

Endeavor could tell that she was uncomfortable with the conversation, pushing her even further. "Why, is there something you're ashamed of?"

Her eyes widened even more, feeling the sweat start to accumulate on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

But Todoroki's father wouldn't stop, turning to face her. There was something this girl was hiding, something wasn't right about her. "What about the fact that you went missing for an entire month undocumented before coming back unharmed?"

Her face grew sullen then, Amari's breathing picking up at a rapid pace. Flashes of terrible and horrible memories rushed back to her all at once, her skin feeling like it was on fire. "Stop it.."

Endeavor, only to a step closer though, not giving her an inch. "What are you hiding Bakugo Amari?"

She opened her mouth to deny his words when suddenly, a loud explosion filled the entire space, the two just missing the blast zone.

Amari's eyes widened as a giant winged monster appeared through the ash, the sound of screams and panic now evident in the area. She then recognized the monster immediately. It was the same creature as in the USJ attack. It was a Nomu.

People started to push past her in a hurry as the reality crashed down around her. This wasn't a lesson or training, this was real. Hosu was under attack.

The building in front of her blazed to life in a heavy inferno, seeing a couple people running out of the structure. Then Amari realized something, there may be people still inside.

Already feeling her legs start to move, Amari turned towards the building when her arm was caught by Endeavors. "What do you think you're doing?"

Frowning back, Amari tried to rip her arm away only thinking about the people in the burning building. "There are people in there, we have to do something!"

Although Todoroki's father didn't seem pleased. "No, you will stay here and let the pro heros take care of it. You are only an intern."

He had a point, she was only a kid but Amari knew she couldn't just stand by when people were in trouble. That's not what a hero was about. "I don't care, I have to do something! I didn't bust my ass just to stand here helplessly"

Turning away from Todoroki's father, she couldn't help but stop when he spoke back, rough and angry. "Bakugo, if you disregard my orders then your internship is over."

Amari froze then, thinking about her options. She very well could have just listened and stood by but then, what would happen to those people? What if there was only a moment before their life and death? She couldn't just stand by then.

Screw the internship, screw being respected by Todoroki's father. Amari knew she couldn't just stand there. Then, it would be like nothing had changed since she was a child. Who cares if it ruined her reputation.

She was a Bakugo after all, damn it.

Balling her hands into tight fists, Amari made her decision, speaking back to Endeavor finally. "Standing here isn't what a hero would do.."

Then, she ran off towards the building, causing Todoroki's father to shout after her aggressively. He was responsible for her after all, and she was about to get herself killed. "Bakugo!"

Although Amari couldn't hear anything, only focused on the door in front of her. Then she plopped three pills into her mouth before taking a large breath of courage. She could do this.

Pushing past the flames, she ascended the steps only to find a family of five huddled in the corner, scared and petrified.

Suddenly, a large beam crashed towards them but Amari was quicker, allowing her gold matter to appear in front of them, creating a protective shield.

They seemed confused by the action, only to lock eyes with the girl. "Are you okay? Come on, I'm going to get you out of here!"

The youngest girl went to grab her hand when the ground shook heavily, the floorboards splitting apart with a crying yell. Then, she saw it. There was Nomu in here.

Narrowing her eyes, Amari covered the family with a protective dome before whispering back to them. "Stay behind me. I'll finish this."

Just then, the Nomu made eye contact with the girl, now barreling towards her all at once. This really was like the USJ incident.

It swung a fist down but Amari was able to dodge it, causing another hole in the floor. She had to be careful. This monster was acting mindless which meant it probably didn't know it was destroying the building at the same time.

The Nomu ran at her again while a large beam flew down towards her, blasting it away with her explosion quirk. She could vaguely hear the children screaming in terror at the sight and Amari knew she had to finish this quickly.

The scream caught the attention of the Nomu, now focusing its sight on them and pounding against Amari's protective dorm aggressively. Crap this was bad. She needed to get the attention off the family, and fast.

Running past the creature, she got a plan. "Hey, you! Come get me!"

Amari then picked up a small piece of wood at threw it at its body, causing it to give out a loud animalistic scream. "That's it.."

It charged towards her all at once, but just before his fist collided with her body, Amari moved out of the way, causing the monster hand to be caught in the floorboard for a moment.

That was all she needed though as the girl then put her hand out, enclosing the Nomu in a dome quickly, causing the families protective barrier to disappear. That wasn't going to hold it long.

Amari ignored the discomfort in her chest as it pounded against her quirk, choosing to grasp one the kids hands. "Come on, let's go."

They followed her quickly, heading down the stairs while trying to avoid the fire around them. Luckily, Amari was able to to cover them so they wouldn't breathe in the smoke. She wasn't so lucky though as her quick could only hold so much.

Using her explosions, Amari burst through the front door that was barricaded with wood, leading the family into the street, now coughing slightly from the little smoke they did catch.

Amari looked back towards the building then, noticing a pro hero off to her right hand side. "Hey, take them. I tried to cover the smoke but I think some seeped in."

The hero seemed to understand, carefully covering the family when he noticed Amari coughing rather heavily as well. "You should get checked out as well Miss."

But Amari just shook her head, focusing on other matters. A little smoke wouldn't kill her. "No, I'm fine. Just take care of them."

Wiping her face of some of the ash, the family turned back to her quickly, the mother extending her hand in tears. "Thank you, thank you so much. You saved us. What's your name Miss?"

She looked down at her hands then before smiling. They didn't need to know who she was. She never cared about the recognition anyways. "Don't worry about it."

The woman blinked in surprise as the girl then disappeared around the corner. The children with her just beamed in awe at the display she just witnessed. "Mommy, she was like a superhero! Like an ember, right?"

The mother just nodded her head in response, grateful for the mysterious stranger that had saved their life.

* * *

Running down the street, Amari stopped when her phone binged to life in her back pocket. That was odd, no one usually called her.

She took out the object and flipped it open only to find Deku had send some kind of message, it looked to be his location.

Turning her head in confusion, Amari eyed the address only to realize that it was a couple blocks from her. A heavy pit of anxiety started rise up at the realization.

Why was Midoriya also in Hosu, and why had he sent just his location? It was a rather odd thing for him to do.

Not liking the feeling, Amari decided to check it out. Maybe it was nothing but she needed to make sure her friend was alright.

Running down towards the location, she couldn't help but freeze at the display before her. Deku and Ida were laying on the ground with a rather large pool of blood surrounding the class representative. What had even happened?

She stopped thinking when the man standing in front of her turned around, his blade shining in the sun. "Oh, and who might you be? Another fake hero?"

Deku struggled to look up at his words, finding Amari before him. "Amari-chan! Don't let him cut you! That's how he activates his quirk!"

Eyeing him carefully, Amari spoke back, already trying to buy time so she could figure out her plan. "You must be the hero killer, right? I'm going to have to ask you to step away from my friends."

Stain blinked in surprise at this, slightly amused by her tone. "I don't think you're in the position to order me around, fake hero. So what, are you going to try and save them like this one did? You are all so predictable.."

Amari remained silent and that, putting three more pills in her hand before swallowing them. "Call me what you want but I can't let you kill them."

Then, she raced forward, intent in her step. Amari honestly wasn't sure if she could beat him but she knew she had to try. Deku and Ida were depending on her right now.

Stain lifted his blade up, hoping to catch it on her body but was surprised when it seemed to just bounce off of her. Her quirk was interesting.

Amari took this chance and tried to make him drop the sword by placing a burning hand to his arm as a passed by, causing him to gasp in surprise.

It wasn't enough to loosen his hold though, now trying a new approach and attempting to knock him off of his feet. Running past him again, Amari jumped up in the air before letting her explosion quirk come to life, landing a hit towards his face.

Stain stumbled back a couple steps as she then focused on her friends, already trying to help Deku up. "Midoryia, are you okay? Here, we have to go."

Deku remained frozen, willing his body to move when a flash of light caused him to shout out to her. "Amari-chan, look out!"

She had just enough time to register his cry as Stain flew his blade down towards her back, Amari just barely blocking the blow with her quirk.

Groaning at the impact, she let her palm light up once more, aiming on knocking him out long enough to drag Deku, Ida and that pro hero to safety. She just had to focus.

Amari raised her hand up, throwing an explosion in his direction only to find the man completely gone. Where did he go?

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side, along with a crying shout from Ida and Deku. "Amari!"

Jumping away from his blade, Amari clutched her side in pain, falling to the knees at the shock. Crap he got her unexpectedly. "Crap.."

Stain chuckled at this, looking at the blood on his blade carefully. "Good attempt, I admire your strength. Maybe you're good enough to stay alive after all."

Then he stuck his tongue out, and licked the liquid, causing Amari to freeze up. It was just like with Shinso's quirk. She suddenly wasn't able to move anymore.

Just then, Stain frowned, staring at the blood on the blade in confusion. "This blood…"

He touched a bit of the red liquid before shaking his head, now an air of absolute intent in his stance. "Now I see, such dirty blood. You are the kind of hero I hate the most."

Amari's eyes widened as Stain raced forward to her, swinging his blade down towards her. "You deserve to die after all!"

Closing her eyes in fear, Amari waited for the impact when a huge burst of fire flew past them, causing Stain to freeze.

Blinking in surprise, her eyes focused on Todoroki standing a couple feet away from her. "Sorry I'm late. It took a couple minutes to figure out what you were saying Midoriya. Don't worry the pros are coming."

He then stepped his foot forward, causing the ice to rise above, Deku, Ida and Amari, allowing them to slide behind him slowly. "I won't let you kill these guys, Hero Killer."

Struggling to move his body, Deku spoke out. "Todoroki, you can't let him taste your blood. That's how his quirk works."

Todoroki took in the information, carefully eyeing Amari who was also frozen and bleeding from the side. "So it's fine if I keep my distance then."

Just as he said that though, a bundle of knives flew past him, cutting the boy on the cheek. "You have good friends!"

Swinging his sword down, Todoroki quickly blocked him with a sheet of ice. This was going to be way harder than he thought. This guy was no joke.

Amari watched Todoroki fight, feeling utterly useless. Why weren't her limbs listening to her? Why couldn't she get back up? She had to. Amari Bakugo wasn't one to give up.

Willing everything within her, she caught Midoryia's eyes, seeing his fingers began to twitch slowly. It seemed his paralyzation was wearing off. There must of been a time limit.

She chose to stay silent about it, and watched him slowly rise from the floor without Stain noticing before throwing a punch in his direction, hitting him in the jaw.

If Amari could smile she totally would have in this situation. It seemed they had gained the upper hand again.

Deku moved next to Todoroki after the blow, carefully planning the next attack. They would have to work together to protect Amari and Ida from this guy. "I think our best course of action is to hold him off long enough at a far distance until the pros can get here."

Todoroki couldn't help but eye Amari then, catching the blood leaking from her side. Whatever it was, they had to do it quickly. Who knows how hurt she could be. "Alright, although it will be risky. Let's hope they get here soon."

Amari noticed his staring then, hearing his voice echo in her ear. "Amari, are you alright?"

He sounded extremely worried, so in response, she tried to quell his anxiety as much as possible, answering back smoothly. Honestly she didn't know how bad her injury was because in this moment, she only felt numb from Stain's quirk. But it's not like he needed to know that. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's just a little cut."

Todoroki's stance softened then, although still very much on edge. He silently knew this feeling won't go away until he saw for himself that she was fine.

Ida watched everything with hollowed eyes, unsure why his friends were risking their lives like this for him. They should've just ran away and let him handle it. It was his fault after all for not being strong enough.

Shouting back to them, he cried out. "Everyone, what are you doing?"

Although Todoroki and Deku ignored him, already aiming their quirks at Stain, who seemed amused. "Two against one, huh? Interesting."

Running at full speed, Deku threw a fist down, only to collide with Stain's blade, cutting him in the leg lightly. He groaned at this, falling from the impact when Todoroki blinded the villain with his fire. They were really in over their heads.

Stain didn't seemed to enjoy this move either, now aiming his sword towards Todoroki all at once, causing the boy to falter. He was fast, too fast.

Widening his eyes in terror, Ida shouted out roughly. "Please...stop it!"

Suddenly, the blade stopped a couple inches from Todoroki's face, now blocked by a wall of solid gold matter.

He sharply turned his head over to Amari who was shakily getting to her feet, a couple drops of blood leaking from her side as she went. It looked like it physically pained her to fight against Stains quirk.

Gritting her teeth, Amari shouted towards Ida in completely at utter determination. "If you want it to stop, then you have to do something about it! The world isn't going to play nice with you Ida, you just need to be strong enough to take it!"

Even the villain himself seemed confused by her mobility. "How is that possible? You should be paralyzed. Is it because of your dirty blood?"

Frowning at his term, Amari hissed back. "I don't know what the hell your talking about."

The look of confusion on her face was evident, causing Stain to reply. "Of course you do. How does it feel to masquerade as a hero, to selfishly use that title for your own purposes? The term hero has been stained because of people like you, you know."

Taking another step forward, her friends could clearly see the intent in her stare. "Like I said, I don't know what your talking about. I'm not masquerading as anything, and I will be a hero, regardless of what you say!'

Growling under his breath, Stain didn't seem pleased with her answer, barreling towards her all at once, his power overwhelming. "We'll see about that."

Amari gritted her teeth in pain, prepared to dodge when Todoroki shoved himself in front of her, throwing ice spikes in this direction and making Stain retreat back a couple feet. "Amari!"

Once he was further back, Todoroki sighed heavily, glancing back to the girl. "Can you please stop trying to agitate the villain? You can't even fight with that wound."

His words only made her frown, answering back sarcastically. "You underestimate me. I said I was fine. This is nothing, trust me. Let him come at me, I can still fight."

Although Todoroki was not impressed in the slightest, still standing in front of her like a shield. "Amari, now is really not the time for your reckless behavior. Just stay behind me and.."

But before he couldn't finish that sentence, Amari was already running away from her shield, aiming at explosion at Stain. "As if I would do that."

The explosion blew across the alley, catching Stain's aim and forcing him to jump back even further. This seemed to piss him off even more.

Ida then watched as Stain grabbed the poor girl and threw her into the wall next to them, hearing a hard impact at the action. Why were they doing this? It was obvious they couldn't win.

Realizing his eyes filling with tears, Ida poured out his feelings, wishing that all this would just stop. "I don't want this...I don't want you to bleed for me. Why can't I be like my brother, why can't I be strong like him…"

Amari groaned at the impact, vaguely hearing his words and sensing a sort of deja vu in them. She couldn't help but think of Katsuki in this moment. She understood Ida's feelings more than anyone.

Holding her head in pain, she shouted back to him roughly. "If you don't want this then stand up already and fight! Who cares if you aren't stronger than your brother. That doesn't give you an excuse to give up!"

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her throat and Amari was lifted into the air, now gasping and struggling for breath as she looked into her captives eyes. "Such noble words from a fake hero."

Todoroki saw this and felt a huge wave of anger in his stomach, already aiming a blast of fire towards the villain. Although, he couldn't use it without somehow hurting Amari as they were in the same path. "Get your hands off of her!"

Although Stain only smiled, bringing the poor girl up to his face. He knew that Todoroki couldn't do anything about it which only made him even more joyful "What's wrong, don't want to hurt your friend? What an admiral quality."

Amari struggled at gasped for air, now feeling her eyesight slowly disappear. She couldn't die like this. She needed to be there for Katsuki still. No, please. Not like this.

Staring with feared eyes, suddenly the pressure disappeared altogether, the girl falling to the floor in a gasp of breath, now holding her throat and struggling for air. What just happened?

She blinked her eyes quickly only to find Ida standing in front of her, now breathing heavily as well. He did it, he finally broke out of Stain's hold and saved her. "I'm so sorry Bakugo, I won't allow any of you to shed anymore blood for me."

Turning towards him, she couldn't help but smile, although it was more of a grimace in her state. She tried to speak to him but found it difficult over her coughing.

Although, the fight wasn't over as Stain stumbled back on his feet intent in his stance.

Ida eyed the situation carefully, now coming up with a plan. "He's flustered. Now's the time. We have to attack him all at once. I don't think he'll be able to take it."

Deku leaned against the wall, watching Amari struggle to her feet with concern. "Alright, but I don't know if Amari-chan can…"

Although he was only caught off by the girl herself, seeming annoyed. Her breathing came out shallow and shakily, but he could just barely make out her words. "Let's do it. I can fight."

No one else wasn't sure about that but she seemed stubborn enough about that idea so they didn't interject. Even Todoroki didn't say anything, knowing very well that she was being reckless. It seemed this was the only way they could win right now. He just hoped she would be fine.

Suddenly, Stain jumped in the air only for Deku to do the same, starting their plan. "Now!"

Ida then also followed suit, rising to the same distance as Deku, now with a hard intent in his eyes. He wouldn't let his brother and his friends attacker get away so easily. "I won't let you hurt anyone anymore!"

All at once, both of their legs collided with Stain, causing him to groan at the pain and shock. That was it. They had an opening

Then before he could react, Todoroki shot him with a blast of fire, only for Amari to do the same with her explosions. This caused one giant fiery explosions, so much so that Stain couldn't dodge it.

Deku and Ida closed their eyes, ready to hit the ground only to be stopped by Amari's shields, gently lowering them to the floor all at once, ignoring the strain on her body. She couldn't think about that now.

Once they were safe, the four kids gazed at the unconscious hero killer and breathed out a heavy breath of anxiety. They really did it, they knocked him out.

Todoroki then already started looking around the area in reply. "We need a rope or something to tie him up. Midoryia, start removing his weapons."

They all did what they were told before pulling the villain towards the busy street, hoping to meet up with a few pro heros on the way.

Todoroki eyed Amari worriedly, who noticed his staring and sighed. "Stop it with that puppy dog look. I'm fine. I've had worse than this."

Although he wasn't so sure, watching her breath more shallow than normal. Who knows how deep that cut went, and she was agitating it. "Promise me you'll go get checked out."

She thought for a moment only to smile under her breath, now noticing a few heros running in her direction. "Alright mom. I promise."

As they approached, the kids told them everything, handing Stain over to the pros to be detained all while Deku's teacher scolded him for being in a dangerous situation. Amari could only imagine what Endeavor would say after all this.

She stopped thinking when Ida appeared in front of them, bowing his head in devastation. "I'm so sorry everyone. You were injured because of me. I just couldn't see anything through my anger."

Amari only smiled back though, lightly pressing her hand to his shoulder. "Hey, come on. This is all part of being a hero anyways."

Deku seemed understanding as well towards his words. "I'm sorry too Ida-kun. Even though you were feeling so cornered, I didn't notice at all."

Closing his eyes as the tears leaked out, Ida wondered where he could have gotten such understanding friends, even though everything was his fault.

Amari patted his back in response, trying to ease his stress and worry. Everything was over after all.

Well, that's what they thought anyways..

Suddenly, a Nomu appeared from nowhere, reaching down and aiming for Deku with its claws outstretched wild. "Midoriya, look out!"

Amari saw this and without thinking, pushing herself in front of the monster, causing it's long talons to dig into her wound and carry her away towards the sky. "Amari-chan!"

Todoroki's eyes widened at the action, already aiming his quirk for the monster in a fit of rage of anger. "Amari! Get your dirty hands off of her!"

Just then, before they could react, Stain leaped forward in surprise, licking some of the Nomu's blood and smiling. "No, this one's mine.."

The monster suddenly started to plummet to the earth, causing Amari to gasp and force her hands on its talons. Why was it's grip so tight?!

She then felt a hand rip her away, grabbing her waist roughly and pull her to the ground in one fellow swoop. She was about to thank the stranger until Amari realized who it was, Stain.

Widened her eyes, she then watched as Stain plunged his dagger into the Nomu's skull, killing it instantly and spilling a few drops of blood onto her face. He just killed that thing like it was nothing. This man was terrifying.

Deku, Todoroki, Ida and the rest of the heros gasped at the scene as well, now seeing Stain force Amari onto the ground with his hand. "He's got a hostage!"

They wanted to use their quirks but the range was too risky as they would surely hit the girl as well. They had to wait and plan their moves which enraged Todoroki especially. He didn't want this.

Stain chuckled at the remains of the Nomu before picking the girl up in his arms, Amari struggling underneath him. He seemed to have trouble standing as well. "I must finish the job. All fake heros must be stained in blood."

He then leaped into the air and disappeared out of sight, causing Todoroki's stomach to drop automatically. Oh god. Who knows what that manic could do to her. He didn't even want to think about it. "Amari!"

The other heroes seemed distressed as well. "Everyone split up! We have to find the hostage before he kills her! Someone contact Endeavor."

They all started to scatter then, Deku eyeing Todoroki in fear. He must of been a wreck. "It's okay Todoroki, we'll find her."

Although the boy didn't seem eased by his comment, only watching Todoroki's fireside ignite with absolute anger and fury. He would hunt that bastard down if it was the last thing he did.

She would be okay, she just had to be…

* * *

Getting out of the public view, Stain stumbled into a nearby alleyway before shoving Amari against the wall, absolute intent in his eyes. "Now, I can finish the job."

He took out his small knife then, a small ring of terror echoing in her throat. "I don't understand. Why do you keep calling me a fake hero? I haven't done anything wrong. You don't even know anything about me!"

Stain seemed amused by her sentence though, running a finger across his blade. "Hold on, you really don't know, do you? You don't know how much of a monster you really are…"

Fighting against his hand roughly, Amari replied. "That's what I've been trying to say. You're wrong about me.."

He noticed her defiance and frowned, pushing the girl roughly back so she couldn't struggle. "Oh I know exactly what kind of person you are from the moment I tasted you. What's sad is that you don't know. You and your dirty blood. You really let them destroy you like that without knowing the consequences?"

Widening her eyes, Amari whispered back. "What are you…"

But Stain only continued, speaking low and rough. "You don't even know what's coming, do you? That fools secret weapon is going on right under your noses and you have no idea what it is. You really are a naive little villain."

At the word villain, Amari's eyes widened. "Shut up, I'm not a villain."

Although Stain only chuckled at her declaration. "You don't think you are, and that's the worst kind of villain. One that pretends to be a hero all while ignoring the corruption in your heart."

She narrowed her eyes in confusion when suddenly, she heard Todoroki's voice call out to her. He sounded scared and small. She needed to answer back, to let him know where she was.

Opening her mouth, Amari cried out as loudly as possible. "Shot…"

But she wasn't able to finish her sentence as a rough hand covered her mouth, pushing her even further into the wall now. His eyes, they were piercing hers with such hatred and disgust, it was like she couldn't move.

Leaning closer, Stain spoke low and threatening, his blade now dangerously closer to her face. "I must cleanse the word right now or else that fool will come for you. I will take back what it means to be a hero, one step and a time."

Amari's eyes widened and for the first time in her life, she felt fear. Absolute and complete fear for the man before her. No one knew where she was and she couldn't fight anymore as her pills had worn off by now. She was trapped under his power and strength.

Was this how she was going to die? She always thought it would be because of her pills, not because of a murderer. She wasn't ready to go like this. She needed to see Katsuki one more time, she needed to tell Todoroki that she loved him. There was so much she wasn't able to do and yet it seemed like the end was approaching faster than before.

His knife started to come down then, Amari shutting her eyes in absolute terror when suddenly, everything stopped.

Stain's hand then fell to the side slowly, causing his knife to clatter on the ground and free her from being pressed against the wall.

That's when she noticed the large wound in his side. Stain was no longer breathing or moving. Was he, dead?

The realization sunk in and Amari felt her legs give out, sliding to the floor in total and complete shock. She was alive, somehow..

Suddenly a hand touched her shoulder only to find Todoroki staring at her worriedly. His words, they sounded so far away and distant. "Amari?! Are you okay? What's wrong, what happened?!"

She knew she had to answer him but found it difficult, the shock still not dissipating from her eyes. All she could accomplish was a small head nod, showing him that she was fine.

But that was the question, wasn't it?

Was she really fine?

* * *

After the events of that night, everyone was brought to the hospital to get checked out. Amari luckily only suffered from a bruised windpipe, a small side wound and a couple broken ribs. Although it sucked even more knowing that she couldn't be healed like everyone else.

Todoroki and Deku had just gone to the cafeteria to get food when the door slammed open suddenly, revealing someone she wished wasn't there. "Endeavor.."

He moved up to her, an unseen aura of anger around him. "I told you not to embarrass the Todoroki name, you disgraceful child. Why couldn't you have followed my orders?"

Not in the mood for his games, Amari sighed heavily. "That's not really my style.."

Endeavor didn't seemed pleased though, crossing his arms in disgust. "Because of your reckless antics I had to take the fall for allowing you to run into dangerous combat and injuring yourself. Can't you do anything right?"

Lightly touching her arm, she replied back. "If I hadn't ran into that burning building then that family might've been dead and my friends would of been hurt. I don't regret my choices."

Frowning back, Endeavor spoke. "Your choices have expelled you from your internship. You'll never be a hero if you just run head first into dangerous situations. You aren't the only ones that suffer because of your poor choices. It seems you are still an unruly child."

He then turned away before calling back to her. "I already told you, I'm not a babysitter."

Amari let her eyes fall at his words. She hated to admit it that he was right in a sense. She should of been able to fight Stain better. But instead she could only act like a helpless idiot. She really did bring everyone down.

Endeavor opened the door then only to find Todoroki and Deku staring at him unhappily. What was he doing here? Todoroki was especially curious. "Why are you here?"

Staring at his son, his father only answered back plainly. "No reason, I only wanted to finish my business with Bakugo, as she expelled herself from my internship program."

The boys eyes widened at this, Todoroki fighting back. "Are you kidding me? Amari saved so many people back there. You can't expel her.."

Although what surprised them the most was when Amari answered back, sounded rather defeated. "It's fine Shoto. I knew what I was doing when I disobeyed his orders. Now I have to live with the consequences."

Endeavor started to smile at this, thinking she was finally getting something right. "At least you understand that much."

Yet his smile dropped soon after she spoke again. "Don't be mistaken, I will still be a hero. I just don't need your validation or permission to be one. That's not going to stop me in the slightest."

He stood still for a moment before shaking his head in disappointment and leaving the room silently. This girl was too stubborn for her own good. It would clearly kill her someday for sure.

Once he was gone, Todoroki moved up to her as she plopped herself down on the bed silently. "Is that okay? Being expelled will put a poor mark on your record."

Although she only smiled, patting the space next to her. "Nah, it's okay. I wasn't aiming for anything long term anyways, and that's not why I picked his agency in the first place. It's enough that I got him to seriously recognize me. That's all I wanted."

Her goals were so simple and plain, not wanting to think about becoming a long term pro hero but rather living in the moment and breaking all the barriers while she could.

Suddenly, the door slammed open again, only for Amari's breath to catch in her throat. It was her brother.

He looked absolutely terrified, like he had just ran to Hosu all at once. "Amari.."

Blinking her eyes in surprise, Amari tried to act natural, smiling back happily. "Katsuki, it's nice to see you.."

But Bakugo had other plans, eyeing her badged side and frowning, already stomping up to her. "You idiot! What the hell were you thinking?! You look like a goddamn mess…"

Putting a hand to the back of her head, Amari only laughed nervously. "Oh come on Katsuki, it's not that bad. Nothing I can't handle.."

Deku tried to quell his anger then, stepping towards him carefully. "Yeah Kacchan, Amari-chan was really cool! She saved Ida and I from the Hero Killer. You should go easy on her.."

Although this didn't ease him at all, only getting him more worked up. Why in the hell was she fighitng a murder without him?! "Shut up Deku! How can I go easy on this brat when she keeps making trouble for me! She deserves to know how much of an idiot she is.."

Staring at his face, Amari took in his features, missing him all that once. Yes he was yelling at her but she somehow knew it was from a place of love.

Suddenly, Stain's red bloodshot eyes flashed in her mind and Amari couldn't help but feel choked up about hearing her brothers voice again. She thought she would never hear it. "I'm so glad to see you Katsuki."

He noticed her scratchy tone only to turn back to her. "What the hell is your problem?"

Amari then realization she must of seemed really strange and tried to clean herself up in front of her brother. What would he think if he saw her like this? "Oh, I'm sorry..I didn't mean to..I'm sorry ...I wasn't really...I'm sorry.."

Bakugo watched her breathing grow more rapid as he noticed the repeat of words, suddenly not happy with them. "Hey, what did I say about all that damn apologizing? Quit it."

She knew he had to stop it, she knew he wouldn't like her weak side so Amari tried her best to pull herself together, ignoring the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry...just give me a minute..I can be better...I can be stronger..I'm sorry."

Katsuki watched in surprise as his sister started to fall apart in front of him, continuing to constantly apologize through her raspy voice. Did she really think that he would be bothered by her tears, that she needed to be strong in front of him? Of course he made a comment about it but it wasn't meant to be taken seriously.

Putting a hand out to touch her shoulder, he spoke, now feeling uncomfortable. "Hey, I said quit it."

Nodding her head, her tears started to fall onto her cheeks. "Right..I'm sorry..I'm better than this..a Bakugo is better than this.."

She then placed a shaky hand up to her face, voicing the fears that she had been keeping since her encounter with Stain. "It's just, thought I would never see you again. I'm so happy to hear your voice Katsuki.."

Bakugo's eyes widened at her words, now extremely worried for what this girl had faced. She wasn't usually like this. Did something scare her?

Suddenly forgetting the other two people around them, Bakugo knew he had to quell her cries or else they wouldn't ever stop. "Hey, what nonsense are you saying?"

Then, he carefully wrapped his arms around her shaking body, pulling her close even though he was mildly uncomfortable. This was new to him. "I'm not going anywhere stupid. It's okay if you want to cry. I won't think your weak, okay?"

Registering his words, Amari then wrapped her arms around his waist, taking in his warmth and comfort all at once. She needed to be sure that he was still here. That she hadn't died back in that alleyway.

Tensing at the action, Bakugo didn't pull away, only patting her head softly as she muttered in his chest. "For the first time in my life, I realized that I didn't want to die."

Blinking in surprise, her words brought on a new wave of worries for him, wondering exactly what she's been feeling for the past years. But those thoughts and conversation would have to wait until another time.

Now, he just needed to be there for her.

* * *

AHHHH 25 page chapter oof. Sorry this took so long but it was a big boy. I hope you enjoyed it! Lots of drama and feels to unpack. Amari freaked out at the end because she actually thought she was going to die but then hearing her brothers voice finally made her break down completely, finally registering the situation she was in with Stain.

Next Chapter: Soft brother Katsuki cares for Amari


	27. S2 Chapter 15

A couple days after the Hosu incident, Deku, Amari and Todoroki stayed in the hospital for a few more days before finally being sent home.

Since then, the boys haven't even mentioned the display they witnessed between Bakugo and his sister. Deku especially felt like he would've been killed if he mentioned the boys soft side. He wasn't brave enough for that.

Bakugo himself couldn't help thinking about the incident as well, stomping down the stairs the following morning and pouring himself a cup of orange juice.

He hadn't known Amari is entire life but even he knew that her behavior at the hospital was abnormal. Something must of really happened in Hosu to have scared her that bad. He couldn't help but still recall her shaking and terrified body underneath him.

This was why he didn't want her to be a hero in the first place. It wasn't that he had something against her, Bakugo just didn't want his sister to have to suffer because of something he caused. Her dream was just foolish.

Bakugo stopped thinking though as Amari descended the steps, putting an uncertain hand to her forehead as she flung her bag over her shoulder.

She was wearing her school uniform which immediately had him on edge. This girl literally was in a hospital bed a couple days ago. Oh hell no was she going to school. "Hey brat, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Looking up to meet him, Amari only sighed, grabbing an apple off of the table. "Uhh going to school? What do you think I would be doing?"

To be completely honest, Amari regretted showing her brother her weak side as now it looked like he was questioning everything she did. She hated being pitied and babied more than anything.

Bakugo frowned at that, grabbing the apple out of her hand and placing it back in the bowl roughly. "Oh no you're not. You were just in a freaking hospital bed, dumbass."

Rolling her eyes, Amari only sighed, taking a step forward towards him slowly. "Katsuki, I get it if you're worried but I already told you, I'm perfectly fine. The doctor already discharged me so I'm good."

Although Bakugo wasn't too sure, suddenly watch her take a shaky step forward and stumbling a tiny bit. Hold on, there was something wrong with her. He knew it. "No you're not, come here brat."

Then before she could process it, Katsuki shoved his hand to her forehead, gasping at the heat radiating from it. It was clearly a fever. "Ah hell, I was right. You have a fever. This is what happens when you push yourself."

Amari groaned at that, shoving his hand off as he started to freak out. A fever was normal but for someone like his sister, who knows how serious it could be? And it made it even worse knowing that their parents weren't home either. "Fuck, what do I do?! Who do I call? We have to get you to the hospital, now."

He already started pushing her out the door when Amari groaned again, this time planting her feet on the floor to stop his panic. "Whoa whoa, hold on Katsuki. It's not a big deal. The doctor already said that I might get a fever from the stab wound because of my weak immune system. It's normal. Call mom if you don't believe me.

Bakugo took her advice right away, letting go of the girls arm and furiously dialing his mother's number on his phone. "Damn right I will. Don't you dare move."

After a short conversation, Bakugo's mother confirmed what Amari just said was true while also explaining that she wouldn't be home until later that night. Great, now what was he supposed to do?

Out of the corner of his eye, he then saw Amari starting to move towards the door, already putting her shoes on. What the hell was this girl thinking? He needed to stop this.

Shouting back towards her, Bakugo frowned. "Hey, hold on. Where the hell do you think you're going? Don't even think about going to school dumbass."

Although Amari had other plans, standing up before getting a slight dizzy spell. She had never missed a day of school in her life, and she wasn't about to start now. She wouldn't let a stupid cold get the better of her.

Of course that's what she thought before suddenly feeling her small body being hoisted in the air, and flung over her brother shoulder in surprise. "Katsuki, what are you doing?! Put me down, you jerk!"

Although Bakugo wouldn't budge, already moving up the steps towards her room. "Forget it, that's not happening."

Kicking her feet in protest, Amari groaned, already feeling the room around her spin. "I swear Katsuki, just because you're bigger doesn't mean you can treat me like a sack of potatoes! Let go of me!"

Yet again, Bakugo didn't listen, instead throwing her door open and throwing her on the bed. Then he grabbed her heavy comforter and threw it over her face. "Hey, stop that!"

Throwing the blankets off of her, he found Bakugo staring at her in frustration, pointing his finger out to her sharply. "Listen to me brat, if you don't stay there then you can just pack up your things and move out of this house! You don't want that, right?"

Widening her eyes in fear, Amari felt defeated, slumping back in her bed roughly. She had just gotten over that huge milestone with her brother. She didn't want to go back to step one again. "No.."

Sighing in relief, Katsuki replied. "So you'll stay then?"

Nodding her head slowly, Bakugo finally felt slightly relaxed, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. "Good, now go to bed damn it!"

Then before she could reply, he walked away from her, already feeling slightly irritated. Their mother was better at these kind of things.

What was he going to do now?

* * *

Stomping down the steps, Bakugo looked at the time before groaning to himself. What was it that their mother usually did when he was sick? What even was he supposed to do in this situation? He was by himself.

Then, he caught the sight of a cookbook in the corner of his eye and recalled a recipe inside of it. Oh hell no. He was not some housewife in a frilly apron making food. There was no way. Amari could just forget it.

Although he then recalled her scared expression back at the hospital and before he could process it, the boy was slamming the cookbook on the counter, muttering to himself in the process. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

He scanned the recipes before settling on a simple rice porridge and angrily slamming a pot on the stove. That brat better appreciate this.

Just then, the phone next to her bag began to ring loudly causing him to raise an eyebrow. Who the hell could that even be? Amari didn't have many friends, he noticed.

Moving to the object, Bakugo picked up the object, not bothering to even read the caller ID and just answering it roughly. "Who the hell is this?"

The voice on the other side answered plainly, causing Bakugo to frown. It was that icy hot bastard. "Bakugo, why are you answering Amari's phone?"

Katsuki couldn't help but feel annoyed by this statement, speaking rough in reply. "It's none of your damn business. Stop calling here."

Todoroki seemed confused by that, his voice raising in concern. "Amari told me to meet her by the front gates but she hasn't come yet. Do you know where she is?"

Shaking in head in frustration, Katsuki moved back towards the kitchen to start cooking her food. "That brat isn't coming today so just forget it."

There was a slight pause before the other boy responded. "Why not? Our internships are over."

Rolling his eyes at the boys stupidity, Katsuki threw open a cabinet sharply. "Yeah dumbass, we know that. She's sick, so she's staying home. You got a problem with that? Now stop asking me stupid questions and shut up already."

Then before he could answer, Bakugo ended the call, slamming the object on the table. That guy was so freaking annoying. It wasn't any of his business to know everything. Katsuki couldn't help but still have a sour attitude for the boy after his outbursts at the hospital a couple months ago. His sister really had terrible taste.

Ignoring the encounter, Katsuki chose to focus on the food instead, now furiously stirring the pot on the stove, stewing about that icy hot bastard.

He was so infuriating.

* * *

Moving towards her room with a tray in hand, Bakugo stopped when he saw his sister, sweating and sleeping in her bed quietly. Shit, her fever looked worse.

Katsuki quickly placed the tray on the side of her table before moving towards Amari, just staring at her weakened form. He couldn't help but recall such terrible memories from it which made his stomach extremely nauseous.

It was like he was back to being a kindergartener, sitting by her hospital bed while seeing the tubes and wires in her white, pale skin. Even though that was so long ago, he still felt so useless and incompetent. Here is was with all this power and strength and yet he couldn't save his sister from her condition.

Although, it seemed like she was better the last couple months, now able to use her quirk and control it. But even though he had physically seen it, Bakugo still had a sickening sensation in his stomach somehow. He just didn't want to go back to seeing her in a hospital bed. Was that so bad? Was that too much to wish for?

He stopped thinking though when Amari turned her head to the side, opening her eyes and meeting his in a groggy manner. "Katsuki, what are you doing?"

Now feeling slightly embarrassed, he turned his head away quickly. "Shut up brat. I was just seeing if you finally listened to me or else I was going to kick you out."

Blinking in confusion, she replied. "Oh…"

Then, she caught the tray of food in the corner, realizing it wasn't there before. "Did mom make that for me? She didn't have to do that. I thought she was working."

Bakugo thought for a moment before crossing his arms, roughly picking up the tray. "She is working dumbass. You just had to be sick at the worst possible time, didn't you? You made me waste my god damn time."

Registering his words, Amari gasped, already trying to sit up but finding the room started to spin. Oh no, she inconvinced him. He probably hated her for that. "Wait, you made this? I'm sorry, you already had to stay home for me and now you had to do this."

He listened to her apology, now feeling slightly bad for being so harsh. It wasn't her fault that she was sick.

Shoving the tray onto her lap, Bakugo only scoffed, not knowing how to apologize. "Forget it. You better eat the entire thing since I had to do this for you brat."

She nodded her head sadly, already picked up the spoon before answering. "Thank you anyways. I didn't know you could cook Katsuki."

Rolling her eyes, Bakugo replied. "Of course I can. I'm great at everything, did you forget that? This is nothing for the future number one greatest hero."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, blowing on the hot porridge. "I know I shouldn't be happy about this but this is the first time I've tasted your cooking. It makes me feel grateful."

Widened his eyes at her kindness, Katsuki didn't know how to take her words. "What the hell are you even saying? Just shut up and eat already!"

Smiling to herself, Amari complied, still silently happy about getting to talk with her brother. That was until she remembered her display in the hospital. She really wished he hadn't seen that.

She put the spoon down then, staring her bowl sadly. "Hey Katsuki, can we just forget about what happened back in Hosu?"

Raising a brow at that, Bakugo recalling her crying face and replied. "And why the hell would I do that?"

Amari started stirring the spoon in her porridge in response, seeming sad. "Ah well, it was kind of embarrassing and I never wanted you to see me like that. I promise, I was just a little shaken up about encountering that villain, that's all."

Her brother listened to her words silently before wondering why she would want him to forget about her breakdown. Katsuki didn't know for certain but in that moment, he thought that for the first time, he somehow saw such a raw and untouched side of her. He didn't want to forget that.

Shaking his head, Bakugo narrowed his eyes, trying is best to say his feelings. "Well you can forget that brat. How could I forget something like that? I'm not some kind of pussy so you don't have apologize for it, stupid."

Amari just seemed frustrated though. "I know that but I don't want you to think of me as your pathetic weak sister who can't do anything and is a crybaby. That's the last thing I want you to think of me as. But I guess right now that's pretty accurate, right? You still don't think I can be a hero."

Gazing at her sweating exterior, Bakugo thought about her words. He knew better than to think that now. "You're damn right about that, but that doesn't mean I think you're a crybaby either. You really don't know how to stop or how to give up before hurting yourself, do you? You don't know when to quit…

Amari became slightly embarrassed at this, frowning. "Well, you don't either."

Slightly a hint of frustration, Bakugo replied. "Hey, don't you dare try to turn this around on me. We aren't the same person Amari, so stop acting like that. It's different with me."

And Katsuki truly felt that. He had his strength and training on his side. What did she have? Her determination? That could only get her so far.

Shaking her head in frustration, Amari gripped the bowl in annoyance, not liking his words. "I know, I know I'm not as strong or smart or capable as you, but that doesn't mean I can't succeed. My obstacles are just tougher, but that's never going to stop me. So, I'm sorry Katsuki but I'll never give up on being a hero, no matter what I have to do, no matter how hard I have to push myself. I will always get back up again."

Her speech was impressive but Bakugo couldn't help but feel worry in the back of his head. "Why do you have to be so god damn stubborn?! You could do anything in the world and yet you still choose to put yourself in these dangerous situations? That's how you got yourself like this. Open your eyes Amari."

Just then, Katsuki slumped down in the chair next to him, staring at her pale features. "When will you realize that I hate seeing you like this. I don't want to see your stupid face go back to how you were before."'

Amari raised a brow at that, her tongue sticking to one of the words. "Before?"

Nodding his head, Bakugo thought for a moment before grunting in frustration. He didn't really want to talk to her about this as it hit a little too close to home, but she wasn't getting it. "Yeah idiot, you know, like when we were kids.

Amari tried to figure out what he was saying before it finally clicked. He was talking about when she was on the verge of death and he was forced to visit her as kids. "Katsuki.."

Watching her eyes fall, he continued. "Just shut up and listen because I'm only going to say this once. Seeing you like this pisses me off. So cut it out already and go back to being that annoying and irritating sister I know.

She blinked in surprise at his words, trying to process them slowly. He was being so nice to her, it was weird. Although she couldn't deny that she kind of liked it even though he seemed distressed. "Am I, burdening you right now?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Katsuki scoffed. "Damn right you are, so hurry up and get better already, stupid."

A long pause of silence entered after that, when suddenly the front doorbell began to rang, causing her brother to frown. "Who the hell could that be?"

Standing up from his chair, Bakugo started to move towards the stairs, but not before turning to glare at Amari. "Don't you dare even think about moving brat."

The girl only nodded her head though, placing the bowl back onto the tray.

Once Katsuki was sure that she wasn't going to move, he descended the steps, only for the doorbell to ring once more. Why was this stranger being so damn impatient?

Finally reaching the door, Bakugo grumbled, throwing the object open in a heavy shout. "What?"

Although the face on the other end of the door didn't make him feel any better. It was Todoroki. Why was he standing at his door? Bakugo had already told him to get lost on the phone. "Of course it's you, you bastard.."

Ignoring his tone, Todoroki answered back quickly, already scanning the inside of his house for something. "Where is Amari, is she alright?"

At his sister's name, Bakugo frowned, realizing he didn't want to deal with this bastard today. So instead of doing so, Katsuki decided to slam the door back in his face, now walking away. Serves him right.

That was until the doorbell began to ring again, once, twice, three times before Katsuki became insane, throwing the object back open. "What?! What the hell do you want icy hot?!"

Although Todoroki didn't seem pleased, repeating his question. "I want to see Amari."

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Bakugo replied. "To damn bad, she's not available right now. Just go home already and get off my doorstep."

Bakugo then went to shut the door again when Todoroki's hand stopped him roughly. "You said she was sick before, is she alright? Did you take her to the hospital? I need to see her."

Forcing his hand on the door, Bakugo pushed back, clearly annoyed. "It's none of your damn business icy hot!"

Although Todoroki wasn't listening, determined to see Amari and fearing for the worst. Maybe this was really serious and Bakugo just didn't know. "Bakugo, please stop being so stubborn."

Just then, they both stopped when Amari's small voice rang behind them, leaning against one of the walls for support. After the long wait, she decided to check out exactly who he was talking to. "Shoto, what are you doing here?"

Seeing her leaning, a large feeling of anxiety filled Todoroki's stomach then, rushing over to help her. "Amari, are you alright? Bakugo told me you were sick."

Katsuki didn't seemed pleased about either situation though. "Hey, get out of my house! Also what did I say about staying in bed brat?!"

Todoroki touched her shoulder lightly only for her to smile. "I'm okay, Katsuki's just overreacting. It's just a little fever from my side wound. The doctors said it's normal given my immune system."

He touched the side of her face in response as Bakugo frowned. "Great, now you know. Now you can leave."

Although he stopped when Amari put her hand to her head to quell an oncoming dizzy spell. Standing for so long wasn't the best idea. "Katsuki, please don't start this…"

Todoroki noticed the action and immediately gasped, feeling her body lean onto his for support. "Are you okay?"

She only nodded her head though, closing her eyes from the light. "Yeah, just a little dizzy. It will pass."

Yet, the boy wasn't pleased, now gathering her in his arms and carrying the poor girl carefully. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Katsuki stared at his sister, not struggling in Todoroki's arms and sighed. It looked like this was the only way to get her to listen. That bastard was going to have to stay.

He was half expected Bakugo to shout at him for the action but strangely enough, her brother was quiet, only muttering under his breath. "You get a pass today, but that's it."

Taking in his words, Todoroki carefully brought her up the stairs before placing her down in her bed, smoothing a piece of hair from her hair and smiling under his breath.

Then, he noticed the empty bowl by her desk. "You can cook?"

Katsuki only scoffed at that, feeling slightly embarrassed that the boy knew it was him. "Shut up half and half."

Had her brother really gone to the trouble to make food for Amari when she was sick? Todoroki somehow felt happy by the gesture. At least it showed he really did care underneath all those angry words.

There was a heavy silence for a moment or two before Bakugo spoke, seeming slightly uncomfortable. "Hey, did that brat saying anything about what happened in Hosu? I know she trusts you."

Turning to face him, Todoroki only shook his head. "She was alone with that hero killer for awhile. I have no idea what he may have said to her."

At the sound of the events, Bakugo balled his fists, only thinking about his sister facing that terrible and vile villain all alone. "He's lucky I wasn't around or else I would've killed him myself."

Todoroki completely believed that, knowing exactly what Bakugo was capable of. "Killing is only the action of a villain Bakugo. We mustn't stoop so low. At least she's safe now."

Well that's what he said, but Todoroki couldn't deny the anger still in his stomach, recalling her shocked and scared face in that alleyway alone. He really wanted to know what happened but Amari wasn't in the mood for sharing yet. It truly made him worry.

Katsuki didn't seem to like his response though, muttering back. "This wouldn't have happened if she just gave up on her ridiculous dream of being a hero."

Amari groaned in her sleep then, causing the boy to smile under his breath. "You don't give her enough credit Bakugo. Amari is capable of so much more than you think."

Katsuki didn't fully understand that bastards words but seemed like they held so much meaning and power to the boy. Like there was something he didn't know about. "Capable? Don't make me laugh. She's just an idiot."

Todoroki closed his eyes in disappointment at that, taking in his harsh words. "Says the boy who doesn't even know he's being protected by his sister."

Amari's brothers words widened at the remark, not liking the idea. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Although the boy only sighed in response, standing from his chair. "It's not my place to tell you. Just know that Amari really admires you as a brother. She only does these things because of you, Bakugo."

Bakugo took in his declaration and frowned, standing up in a challenge as well. What the hell was this bastard saying? There was no way Amari's reckless and dangerous behavior was because of him. He couldn't have something else become his fault.

Silently fearing the words, he spoke against Todoroki ."Are you saying that this is my fault, that the reason that she's sick right now is my fault? Screw you bastard!"

Although Todoroki only sighed, shaking his head. "That wasn't my intention. I just want you to understand how she thinks. Amari's afraid to confide in you because she thinks you'll reject her. She wants to be strong for you."

Bakugo seemed confused by his statement, recalling his sister asking to forget about her moment of weakness in the hospital and then still trying to go to school regardless of her condition. Was that because she didn't want to seem weak to him? What other times had she tried to do that?

Shaking his head in frustration, Katsuki replied. "What nonsense are you speaking, bastard?"

Although Todoroki only answered back plainly, eyeing Amari softly. "Whether you think it's nonsense or not is up to you, Bakugo. I just don't want her to suffer anymore. I assume we are in the same position?"

Staring back towards his sister, Katsuki realized that for the first time, he agreed with Todoroki.

He didn't want her to suffer.

* * *

Cute fluff everywhere AHH. This was so fun to write. Bakugo and Amari's sibling relationship is slowly starting to mend back together, Katsuki now starting to realize just how messed up she is in terms of her mindset.

Next chapter: Amari and Shinso finally talk about what happened during the sports festival.


	28. S2 Chapter 16

Swirling the pills around in her hand, Amari swallowed the three before feeling that familiar burn in her chest. She had just finished getting over her fever which meant it was back to training and improving herself like before. That break had already wasted enough time.

She raced through the course quickly before falling to her knees, her breath becoming more and more shallow than before. That was new, why was she so exhausted already?

Clutching her chest in pain, Amari twisted her brow in confusion before fumbling for her pills. Why did it feel like effects were already running out? It was literally only a couple minutes since she started her quirk.

Her shaky hand grabbed onto two more pills before shoving them in her mouth without a second thought, the burning sensation now dissipating slowly.

Catching her breath, Amari thought about what this meant. Just last week it only took three pills to fully active her quirk but now, it took five? The amount of intake was going up, faster than what she expected. That wasn't good.

She turned her eyes to ones of concern before flopping down onto the training floor and placing a tired arm over her face. Her body was rejecting them even faster than before. Did that mean she didn't have much time left after all?

Usually Amari would have paid no mind to that idea, fully knowing that the medicine wasn't a permanent solution, but yet somehow she felt scared about it.

The last couple months had been so wonderful for her, filled with such love and joy from both her brother and Shoto. Awhile back, Amari would've have just accepted this progression but now, now she didn't want to leave.

Groaning to herself, she realized that this was the exact reason she didn't want to get too close to Todoroki or Katsuki. Now she was just being selfish. She wanted more than what was given. How terrible of her to want such things when she was already given so much.

She then picked herself up from the floor before grabbing her bag and sighing. If time was really running out then she couldn't just pout and whine about the things that were inevitable.

She just needed to complete her goals.

* * *

To put it simply, Shinso hadn't slept since finding out about Amari, and to put matters worse, he couldn't even ask her about it because she was busy completing her class internships.

There were many things that swirled around in his head the past couple weeks, but the emotion that stood out the most was doubt. Maybe it was just his mind tricking him but Shinso didn't want to believe that Amari's outburst was true.

Even if he did see her struggling in the hallway at the sports festival, there might have been a more simple explanation to it. She could have very well been faking the whole thing. At least that's what he wanted to believe.

Moving towards the school, he paused when a couple Class B students started whispering about him as he passed. It was a normal occurrence. "Hey, did you hear about his quirk? It's brainwashing, how scary."

Shinso just sighed heavily, not really affected by the words. They were something that he had heard his entire life after all. His quirk was better suited for a villain. That's what everyone thought.

His friend seemed to join into the conversation as well, noticing the two lock eyes. "Oh shoot, I think he heard you. Be careful there, you don't want him to use his quirk on you."

They both shivered and Shinso sighed again, turing away when a female voice stopped him in his tracks.

Her back was turned to him, almost like she didn't notice he was there. It was Amari. "You talk really big for someone that kicked your ass in the sports festival. Are you sure you're not just jealous?"

The boys seemed confused by her statement, challenging her. "Oh please, why would I be jealous?"

But Amari just crossed her arms over her chest, thinking for a moment. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe if you had his quirk you wouldn't have placed dead last in the first round. If you wanna talk all cocky, make sure you have the skill to back it up."

Blinking in surprise, Shinso watched the girl defend him in confusion. Wasn't she pissed at him still? Why would she even stand up for him like that? It was strange.

The boy also seemed amused, suddenly remembering her face. "Hold on, aren't the girl that he was picking on during the sports festival? Why are you defending someone with a villain quirk like him?"

Amari paused for a moment before smirking. "Shinso is a lot of things, but he's definitely not a villain."

Shinso eyes widened at her words to the strangers. That was the first time someone had ever stood up for him like that, and it was the first time someone didn't think of him as a villain.

Huffing in response, the boys knew they couldn't win this battle and turned away, but not before shouting back, in hopes to embarrass her. "Whatever you say Confession Girl."

Although they didn't get the response they wanted. All they got was an eye roll and sarcasm. "Oh wow, like I haven't heard that one before. If you are going to insult me, be more creative, will you?"

Shinso seemed confused about the nickname though. Why did it seem like she had heard that name a lot? It didn't have anything to do with the sports festival, right?

The boys then realized that they weren't going to get anywhere with her and scoffed before turning away, earning a heavy sigh from the girl herself.

Turning back around towards the school though, Amari finally noticed Shinso's presence behind her and froze for a moment. They locked eyes silently as a thousand unsaid words passed between them, his being the only ones said out loud. "Why did you do that?"

She registered his words for a moment before frowning, and walking past him without giving a response. That proved it, she was still upset with him.

Shinso blinked in surprise, and found his feet following her, suddenly wanting to know what that whole display was all about. He needed answers for that and for the sports festival. "Hey, hold on. Where are you going?"

Amari's eyes cast down to the floor then, answering back plainly. "Class. Leave me alone Shinso, I'm still pissed."

Trying to lose him, she picked up her pace, only for him to match it, stepping in front of her in question. "Are we just not going to talk about what happened at the sports festival?"

She knew exactly what he had meant, her outburst. Although, Amari didn't really want to get into this with him. "Nope."

Turning the corner, he put a hand out to her quickly. "You can't just do that. At least tell me if what you said back then was the truth. It can't be, right?"

This caused her to stop abruptly, finally meeting his eyes as the air grew heavier. "If it's easier for you to think that way, then sure."

Shinso's chest dropped in anxiety at her words. Why wasn't she denying it? No, what she said couldn't be true. It just couldn't. "What.."

Although he didn't have time to think as Amari picked up her pace again, moving back towards the school. Now he really couldn't let her go. He needed answers.

Amari saw Katsuki in the distance and smiled when Shinso blocked her pathway, speaking extremely loudly so that Bakugo and some other students were able to hear. "Bakugo, this isn't a joke. What you said before was really serious. What do you mean that your quirk is going to…"

Widening her eyes at his volume, Amari roughly cut him off with her own hand, covering his mouth aggressively. He was really going to blow everything she had worked for in one single moment. "SHHHHH"

Shinso's eyes then traveled to Bakugo's confused ones as she let go. "Does Bakugo know?"

Shaking her head furiously, Amari replied. "No, now shut up already. I already said I don't want to talk about it."

Knowing she wasn't going to budge, Shinso knew exactly what to do. In one motion, his voice raised again, threatening her silently. "What do you mean Bakugo doesn't know about how your quirk will…."

Widening her eyes once more, Amari clamped her hand back over his mouth before he could finish that sentence. He was playing dirty.

She then realized she couldn't win and sighed, whispering back harshly. "Fine. Meet me in the courtyard during lunch. Just shut up about it already, okay?"

Once she realized he wasn't going to yell out again, Amari let go of her hand before grumbling to herself and leaving. This was going to be a train wreck.

Shinso just stood still for the moment though, finally happy he was going to get some answers.

* * *

Lunch came sooner than expected and when Shinso stepped into the courtyard he was surprised to find Amari missing. Maybe she really did blow him off after all.

Although he paused when he turned the corner and found the girl sitting on a bench a couple feet away, staring into space. She seemed really solemn about something but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

As he approached, Amari felt his presence behind her and sighed. "You know, I was kind of hoping you weren't going to show up."

Her tone was not lost on the boy, now feeling the heavy atmosphere around them. Why was she acting so depressed all of a sudden? He was about to find out.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shinso replied. "You already know that's not possible. Now spill, why did you stand up for me today? I thought you hated me."

He was starting off easy which made Amari slightly glad. "I don't hate you, I guess I just hate when people underestimate someone. You may be a jerk but you have a pretty amazing quirk. They needed to see that."

He took in her words and felt slightly happy because of them. It seemed that she didn't like the feeling of underestimation pushed on anyone, not just herself.

Amari continued plainly, staring at her hands. "I've been pushed around all my life, I don't want that feeling to fall on anyone else, regardless of how I feel about them."

Her explanation was intriguing to say the least, although now a heavy pit of shame appeared in the boy's stomach. That's all he was doing to her. I guess I acted like kind of a jerk during the sports festival then, huh?"

Shinso expected her to reject his statement but she instead nodded her head, agreeing to his stupidity. "Yeah, you did."

Feeling his face fall, Amari replied. "Although it's not your fault. That's what most people do when they see me. I guess it's a natural response by now."

He silently hated that he had fallen into the same category as everyone one else, only judging her on her look when clearly she was a skillful fighter. He had seen it first hand.

A slight pause occupied the space then before Amari couldn't take it anymore. It was killing her to wait it out. "So, go on. You wanted to talk about it…"

Shinso knew exactly what she meant, now taking a step forward to lean against a nearby tree. He needed to see her reaction to this. "Was what you said back at the sports festival really true?"

Amari looked to the ground for a moment before smiling sadly. "Would it make you feel better if I said no?"

Her answer wasn't a direct no which made him even more on edge. "Enough with the games Bakugo, it isn't funny anymore. Just tell me already."

Thinking over his words, Amari grimaced at her last name. "I wish it was a game, but unfortunately I'm not that lucky. You should just forget everything I said. I don't want to bring you into this."

Although Shinso had other plans. There was no way he was walking away from this now. He had spent far too many restless nights thinking about everything. "I don't think so. You're not getting away that easy."

This caused the girl to shake her head, reaching into her pocket to grab her pills. "Yeah, I didn't think so. It was worth a try."

Shinso caught his eyes on the object as she opened the box, showing him the medicine. "What I said before, it wasn't a lie."

Grabbing the object, his eyes widened, now recalling her words before. "What? So that means your quirk.."

Amari nodded her head in acceptance, finishing the sentence. "Will kill me? Yes. The pills are a temporary solution that allows me to use my quirk for a short period of time. I can't fight without them."

Everything she was saying was far too much for the boy, taking another step closer to see her face even more clearly. "Why would you do that?"

She found the words strangely funny. "I think you understand more than anyone why I would do it. I was given the chance to be a hero. Wouldn't you take it?"

Shinso hated that she was absolutely right. He probably would've done the same thing if given the same circumstances. Their determination was almost the same. "Why doesn't Bakugo know yet? Isn't he your dearest brother?"

At the word brother, her face fell. "That's exactly why he can't know. He wouldn't understand if he found out everything I had to do to get here. It's better this way.."

Although he wasn't so sure. "How is that better?"

Amari just smiled sadly in response. "It just is. I want to see him happy and proud, and if he learns about my limits, then I'll just be burdening him even more. I already do that enough as it is."

Shinso couldn't help but think about that phrase, now becoming slightly concerned. "What do you mean?"

Shaking her head, she pointed to herself roughly. "Just look at me Shinso, I'm a big huge disappointment to everyone. You said it yourself, I'm not much of a hero. That's why I have to prove it. Regardless of my health or my size, I will be worthy enough to call myself Katsuki's sister one day. Well, I hope so anyways."

Just then, she stopped speaking, realizing she may have been pushing it a little far. "Sorry, I'm oversharing again. It's a bad habit. Just forget what I said."

Although there was no way he could forget that now. Did she really feel that way about herself? Shinso just thought she was a spastic idiot. Was her mindset really that warped to believe she wasn't good enough?

Crossing his arms over his chest, Shinso replied. "I was wrong back then. I thought you were only in the hero program because you cheated your way in. Although, it seems like you're just as much of a hero as anyone else. Sorry."

His apology felt strange to her. "I don't need your pity. Just because you found out I'm dying doesn't mean you have to pretend to be all nice all of a sudden. It's weird."

Shinso felt frustrated at that. Yes he only realized he was being a jerk after hearing her explanation but that wasn't the only reason. Her fighting at the sports festival showed him that she was not to be taken lightly.

Sighing in annoyance, he replied. "I'm not pretending, okay? I'm serious, I shouldn't have underestimated you at the sports festival. Can't I be genuine for one minute?"

Amari eyed him curiously. He still might have only been saying that because of pity but it somehow made her strangely happy inside. "I didn't know that was possible for you."

Shinso narrowed his stance in frustration when he saw her smile softly, touched by his words. "But, thank you."

Another small silence appeared before Amari spoke again. "I'm not going to thank you for what you did at the festival but I will admit, if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have ever gotten the courage to tell Shoto how I feel."

Shinso thought back to her sudden confession and put the pieces together, now knowing why she never wanted to confess in the first place. "I thought you didn't want to?"

Shaking her head once, Amari sighed. "I didn't, and I still think it would've been better if he never realized my feelings. Although, these last few weeks are something I would never want to replace. I never thought I would be able to have something like this, so it's nice."

Her eyes seemed distant and somewhat sad though. "But now it seems I have a new problem."

Shinso leaned forward then, wondering exactly what she had meant. Why did she look so sad when she just explained how great everything was? "What's that?"

Looking down to her gold bracelet, Amari lightly touched the band before sighing. "I don't want to give it up. I was always so aware of my time here, not wanting to get too comfortable but these last few weeks, they make me want to live."

Shinso widened his eyes at her words, sharply turning to her. "I don't see the big deal. If you want to stay then you should."

But Amari only shook her head. "The universe isn't that kind. It seems I have even less time than I originally thought. My body is already starting to reject the pills. At this rate, I probably won't even make it past this year."

He remained frozen, processing her declaration. From the way she was talking before, he assumed she had a dozen or so years left before her quirk killed her. Was it really just a year? That was so horrible.

Laughing to herself, she smirked. "Well, I guess that means that you really can have my spot in the hero course, right? That should make you happy at least."

Although Shinso wasn't happy in the slightest, only thinking about her fate. "Are you serious? Stop it, that's not how I want to earn my spot."

Her smile fell then, rubbing the back of her neck in a nervous fashion. "You're right. That was a bad joke. Sorry, I'm just trying to make light of the situation."

She was right about that, Shinso didn't find her joke funny at all. Now he only felt anxious, watching her jump up from her seat. "Well now that you know, you can stop asking me. The bells going to ring soon. I should start heading back."

Stretching her arms behind her head, Amari grabbed the bag next to her when Shinso spoke back softly. "I guess I'll take that truce now."

Amari blinked surprise, turning back to him. "Wait, really?"

Nodding back, Shinso knew he couldn't be annoyed with her now. His whole reason for hating her had gone out the window. "If you don't want to then whatever."

She thought for a moment, at his words before letting her lips curve into a sly smile. "I suppose we can have that truce. But if you ever try to brainwash me again without my permission then I'm going to blow you up myself."

Putting his hands up in defence, Shinso nodded. "I suppose that's fair."

He then reached a hand out to her as Amari accepted the deal, grabbing onto his palm and shaking it in agreement. Looks like they didn't fully hate each other anymore.

Although Todoroki couldn't help but catch the two of them from the topic window, eyeing Shinso carefully. That was the guy that kept picking on her. What were they even doing?

He paused when a voice behind him whistled, turning to find Denki patting his shoulder. "You better be careful dude, a woman's heart is a difficult thing. You never know when it's going to change."

His words brought an annoying tick in his face as Todoroki just raised his left hand up in a threatening manner. "I would be careful with what you say."

Deki jumped back in fear then, already hurrying away. It seemed his words angered the boy somehow.

Once he was gone, Todoroki turned back to the window only to find the two of them gone. What happened when he wasn't looking?

Suddenly, a voice behind him echoed back. "What are you looking at?"

Turning around, Todoroki recognized Amari's face in a flash. "Nothing really. What were you doing? Why did you cancel lunch today?"

Amari only sighed then, putting a head up to her neck. "Ah sorry, I had to deal with something unpleasant. You see, back in the sports festival I might have overshared a bit to that purple haired jerk so I was trying to straighten everything out."

Todoroki took in her words and wondering why she would have accidentally revealed so much about herself to that guy? Although that wasn't really his business to know. "Did you strengthen everything out?"

She thought for a moment before smiling to herself. "Yeah, I think so."

Usually her smile made him happy but he couldn't deny the heavy pit that appeared this time. Maybe it was because she was smiling about something he didn't know about. "I see."

Noticing his tone, Amari's face dropped, reaching forward to grab his hand. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Seeing her distraught face made him falter, not wanting to worry her anymore. He needed to stop thinking that way. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Just then, he pulled something out from his bag and reached it out to her. "Here, since you didn't get to have lunch."

Amari blinked surprise before grabbing the object. It looked to be a single wrapped piece of bread. Did he get this for her? That was so sweet. "You didn't have to do that."

But Todoroki insisted, replying back. "Would you have remembered to eat if I didn't?"

Amari face flushed then, locking eyes with the floor. He did have her there. She probably would have just skipped lunch. "Alright, you got me. Thanks Shoto. You're the best."

Todoroki just nodded his head in reply, reaching to grab her hand silently. "We should start to head back."

She agreed to his statement, allowing him to drag her back to the classroom with their hands intertwined. She really was lucky to have him in her life.

* * *

Next Chapter will be the end of S2 because we are about to start that training camp arc where all the shit will hit the fan. S3 will be the climax of this story.

So we have a Amari and Shinso friendship and maybe a slight jealous Todoroki? Oooh I wonder how that will progress now that Shinso and Todo both know about her condition. This is not the last we will see of Shinso though. I feel like the anime did him dirty so we are gonna add more content for him as he's such an interesting character.

Next Chapter: Shigaraki's confrontation with Deku at the mall and how Amari fits into all that.


	29. S2 Chapter 17

Amari walked into the classroom a couple days later only to find a couple students laughing around Mina's desk. They looked to be reading something, although she really didn't have any interest.

As she approached her desk, Mina called out to her, now noticing her presence. "Hey Amari, come check this out!"

The other students started calling her as well until the girl had no choice but to comply, walking up to the desk slowly. "What's up?"

Lifting the book in the air, Mina waved it around like crazy. "Some news outlet covered our class during the sports festival. Look, there is a page dedicated to everyone, it's so cool!"

Narrowing her eyes with confusion, Amari replied. "Really? What does it say about me?"

Kirashima smirked at that, pointing to the page. "It says you were super strong and amazing! You were the third best of the entire class you know. Man, I'm still jealous."

Amari face couldn't help but flush at that, patting the boys spiky head once. "Come on Kiri, you don't give yourself enough credit. I'm not that great. I just got lucky that's all."

The boy smiled softly at their words when Denki ripped the book out of Mina's hands and smirked. "Oh yeah, and there is a whole section of your page dedicated to how you confessed to Todoroki in the middle of his match. Let's not forget about that."

Amari's face fell then, already turning away from the book. She didn't need to hear anymore about this. She had already gone through enough torture the past couple days. "Just great.."

Mina saw her walking away though and called out loudly. "Wait, where are you going Amari? You didn't even see your page yet."

But the girl only put a hand out, already placing her bag on her desk. "That's okay Mina. I'd rather not have to read about one of the biggest public embarrassments I've made in my entire life."

Frowning at her response, Mina got another idea, letting her voice lower silently in a sly manner. "Are you sure? You know, there is also an entire section on Todoroki in here also, with pictures."

This caused Amari to pause, letting her hand slowly drop from her bag. She hated to admit it but she was slightly intrigued now. "What are you trying to say?"

Mina only shrugged in response though, waving the book in the air, taunting her. "Nothing really. I just didn't know if you wanted to read about your boyfriend or not. There is some really juicy stuff in here."

Amari narrowed her eyes, not wanting to give the girl what she wants. Did she really think she was so love sick that she would give in just like that?

Because if so, she was absolutely right.

Moving back up to the desk, Amari ripped the paper from Mina's hands, trying to not make eye contact. She really was so shameless. "I hate you."

Although, the girl just shrugged while smiling, obviously not taking it personal. "No you don't."

Amari groaned at that, focusing her eyes on the page in front of her. Mina was right, there was an entire page dedicated to Todoroki, with a picture of him using his left side on half of the page while the other was filled with facts and information about the boy.

She knew she probably should've just asked him about these things but Todoroki was always such a closed book most of the time. She hardly knew anything about him other than the hatred for his father.

Scanning her eyes on the page, Amari stopped when she noticed something important. "Wait, is all this information accurate?"

Everyone nodded their heads and she suddenly felt her stomach drop to the deepest pit imaginable. It said that his birthday had already past a couple weeks ago. Why didn't she know that?

Thinking back to her own birthday, Todoroki really pulled out all the stops. He listened to her drunk ramblings, treated her to dinner and even showed her his favorite spot, never mind giving her the gold bracelet that she hadn't taken off since then. He had done so much for her and what had she done in return, nothing. This was terrible.

Amari crumpled the page in her hands, Mina noticing her change in attitude. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Shaking her head, she replied. "I did something terrible. Oh no, I'm the worst person ever! How could I not know something like this?"

Mina eyed this with confusion while Kirashima looked over her shoulder in question. "Why do you say that?"

Throwing the book down onto the desk, Amari shook her head once more. "His birthday, I never said anything to him or did anything special even though he's done so much for me. I never even knew when it was.."

The class looked between each other before Denki spoke back. "Ah come on, don't get that beaten up about it. How were you supposed to know? Todoroki isn't the most sociable person in the world after all."

He did have a point that but didn't make her feel any better. "Still, I should've done something. Even if he didn't tell me, I should've known."

Looking down at her bracelet, Amari knew she had to do something to fix this. Her time at this school was already very limited and Todoroki had selflessly done so much for her over the last couple months. She needed to thank him somehow for always being there for her before it was too late. She needed to tell him she loved him.

That's when she got an idea on how to do just that. "No, I have to fix this, no matter what."

Just then, her eyes locked with the rest of the class, determination in her gaze. Yes, she could do this. "Everyone, I need your help, if that's okay?"

One by one, everyone's faces turned into sly and sneaky smiles, ready to take on this task. Kirashima, Mina and Denki were especially excited. "Say no more."

Amari smiled back then when a voice caused her to jump ten feet into the air all at once. "Good morning Amari."

Turning back to him, she screamed at the sudden realization. "AHHHHHH.. I mean, Shoto, good morning. What are you doing here?"

He noticed her nervous demeanor right now, worried that something might have been wrong. "This is our classroom? Are you okay? You seem a little jumpy."

Widened her eyes slightly, Amari playfully slapped him on the back, laughing back in an unconving way. "Jumpy? What, no! Who's jumpy? I'm not jumpy at all. This is just how I am, all the time, 24/7. Yeah that's right. That's just plain old me ha ha"

Todoroki raised a confused eye at this when Mina reached forward and grabbed her arms around the girls shoulder, pulling her towards her. "Ah don't worry about it Todoroki. We were only teasing her about you two. She gets flustered really easily, huh?"

Luckily, he seemed to buy the lie really easily, just sighing in response. That sounds like something they would do. "Please don't do that. You're making her uncomfortable."

Mina just smirked then, putting her hands up in defense and letting the poor girl go. "You're right. Sorry Amari. It was all in good fun, I swear."

Amari looked back the girl before giving a knowing look and going along with her plan. They were covering for her. "Ah yeah, it's okay. No worries."

Suddenly the bell began to ring and everyone moved towards their seats, Amari now thinking about the months ahead and humming happily as Mina winked at the girl secretly.

Maybe she could pull this off.

* * *

During class, Aizawa mentioned that final exams where around the corner, and with it was the chance to attend an exclusive training camp over the break. Long story short, it was something everyone was both very excited and worried about.

Because of that, Bakugo already assumed he would pass and began packing almost immediately. In his mind, he had already won, even before the exam started. That's just how Bakugo was.

Once his mother found out about the exam, she forced him to take Amari to the nearby mall so that she could start preparing also, although he wasn't too sure that she was going to pass. He was kind of hoping she wouldn't so that he wouldn't have to worry about her. A small break would be nice.

Amari herself though was just excited about the possibilities ahead. She didn't care what the training camp involved, just reeling about the idea of being able to bond with her brother. Maybe this trip could draw them closer together. She kind of hoped so.

Stepping through the doors to the mall, she hummed happily with a slight skip in her step, already causing Bakugo to groan. "Would you stop? Why are you so damn happy anyways? I can't believe mom made me bring you here. Who even knows if you're going to pass your exam.."

Amari frowned slightly, bringing a stop to the skip as she shrugged. "Who knows, but I'm going to give it everything I've got so I can join you over break. Imagine the two of us together, bonding, telling scary stories, training together, doesn't that sound fun?"

Her voice rose on each word, gaining more excitement from each one, although Bakugo didn't feel the same. This just sounded like he would have to babysit her from doing something stupid. "Hell no. Who says I would do any of that crap?"

Shaking her head slightly, Amari's eyes fell. "Ah yeah sorry, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. Of course you wouldn't want to do any of that. Still, that would be fun."

Bakugo took in the change of attitude and immediately felt bad for shooting her down. Why did she look so depressed now?

Groaning once again, Katsuki aggressively pressed down on her head before turning away. "How about you focus on passing first and then we can talk about all that nonsense."

Amari blinked in surprise at that, lightly touching the area where his hand once was. "Wait, does that mean you're okay with it?"

Shaking his head, Katsuki scoffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself brat, you have to actually pass the exam first."

Although Amari was overjoyed by his words. He wasn't completely shutting her down. This was so new and she didn't know how to feel about it.

Smiling happily, she then raced in front of him before flexing her invisible muscles in determination. "Challenge accepted Katsuki. I'll pass and then we can be the Bakugo Dream Team together!"

Her title didn't make him amused in the slightest though, shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh god, never say that 's the stupidest name I've ever heard in my entire life."

Nodding her head in acceptance, Amari thought about the name, knowing that Katsuki didn't approve of it. "I'll work on it before the break."

She laughed slightly when a voice behind her made her entire body freeze all at once. "Hold on, is that Bakugo?"

Unable to turn to the voice, Amari felt her stomach grow extremely uncomfortable and her heart rate pick up at a rapid pace. Suddenly, she was back to being a child, hiding behind the entrance to her house to get a peek at his friends. She wanted to run but her body wouldn't listen.

Bakugo blinked in surprise at the strangers, almost recognizing them immediately. It was a couple of his friends from his childhood, the same exact friends he lied to about Amari all those years back. Was the universe playing some sort of sick joke on him?. "What are you two extras doing here?"

The boys just turned their heads in amusement, racing forward and slapping the poor boy on the back. "Oh, don't be like that! What, now that you're all famous you don't remember your old friends? I heard about you at the sports festival dude, you were insane!"

Because they were complimenting them, Bakugo couldn't help but smirk. "Of course, I am the best of the best after all. Did you two extras forget that?"

They laughed at this, clearly enjoying his words. "Same old Bakugo. We missed you dude. You should come hang out more…"

The three started to talk about something unimportant, still not recognizing Amari's presence so she thought it would be best to leave them alone. Bakugo probably didn't want them to know about her anyways, that's how it was when they were kids after all.

Turning her foot away though, one of his friends caught her eye and pointed. "Wow, and who is this? You two look almost alike, it's crazy. If only you were a bit taller then you two could be like twins. Too bad Bakugo's an only child though."

The boys words drove an invisible sword into her chest. Of course she wasn't to his standards. She wondered what kind of disappointed expression he would make if he knew they were actually related.

Not wanting to say too much, Amari just smiled, putting her hands out in response and ignoring the light shake that had appeared from her nerves. She needed to get out of here and fast. "Don't worry about it. I'm no one. You three catch up, I'm going to go check out a couple shops."

She started to turn away when Bakugo raised an eye in confusion, calling back to her. "Hold on, brat. Where the hell do you think you're going? Mom told me not to leave you alone."

Although Amari only shook her head, trying to get out of the situation even faster. He needed to stop using such dangerous words or else his friends would know they were related, and she knew he didn't want that. "It's fine, you guys haven't seen each other in awhile. I don't want to get in the way…"

Amari stepped way then when a hand wrapped around the center strap of her backpack, pulling her backwards in surprise. He silently wondered why was she acting all jumpy now. It was strange. "Whaa are you doing? Let me go Katsuki.."

His friends eyed his interaction strangely, now noticing the close atmosphere. "Is she a classmate of yours or something?"

Shaking her head, she was about to deny his words again when Katsuki did something unexpected, causing her eyes to widen all at once. "She's not just a classmate, she's my sister."

His words seemed to surprise the boys as well, recalling what Bakugo used to tell them all the time when they were kids. "Your sister? But you said you were an only child."

Because of that phrase, Bakugo's mind began to fill with shame, remembering how he lied to them in order to ease his own guilt. He didn't want Amari to know about that. "I lied."

His friends minds then began to race all at once, not fully understanding the situation. "Hold on, so you're saying that she's, your sister? Come on Bakugo that not a very funny joke.."

Amari's eyes fell at that feeling the sting of his words, already trying to explain herself. "Yeah, I know it seems weird..."

Although Baukgo shut her up real quick, talking over her in an angry shout. "You got a problem with it or something? Because if so, then you can deal with me. It's not a damn joke…"

A small silence appeared then as Bakugo then pushed her forward in a single motion. "What are you waiting for? Usually I can't get you to shut up. Introduce yourself already so they know I'm not lying."

Suddenly everyone's eyes were on her as Amari felt forced to speak, bowing to hide her nervous demeanor. "Ah yes, hello. My name is Bakugo Amari. What he says is true, I guess. I've been in America for most of my life so that's why you probably didn't know about me. It's nice to meet you."

His friends raised a brow at that, Amari feeling self conscious as they scanned her up and down slowly. "Whoa really? Then Bakugo, why did you hide her all this time? You always said you never had a sister when we were kids."

Bakugo's eyes grew sullen as Amari only smiled sadly, bringing her hand up slightly. "Back then, I was mainly in the hospital so for Katsuki to say that he was an only child wasn't completely off, and it was probably really strange to explain my situation and everything so he probably thought it was an easier way of going about things.."

Her explanation made a large hole in his stomach, knowing fully well that he's intentions were not as pure as she made them sound. He avoided her existence on purpose so that his friends would never know the damage and suffering he caused to her. Bakugo wasn't naive back then, he was a coward.

Although his friends seemed to buy her foolish explanation, nodding their heads in acceptance. "Oh, I see. But Bakugo, you didn't have to hide her from us. We could've had another person to play with then!"

Amari smiled nervously, Katsuki noticing the slight sadness in her eyes at his words. That would've been nice. "It's alright. I wasn't really able to do those kinds of things anyways. I probably would've just held you down. I'm happy to finally meet you two though."

Placing an elbow on his friends shoulder, a new question suddenly popped into their memory. "Wait, you said you were in America, right? Then what brought you back to Japan?"

She replied back smoothly, ignoring the fact that her stomach was doing flips internally. "Oh well, I got accepted at U.A. so I've been working for my heros license with Katsuki."

The boys mouths dropped at that, scanning her up and down again to see if they misheard. "You're training to be a hero too?"

Their words sounded accusing and skeptic which was the norm for Amari. It was just like back at Endeavours agency. They didn't believe her. It was obvious.

Bakugo seemed to notice the tone as well, not liking that they were underestimating her when it was clear that she could destroy both of them at the drop of a hat if she wanted.

Frowning slightly, Katsuki grabbed onto his sisters shoulder, pushing her back a couple steps. "This brat may not look like much but she's pretty stubborn. Of course, she's not as great as me but you shouldn't underestimate her cause she'll easily kick your ass."

Amari's eyes widened at his words, not fully registering them in her mind. Was he, defending her? She didn't know but his actions made it seem that way.

Glaring at his friends, they put their hands up in defense, knowing they had misstepped and angered the boy, and that was never fun. "Fully noted. Don't worry, if she's really a Bakugo then I'm sure she's a force to be reckoned with."

They laughed nervously, talking for a couple more minutes before they parted ways, Bakugo shoving his hands in his pocket as the two left.

Well, that wasn't something he didn't want to face today. Seeing his old friends had brought up all of that shame that was still buried deep inside himself. Amari seemed uncomfortable about it also. He was just happy it was finally over.

Shaking his head, he stopped when Amari's voice rang through his mind. "Katsuki.."

He turned to her then, noticing her face twisted into one of uncertainty and confession, like she couldn't process something. "Why did you do that?"

Bakugo seemed confused by her words, replying. "What are you talking about, stupid?"

Watching her eyes grew distant, Amari sighed, placing one of her shaking hands to hold her own arms. "You should've just let me walk away. I was trying to make things easier."

Her words brought a thousand warning bells in his mind, taking a step closer in confusion. Something was off with her. "What kind of bullshit are you spewing now? Mom already told me that she'd kill me if I left you alone."

A small silence appeared then as Bakugo watched her hands around her arms tighten slightly, as if she was afraid to speak back. "But you introduced me as your sister…"

Her vague phrasing was only making him more and more annoyed though. Why did that seem like such a big problem to her? Did she not want him to do that? "Yeah, what about it?"

Casting her eyes away, Amari replied softly, as if she was almost afraid to hear the answer. "You weren't, ashamed of me?"

Bakugo processed her words slowly before growing even more nervous yet confused. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "...What?"

Blinking twice, Amari realized she may have misstepped, already trying to backtrack immensely. "Ah never mind. Sorry, it's nothing. Let's go get started on that list now…"

He turned away only for her brother to grab her arm, stopping her from leaving. He couldn't just leave the conversation like that. Something felt incredibly wrong to him. "Hold on brat. Don't just walk away from me. What the hell does that even mean?"

Her eyes locked on his for a moment before casting them away again, almost like she was ashamed of something. "It's nothing.."

Although Bakugo didn't believe her in the slightest, shouting back. "Bullshit it's nothing. Why the hell would you even say that? Of course I'm not ashamed. What would I even be ashamed about?"

Her face looked like it was battling some sort of internal war, debating on whether she should tell him or not. Although, she couldn't help but feel a small sliver of hope from his statement.

Taking a deep breath of courage, Amari decided to explain her confusion to him. "I just thought you didn't want anyone to know about me, that's why I was surprised when you suddenly did that. Didn't you want to stay an only child to them?"

Katsuki's face suddenly fell, processing her words. Did she think he was ashamed of her all this time? Well in all honesty he was, but it was for different reasons. "Amari…"

But she only shook her head, looking away from him. "You don't have to explain yourself. I always knew that's what you've wanted. Back then, I wasn't really that impressive to show off. I don't blame you for that. I'm just wondering, what made you tell them now?"

Katsuki stared at his sister for a moment, still trying to process her words. He hated that she was saying all of this so calmly, like this was just a normal part of her everyday life, when in actuality, it was cruel. How long had she known that he was trying to erase her existence?

Taking his hands out of his pockets, Bakugo didn't have an answer for her, at least not one that he could say out loud. He couldn't tell her about the reason he did all that in the first place, her brother was too ashamed for that.

Amari noticed his silence, now taking a soft step forward. He couldn't help but notice a small sliver of hope in her eyes then. "Have I changed since then?"

His couldn't help but lock eyes with hers, now feeling the need to reply. "Of course you have. You are like a completely different person from before."

Soaking in his response, Amari couldn't help but blink in surprise. Maybe that was why he finally introduced her to his friends. All this time, her main goal was to prove to Katsuki that she could be a sister he would be proud of. Someone that he could introduce to his friends and openly say that they were related.

It seemed almost too good to be true. Katsuki had just done what she had always wanted. Did mean what she thought it meant? Had she finally done it? Was she finally worthy enough in his eyes?

Already feeling a few tears prick the corner of her eye, Amari spoke back uncertain and small. She needed to know if that was the case. "Wait, I've really changed? Am I stronger now?"

Bakugo didn't know how to take her words, not understanding the hidden meaning in them. "I already said yes brat. Is your brain broken or something?"

Feeling her heart hammering in her chest, Amari felt her head grew lightheaded, unable to process what he was saying. She had finally done it. All of that intense training and pushing had worked. He wasn't ashamed anymore.

Bringing a hand to her mouth, Amari wiped a lingering tear from her eyes, now staring at him with absolute insanity. "Does this mean I can be your sister now? I can tell people?"

Bakugo found her words concerning, like it was some kind of joke, although her face showed no sign of that. She honestly looked desperate for his response. It brought a thousand warning bells in his head.

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Katsuki dropped his voice lower, now overly concerned for the girl. "Why are you saying that like you weren't before? You've always been my idiot sister, or did you forget that? Your brain really must be broken."

Amari shook her head while wiping another tear, her voice replying raspy and small. "You're not ashamed?"

Shaking his head, Bakugo groaned back. "You aren't listening to me brat. How could I be ashamed when I have one of the most badass sisters out there? Honestly, it's no surprise though because you are a Bakugo, therefore the strongest of them all, but still not as strong as me so don't even try."

It took a moment to soak in all his words before Amari couldn't stop her tears, allowing them to pool down her face all at once. All throughout her entire life, she had wanted to hear those words, to be able to proudly call herself a Bakugo, and now she had finally done it. She honestly didn't care anymore if those pills killed her. She had already completed her goal.

Smiling through her tears, she then raced forward, wrapping her arms around her brother aggressively before squeezing the life of him all at once. "Thank you, thank you thank you thank you Katsuki..!"

He jumped back at the actions, obviously not knowing how much this meant to the poor girl. She kind of looked like she had lost her sanity. "Hey, get off of me, you damn brat! What the hell are you doing?!"

But Amari was too happy to care, finally releasing him before running up to a random couple in the mall and shouting. "Hello, I'm Bakugo Amari, Katsuki's sister…."

Then she ran away from them before finding another family and shouting the same exact thing. "Hello, I'm Bakugo Amari, Katsuki's sister…"

Bakugo watched her display with embarrassment, already calling out to her. Maybe she actually did go insane. "Have you finally lost it? What are you even doing?"

Yet once again, she didn't hear, instead jumping to the edge of the railing and shouting down to the entire first floor. She couldn't help it, she was too happy to contain herself. "HELLO, I'M BAKUGO AMARI AND I'M KAZUKI'S SISTER!"

Her brothers eyes widened at this, pulling her down from the railing and ignoring the stares in the back of his head. Then he covered her mouth roughly, causing her to stop. "What are you even doing?! Stop acting like an idiot and calm down damn it! Everyone's staring."

Nodding her head in acceptance, Bakugo let go only for her to giggle like a little school girl, obviously not able to contain her happiness. "Sorry, I'm just so happy! This is the best day of my life. Thank you Katsuki."

Bakugo just shook his head in disappointment when another voice caused them to stop. "Hey Bakugo and Amari! What are you guys doing here?"

Turning to the presence, she smiled when she recognized Mina, Uraraka, Denki, and a couple other students behind her. "Hey everyone, what a surprise. Katsuki and I were just buying stuff for the training camp. Can never be too early."

It seemed that's what everyone else was doing as well, shortly making the executive decision to join together as one big group, even though Bakugo wasn't really all that interested in the idea.

Suddenly, Amari's stomach growled as she realized she didn't have lunch yet, already eyeing the food court a couple steps away. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get one of those big pretzels before we start."

They all nodded their heads except for Bakugo who grabbed her arm, stopping her movements all at once. "Hey, did you forget? Mom said she'd kill me if I left you alone."

Her mother was still shaken up about Hosu which was understandable but this was only a mall, and they thing she hated most of all was being babied.

Waving her hand away, Amari smirked. "I'll be fine. The only thing I have to watch out for here is diabetes. It will only be a minute."

She took another step away before ignoring Katsuki's protests and heading down the stairs towards the food court.

Little did she know what she was about to face once she got there…

* * *

Okay okay okay I know I said this was the last chapter of S2 but there will be one more. It's just been awhile and I felt like I had to split the two to give you all content as I know I've been slacking. This chapter was really hard to write though as it was so big for Katsuki and Amari.

So, we see that things are turning around yet they still aren't perfect. Amari's warped personality says that she's earned her brothers respect because of her quirk when we all know that's not the case, as these things don't need to be earned. She still needs to find that out.

Next chapter: Now we have Shigaraki.


	30. S2 Chapter 18

Humming happily through the mall, Amari was on her way towards the pretzel stand when she couldn't help but think about the words her brother had said to her a couple moments before.

It honestly felt like a dream, one she very clearly didn't want to wake up from. Katsuki Bakugo wasn't ashamed of her anymore. Somewhere down the road she finally became strong enough for him. It was the best feeling ever.

Taking a quick right, she paused when Amari caught the glimpse of a very familiar splotch of green and stopped. It was Deku. What was he doing at the mall today?

He seemed to be sitting down next to a nearby fountain, away from everyone else. Maybe he was thinking about something really important or something. It was kinda strange.

Amari then quickly gave up on her dreams of a giant pretzel for now and found herself moving over to him instead.

Putting her hand up, she smiled at the boy, gaining his attention. "Hey, Midoriya. Nice to see you here. What are you doing here?"

Deku head sprung to life at her voice, jumping slightly from surprise. "Oh! Uhh hey Amari-chan! It's nice to see you to. I'm just starting to think about the things we need to bring for the upcoming training camp. Don't want to forget anything."

She nodded her head, pointing to the upper level where she once was. "Did you come with the rest of the class by any chance?"

He replied shortly. "Yeah, how did you know?"

Crossing her arms around her body, Amari answered. "Oh well, I just saw them actually. Katsuki is with them right now. We'd thought we would join you, if that's alright? I don't want to intrude."

Although Deku was more then happy with the idea. "Oh yeah, sure. I was just thinking about some things. I'll join you all soon."

His words seemed odd, especially to Amari. He seemed bothered by something.

Moving towards him, she sat herself down before answering. "Hey, are you okay? If you need someone to talk to, I'm here to listen."

Deku's eyes fell, thinking that her offer was sweet but knew that there was no way he could talk to her about these things. The words between All Might and him were secret, and he didn't want to break that trust. "Thanks, but I'm okay, really. I guess I was just thinking about happened back in Hosu."

At the name, Amari's eyes turned into an unreadable emotion. "Oh, I uhh, actually wanted to talk to you about that. I just couldn't find the right moment yet."

Deku turned his head to hers at that, taking in her confliction. Suddenly his mind flashed back to her shaking in fear at the hospital. He always wondered what that was. "I'm listening now."

Smiling to herself, Amari thought for a moment before taking a large breath. "You're close to All Might, right?"

At the accusation, Deku's whole entire body grew numb, so much so his voice began to shake. "W-What? I don't know what you're talking about. He's just our teacher, and someone I look up to a whole lot. It's not like I have a special relationship or anything.."

His rambling made her laugh, slightly thinking that they shared similar traits. "You don't have to say anything, I know you are something special to him. I'm not really sure why but I know it's none of my business. That's not why I was asking…"

The explanation made him relax a bit, now knowing she wasn't going to grill him about his quirk or something. "Why do you want to know about that then?"

Amari took another moment of silence before speaking, low and small. "When I was taken away by the Hero Killer, he said something to me, something I don't really understand. I was hoping you could tell All Might about it, just in case it's important."

Deku felt himself leaned in closer, noticing the girl grow a bit more uncomfortable. She must have been recalling the event that scared her. "What did he say?"

Casting her eyes to his, she replied. "He said that we didn't know what was coming next, that the fools secret weapon was going on under our noses and we have no idea what it is.."

Her words sounded ominous, so much so that it made a sharp chill run up the boys spine. "Secret weapon? What was he talking about?"

But Amari just shook her head. "I don't know either. I've been thinking about it for days but I haven't found anything. He seemed to think that something big was coming. I'm not going to lie Midoriya, it scares me."

Nodding his head, Deku couldn't help but agree. Did Stain know something that the two of them didn't? They couldn't even ask him anymore either because he was dead. "I know. It scares me to. I'll tell All Might, maybe he'll know something about it."

She seemed pleased with his choice, replying. "Thanks. I would tell him myself but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to even form a complete normal sentence. Katsuki and I really looked up All Might as kids and I don't think I'd have the courage to actually talk to him without sounding like a complete idiot.."

He smiled at that, knowing very well that he was the exact same. "I know what you mean. When I first met him, all I could do was cry. He was just that amazing, still is."

Amari laughed at that, picturing a very emotional Deku and a very confused All Might. "See that's what I'm worried about. I already have enough embarrassment in my life. I don't need to add the Number One hero onto that list. I'd never be able to live that down."

Deku laughed back, understanding exactly what she meant when his stomach began to growl unexpectedly. He did skip lunch after all.

Although Amari could only smile, already rising from her seat. "I'm going to get myself one of those big pretzels. Would you like one? It's on me."

Shaking his head, he put his hands out, embarrassed about the offer. "No, it's okay. You don't have to do that."

Yet she only waved him off, already reaching for the money in her bag. "It's no big deal, really. You are saving me from having to talk to All Might and enduring months of embarrassment, the least I can do is buy you a pretzel."

Her explanation made him pull his hand back, giving in slowly. "Only if you're sure…"

To which she replied. "Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to do it."

Staring back at her, Deku could hardly believe that she was Bakugo's twin. She was always so kind and polite, unlike her brother who would have probably eaten the pretzel in front of him knowing the boy was hungry.

Watching her turn away, he sighed to himself about the idea. Her and Kacchan really were different.

Although he was shortly shaken out of his own thoughts when a rough arm slung across his shoulder, a stranger now only a few inches from him. "Hey, aren't you that kid from the sports festival?"

Deku ignored the uncomfortable air and just smiled back, replying. "Oh uhh, yeah that's me…"

The stranger seemed excited about that, laughing joyfully as his hand lifted to meet her boys throat, now catching a glimpse of who the stranger actually was.

Shigaraki smiled as Deku felt a cold chill run down his back. This was bad, this was very very bad. "Can I get your autograph, hero?"

* * *

After paying for the snacks, Amari moved back towards the fountain when she realized that someone was with Deku, although she couldn't tell exactly who it was.

Moving closer, she called back cheerfully in her direction. "Midoryia, I got the pretzels!"

Both of their eyes meet each other and Amari froze, now understanding exactly who was next to her friend. It was that villain from the USJ incident.

Deku's scared expression met hers as he brokenly whispered out. "Go..run.."

To which Shigaraki laughed, now tapping his middle finger on the boys throat in warning. "Oh look who joined the party. Be careful now, we wouldn't want to have any casualties in the mall."

She took another step closer at this, already eyeing the possibilities. He was right. She could say anything or else who knows how many people he would kill. Amari had to think about another way to get out of this, and fast. "Let him go."

Although the villain only smirked at that. "What, you think you are in a position to give me orders? Sorry doll, it doesn't work like that. Also, aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Shaking her head, Amari answered. "Guess I'm just stubborn."

The tapping of his fingers started again, causing her to freeze. "I've seen. You single handedly ruined my little plan to kill All Might last time. Do you know how angry that makes me?"

Amari replied back shortly. "I don't know, maybe you should go see a therapist or something. Don't take it out on innocent people."

Sucking in a breath, Shigaraki started to laugh at her words. "Doll, you are far from innocent. See, this is why you are so unbelievably annoying."

She narrowed her eyes at his words, not fully understanding why he was insulting her right now. The only time they met was at the USJ incident.

Then she realized that this wasn't the time to think about that. Amari needed to find out what he knew about Stain's cryptic words while she still could. "Stain said something about having some kind of secret weapon. Whatever you're planning, we will stop you."

At the name, the villains face dropped. "That good for nothing reject just couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he? Although the irony of your words is too good right now. Wouldn't you like to know?"

Deku chimed in then, his voice raspy from the pressure on his throat. "Why are you here Shigaraki?"

Casting his eyes to the boy, the villain answered. "So many questions today. No matter, I'll humor you. I just came to visit you two. You see, I have much to discuss with the girl."

Amari felt a sharp chill run down her spine at his words. "I have nothing to say to you so you can just forget it. I don't talk to villains."

Although his only made him chuckle, slowly rising from his seat while taking Deku with him. She watched him approach closer and closer. "See, I didn't recognize it before but after that big USJ failure, it finally clicked."

Feeling her feet freeze to the floor, Shigaraki lifting his opposite hand up, touching a piece of hair in warning.

She couldn't help but feel her breathing shallow. "What are you even talking about?"

Running his fingers through the strands, Deku could see the poor girl getting more fearful by the second, like they were sharing some kind of conversation between them.

Suddenly Amari heard her brothers voice carrying through the mall, searching her out and her heart stopped in her chest. She couldn't put him in danger, already knowing that Bakugo wouldn't be one for talking to a villain. Who knows how many casualties he could unknowingly cause?

Shigaraki seemed to hear the voice as well, taunting the girl with it. "Go on, aren't you going to call out for your dear brother to rescue you?"

Remaining silent to his words, the villain laughed. "Never mind, I think we both know you wouldn't. You would rather die for him, wouldn't you?"

Deku watched Amari's face grow even more sullen from each word the boy was saying. She looked like she was trying to keep herself together, although failing quickly. He didn't really like the idea of her dying for Kacchan.

Another moment of silence appeared before he spoke again, this time in a harsh whisper that cut through her entire body all that once. "You're so easy to read, just like back then."

His words were strange. They clearly hadn't met before the USJ incident. Why was he suddenly acting like he knew her so well?

Turning face into one of confusion, Amari answered. "What? Stop lying, you don't know anything about me."

But Shigaraki only smiled, as if he knew something she didn't. "Oh that's where you're wrong doll. I know plenty, like how you will do absolutely anything to earn your dear brothers love, and about how giving up is not an option for you."

He took another step closer and whispered his next words, causing Amari's eyes to widen all at once. "What was that phrase again? Ah yes, giving up is the same as dying…"

Shigaraki's words seeped into her skin all at once, causing Amari's breath to catch in her throat. How in the hell did he know about that phrase, the phrase that followed her throughout her entire life in america. It was impossible.

Feeling an overwhelming sense to anxiety, Amari completely forgot about Deku and reached out, grabbing the villains collar roughly. She needed answers, now. "How, how do you know that?!"

Her fear only caused him to laugh though, taking in her confusion all at once and tightening his hold on Deku. "Careful now, you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of your little friend now, would you?"

At the slight pressure, Deku felt his breathing grow shorter, begging Amari to stop. "Amari-chan…"

Amari's eyes then snapped out of her delusions and frantically traveled to her friend before freezing. That bastard was right. One move and he could kill Deku. She was being too careless.

Her fingers began to loosen but didn't pull away as Amari tried another approach. "Where did you hear that phrase? Tell me.."

Although Shigaraki didn't comply, only staring at her hands at his collar. "Ah ah ah. Now is not the time, and besides, you are in no position to be giving me orders. Think about the situation you're in right now."

He warningly tapped another finger onto Deku's neck and Amari took the threat, now letting go completely. This seemed to amuse him even more. "Good girl. So you can listen.."

She glared back, forgetting about her own anxiety for a moment and focusing on the moment at hand. "Shut up. You said you wanted to talk to me. Spit it out already so you can let Midoryia go."

Shigaraki locked his eyes with the girl then, pointing a finger to her chest in warning. "Do you know why I originally came here today? It was to kill you."

A heavy weight suddenly appeared in Amari's chest at his words. She knew he had a vendetta against her because of the USJ fight but she wasn't expecting this. "Me?"

Nodding his head, his fingers traveled to her face in warning. "You see, you are in my way. I don't need you. I will be the one to kill All Might. Killing you would be so much easier."

Amari wasn't really following his words and neither was Deku as pulled against his captor in a desperate attempt to save her.

Shigaraki noticed this though and frowned, lowering his hand. "But unfortunately, then he'll get mad at me.."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari was still overly confused by what he was saying. "Hold on, what are you talking about? Who will get mad at you?"

Her confusion seemed to amuse the villain though, speaking back smoothly. "Of course you would be asking that. Let me ask you a question…"

Shigaraki then took another step closer in warning, letting his breath run against her neck like a thousand pins and needles. "How does it feel to not remember chunks of time? Does it scare you, does it make the wonder what kind of terrible and cruel things you are capable of? I bet it keeps you up at night, not knowing exactly what you sacrificed…"

Amari's eyes widened at his words, suddenly feeling sick all at once. That was something she had never told anyone before. How on earth did he know? Something wasn't right here. He knew far more than before..

Suddenly, Katsuki's voice grew closer and then Shigaraki knew it was time to go. "Ah well, looks like the fun is over. I'll see you soon."

Then in one motion, he let go of Deku's throat and slipped away into the darkness, causing him to gasp. "Amari-chan, Amari-chan we have to call the police. Who knows who he could hurt next."

Although the only response from the girl was a sullen, hallowed expression, staring at nothing in particular. "Amari-chan? Are you okay?"

Just then, a loud voice caused her to jump out of her own delusions all at once. "There you are brat! Don't tell me you were hanging out with this damn nerd the whole time?"

Feeling her heart rate accelerate, Amari gasped, feeling her brothers hand on her shoulder. "Hey, is anyone home? Why are you staring into space like that, stupid?"

He noticed her jumpy demeanor as she responded. "Katsuki.."

Raising an eye in confusion, Bakugo replied. "Yeah? What the hell's wrong with you?"

Noticing her breathing slightly irregular, her brother then looked down only to find that her hands were shaking. His voice grew softer then, reaching for her. "Hey, did something happen? You're shaking."

Amari gasped then, trying to cover her insecurity but failed miserably. She was just too shaken up by Shigaraki. "Sorry, ah it's just…"

Another voice quickly entered the space to find Deku running up to her with the local police. "Kacchan, there you are. We have to lock down the mall. Shigaraki just tried to attack Amari-chan and I."

Bakugo felt his heart drop at Deku's words, now quickly turning back to his sister. Had she just faced a villain by herself without him again? "Is that true?"

Nodding her head once, Katsuki felt an unnecessary heat rise up in his chest. How dare they try and attack his sister without him knowing? They must of had a death wish.

Already getting his quirk ready, Bakugo turned away sharply. "Where the hell is that bastard now?! I'm going to kill him…"

Amari watched her brothers temper but quickly froze when she remembered just how serious Shigaraki was. He could really well kill Bakugo, and she wasn't about to let that happen.

Reaching forward, she grabbed his arm, causing him to stop all at once. "Katsuki, wait. I'm fine, really. Please, just stay here."

At her pleading, Katsuki froze, feeling his explosions diminish. She didn't look fine at all. Somewhere deep down he knew he couldn't leave her alone right now.

Deku watched the scene in awe, surprised that Amari was able to calm Kacchan down like that. He usually was very stubborn.

Then the boy couldn't help but recall the words Shigaraki said to them a couple moments ago. Something about them didn't sit right with him. It was like that villain knew Amari somehow, and from the reactions of the girl, she knew more as well.

He really hated to think Amari was up to something devious but that conversation couldn't help but put the idea in his mind. Maybe she knew more than he originally thought.

Deku sighed to himself, already knowing he would have to tell All Might about his suspicions.

Something wasn't right about all this.

* * *

After the events of the mall, Amari was taken into questioning by the police before allowing her to go home.

Both her parents and Bakugo were visibly worried about her but she just assured them that she was fine, even though that wasn't really the case. She just didn't want them to worry about her needlessly.

A couple hours later, Amari sat in her bed with a thousand thoughts running through her head. It was really messing up her sleeping schedule and she just couldn't help but feel on edge about what happened earlier. The problem was she needed answers but it seems no one could provide her with any.

Without thinking, she picked up her phone only to somehow make her way to Todoroki's number. Why did she want to see him right now?

As if on instinct, Amari felt her finger click on his number, now hearing the ring and immediately regretting her decision.

She was just about to hang up when his voice ran through her ear. He sounded groggy and half asleep. Shoot, she had woken him up. "Amari?"

Trying to play it cool, she laughed back, maybe a bit too quickly. "Oh, Hey Shoto, what are you doing?"

His voice returned, confused. "Sleeping?"

Feeling the embarrassment rise up, Amari knew she had to hang up as quickly as possible. "Oh, right. That makes sense. Sorry I'll let you go. I didn't mean to wake you up."

She was already reaching for the button when his voice stopped her. It sounded like he was sitting up in his bed. "No, it's alright. What did you want to talk about?"

The line paused for a moment before she realized she didn't really have a reason for calling him. She just wanted to hear his voice. "Uhhh it's nothing really. It can wait till tomorrow."

Although Todoroki wasn't about to let her go that quickly, feeling something off. "Did something happen?"

Flashing back to the Shigaraki, Amari felt an unwanted chill crawl up her spine. "W-What? Why would you say that?"

She heard a small rustle through the phone before he replied. "Where are you right now?"

Looking at her wall, Amari answered in confusion. "At home, why?"

His voice returned quick, as if he was rushing about something. "I'll be right there."

Then, before she could answer, he hung up the phone. Wait, did he say he was coming, here?! That's not what she was expecting at all.

Running quickly to her closet, Amari put on a large sweatshirt to cover her pajamas and combed her hair quickly before reaching her door. There was no way he was going to show up this late.

A couple minutes passed by when a soft knock could be heard on the surface, causing her to gasp. No way.

Pulling open the surface, she found Todoroki staring at her concerned. "Shoto? What are you doing here? You really didn't have to come. It's late.."

He leaned a hand against her door frame, breathing heavier than usual for some reason. "Something happened, didn't it?"

Blinking in surprise, Amari replied. "What?"

He then pulled out his phone, showing her the surface. "You calling me in the middle of the night. It's not like you. What's wrong?"

Amari couldn't help but remain shocked at his explanation. Was she really that easy to read? The fact that was wanted comfort right now, how did he know that?

Letting her eyes fall, she pointed towards the street. "Do you mind if we go for a walk? Katsuki and my parents are going to get mad if they know I'm up this late."

Todoroki nodded his head and led her into the street, walking side by side slowly. "I'm sorry about this. I know you were probably sleeping…"

Although the boy only responded by taking his hand into hers. "Don't worry about me. You're more important. Now, tell me what's wrong."

She felt a soft blush appear in her cheeks at his words, squeezing his hand for comfort. "I went to the mall with Katsuki today, and that villain from the USJ incident was there."

Her words caused Todoroki to stop dead in this tracks, now a sense of anxiety in his chest. He wasn't expecting that kind of news. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "No, I'm okay. He said he only wanted to talk…"

Her eyes became distant then, as if she was recalling something. "I have to tell you something. It's about my time in America...

Todoroki nodded his head in response. "What is it?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari continued. "Do you remember what I told you before? About how I underwent dozens of high level training and surgeries so I could stand next to Katsuki?"

He recalled her words easily, nodding his head. "I do.."

There was a small silence for a moment before Amari sucked in a breath, replying. "That wasn't all of it. I was just too embarrassed to say the other part..

His brow turned into one of confusion as she continued. "The truth is, the memory of my time in America is very choppy. There are specific time gaps that I just can't remember, blank spots in my mind I can't get back, no matter how hard I try."

Staring at her hand, Amari sighed. "The Doc seems to think it's a side effect of my pills. Sometimes, I'll get certain flashes or small bits but that's about it, and none of them are pretty."

Todoroki couldn't help but feel his own hand grow numb at her words. He couldn't even imagine living without part of his memory. What kind of terrible things had this girl lived through?

Remaining silent, he let her continue. "When I met that villain today, somehow he knew about my memory gaps, even though that's impossible, No one was supposed to know about that, never mind a villain. He seemed to know things about me that I didn't, and it scared me.."

Something about all this didn't sit right with Todoroki, choosing to call her out on it. "Where did you even get those pills anyways?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari replied. "I don't know. I remember that I was at the academy in America when a man said he could help me complete my goal.."

Had she really just accepted a strangers help like that? That was the stupidest thing Todoroki had ever heard. "Amari, please don't tell me you followed this stranger without knowing who he was…"

Shaking her head, Amari sighed. "I was a stupid kid back then, okay? And it's not like I regret it. Whatever he did gave me the opportunity to fight next to Katsuki, just like I always wanted. I would take it again in a heartbeat."

Todoroki couldn't believe the lengths she went through, just to fight with her brother. She could've sold herself on the black market for all he knew, and the fact that a villain knew about her secrets wasn't a great sign either. None of this sounded good.

Amari then lowered her voice, feeling that familiar chill through her spine. "I'm grateful for the hope he gave me but I still can't help but worry about what exactly happened back then. I just wish I could remember."

Letting go on his hand, Amari wrapped her arms around herself seeking comfort. "The truth is, I'm scared Shoto…"

Todoroki took in her feared expression before reaching his arms up and embracing the poor girl her to his chest. "It's alright. It's okay to feel scared, either way we will figure this out together, okay?"

She felt his warmth seep into her all at once, accepting the gesture and touching his back lightly. It felt nice to have someone there but Amari couldn't help but worry that he didn't mean it. "You don't think I'm stupid?"

Shaking his head against her own, he replied. "Stupid is not the word I would use, but regardless of what happens, I'm not going anywhere."

Feeling his heart beat hammer in his chest, Amari buried her face into him, wanting to never leave his embrace ever again. Then maybe she wouldn't have to face any of her demons and fears. That would've been nice.

She then smirked underneath his chest. "You know Shoto Todoroki, you are a very dangerous man…"

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he didn't understand. "Why is that?"

That's when she separated herself from him, staring at his two tone eyes all at once. "You are making me want more then what I can have."

Brushing a couple fingers across his scar, Todoroki naturally closed his eyes at the contact. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes saddened at bit then, letting her hand cup his cheek lovingly. "You make me want to live forever."

Todoroki's face fell as well as the painful truth started to crash down on him. He reached up and touched her cheek, his fingers running across the lines on her face. The last thing he wanted to think about was having to live in this world without her.

Noting his sullen stance, Amari realized she had broken the mood and immediately started to turn away, the heat rising up in her cheeks. "Sorry, forget I said that."

Moving back to her house, she froze when a very familiar pair of hands wrapped around her stomach, pulling her back. "Amari, wait."

She touched his hands lightly but remained still as she listened to his words. "I don't really know what I'm supposed to say but if those are really your feelings then you should continue pushing through. You don't give up on anything, right? Don't give up on this."

He was using his own words against her which made her frown. "It's not that easy Shoto. I shouldn't expect the impossible. Stop giving me hope. That's a really cruel thing to do. This is enough."

Although he didn't believe that in the slightest. "Is it? Do you honestly really believe that?"

Her face fell then, forcing his hands off her and turning around to meet his eyes once again. "It has to be. Don't get me wrong though, I'm grateful for it every second of the day. I never thought someone would ever care about me the way you do, flaws and all. I can never say thank you enough."

Rising to her toes, Amari then hoisted herself up before placing a soft kiss on his lips, surprising the boy in question all at once.

He seemed overly flustered which caused the girl to falter, wondering if she had mis stepped in anyway. "I'm sorry, that was too forward, wasn't it?"

Taking in her nervous demeanor, boy couldn't help but shake his head, lifting her chin up with two of his fingers and replying. "Not at all."

His breath caused a sharp shiver to run down her spine as he duplicate the action, leaning down and kissing her smoothly and all at once.

Amari closed her eyes at the action, taking in his scent mixed with the cool night air surrounding them. She carefully tried to capture this moment in her mind, as if it could last forever.

His fingers ran through her hair as she lost herself in a cloudy moment of absolute bliss. His kiss was starting to become more aggressive but it's not like she minded. She could feel him underneath her, hungry for her touch so she had no choice but to comply.

This kiss was far different then the others they had shared. It was like they both shared a feeling of desperation, knowing that their relationship wasn't meant to last forever.

It became too intense that the two of them had to break away after a moment, feeling their chests recover from the loss of breath. Amari could only say one word because of it, still reeling from the moment. "Wow.."

At her declaration, Todoroki's face began to flush, using his hand to cover his tingling lips. Of course she just had to say the most embarrassing thing. "Don't say that.."

As if she finally registered her words, Amari gasped, turing away as well. "I mean, uhhh never mind. Sorry. It just kind of came out."

Shaking his head in exasperation, he couldn't help but recall the first day of opening ceremonies. "What am I going to do with you?"

Amari smiled awkwardly when her phone began to ring in her pocket. Looking down at the object, she pulled it out only for her eyes to hollow. "Oh no, it's Katsuki. He's going to kill me. I have to go, I'm sorry. I made you come all the way out here for nothing and now you have to go back and I'm sorry ..."

Although Todoroki only put a hand up to stop her. "It's alright. I'm sure he's just worried, especially after what happened today. I should be heading back anyways."

Nodding her head Amari sighed. "Yeah, thanks again Shoto. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She started to turn away when he grabbed her again, pushing her body into his roughly. "Don't ever worry about bothering me. Just call whenever you need to and I'll be there, alright?"

Nodding her head against his chest, Todoroki seemed satisfied, but not before kissing the top of her head softly. "Good. See you."

Then he just let go and started walking away, causing Amari to stand there dumbfounded, now placing a hand where his lips once were as a hard blush appeared on her cheeks.

He was so sneaky sometimes.

* * *

Walking over to a pile of photographs on the table, a stranger couldn't help to stop, noticing one that caught his eye. He tried to focus on it as his annoying colleagues wouldn't stop talking behind him about unimportant topics.

Picking up the photo it looked to be a candid shot of Amari and Todoroki holding hands outside of a cafe. The stranger eyed this with intent.

So this was Bakugo Amari? Interesting

Smirking at the display, Dabi couldn't help but want to meet this girl.

* * *

I LIVEEEE. Sorry for the long delay on updates I've been working overtime at Disney and on top of that, I moved into a new apartment with no wifi (I know, I almost died) But we are back boys! Should be on regular updates now.

Okay so we are onto S3 now, aka a seasons where all of the shit will hit the fan. Lots of foreshadowing in this chapter. Any theories on Amari's backstory? I suppose we will see. Also that spicy kiss at the end. Ooooof. Expect more of that.

Next Chapter: S3 Babyyyyyy


	31. S3 Chapter 1

Reaching her hand in her pocket, Amari looked at the caller ID before jumping from the sofa, now quickly running upstairs and shutting her bedroom door. It was a call she had been waiting for.

Her run her finger across the button before picking it up. "Hey Doc, took long enough."

Although the man on the other side could only groan. "I swear Amari, you aren't the only person in this world. Cut me some slack."

Amari could only roll her eyes though, quickly getting to the point. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Do you have the results?"

A moment of silence could be heard over the speaker before he gave a soft sigh, now with an apparent rustle on the other side. "I wouldn't have called if I didn't. I swear kid, you are more annoying by the day."

The soft sound of paper turning appeared as he spoke again. "Explain your symptoms again."

Glancing down at her nails, Amari took out her bottle of pills before shaking them. "The amount of dosage to activate my quirk has increased like crazy. It used to take one pill but now it takes up to five, and the effects only last for about fifteen minutes."

The Doctor nodded his head through the phone, scribbling down her words. "Any other changes in ability?"

Placing the bottle on the desk, Amari ran a couple fingers through her hair. "Uhh yeah. It seems like when I try to lessen my intake, my heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest. I get fatigued really easily also. That can't be good, right?"

Another moment of silence appeared as she nervously tapped her fingers on her desk, waiting for his response. Although, the line was silent.

After a couple more seconds, Amari started to become impatient. "So, are you going to tell me what's up or not? Isn't that your job?"

His voice returned soon after that. "I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say."

The tapping on the desk stopped as Amari leaned forward, now in slight anxiety. "What is it? Just tell me already. How do I fix this?"

Sighing heavily the Doctor read the file. "I got the results back from the tests you sent and it seems like your body is starting to reject the medicine. That's why you are experiencing fatigue."

Amari felt her grip tighten around her phone. This was what she feared. It seemed her small little hourglass was running shorter and shorter now. "I figured. How much longer do I have?"

Taking in another small silence, the Doc finally spoke. "If you keep pushing at this level, it seems that the medicine will become completely ineffective in less than four months."

Amari felt the world spinning around her all at once. She thought she had a little more than a year but it seemed the realty was even far more cruel. Four months, was that it?

She was going to die in four months.

Feeling her voice shake, she replied. "Four months? Are you kidding? Isn't there anything you can do to prolong it?"

But the Doctor only narrowed his eyes, leaning back on his chair. "Kid, you knew this was coming. Stop acting so surprised. Did you forget the agreement you signed nine years ago? This wasn't going to be forever."

Closing her eyes in devastation, Amari spoke. "Yeah I know, it's just, I'm finally closer to Katsuki and…"

Although he only cut her off. "And what? Wasn't that your goal from the very start? If you completed it then there's no other reason for you, is there?"

Suddenly her mind flashed to Todoroki's face as her eyes fell. "No.."

Nodding his head, the Doctor continued, now a slight malice in his voice, coaxing her in. "Good. Of course, you could always just stop using the pills, but then that would make you quirkless and frail again. Do you really want to give up your quirk and be hospitalized for the rest of your life? Don't you want your dear brother to love you?"

Recalling that day at the mall, Amari already knew her answer. Katsuki had finally recognized her as strong enough. There was no way she was going to become a quirkless loser to him. She'd rather die. "No, I won't give up."

The Doctor smiled through the phone then. "There, now there is no problem. Is that all you need me for or did you have some other important task you want me to drop everything for?"

Shaking her head, Amari muttered. "No, that's all. Thanks Doc."

Then, without listening to the reply, she hung up the other line, now staring at the floor.

Why was the universe so cruel to her? She had done everything in her power to become strong and finally she had done it. Katsuki respected her, Todoroki loved her, everything was finally perfect. She supposed all things couldn't last forever though. Sometime she had to wake up from this dream.

Shaking her head, Amari then covered her face with her hand, willing the tears to not leak down her face or else Bakugo would know something was up. Now was not the time to cry.

She had work to do.

* * *

After composing herself, Amari made her way back down the stairs to find Katsuki watching TV on the sofa silently. She took in his features, burning them into her mind for the time she had left. It was now or never.

Noticing her presence, Bakugo called out. "Hey brat, you left the TV open so now it's mine. Don't even try to whine about it, you got that?"

Although Amari could've cared less about the TV, instead inching closer. "It's okay, you can have it.."

A couple moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "Hey, Katsuki. Can I ask you something?"

Groaning in annoyance, Bakugo muted the screen before locking his eyes with hers. "Hurry up. I was watching this."

Now feeling a sense of anxiety, Amari placed a hand behind her head, now rambling out her words. "Right, sorry. I know you're really busy and everything and I probably shouldn't even ask after what happened with the sports festival, but I was wondering, if you didn't mind, well you probably will mind but even so…"

Hearing her nonsense was making him even more irritated though, causing his response to come out a bit rougher than usual. "What the hell is wrong with you? Spit it out already, I swear. It's not that hard to form a normal sentence for once."

Amari gasped at that, feeling herself grow even more nervous. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. "Ah sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you. Just forget it, okay?"

She turned to leave and Bakugo immediately felt bad. Why was she always so jumpy around him? Was she really this nervous to speak to him all the time? It didn't even make any sense.

Standing up, Katsuki reached forward and wrapped his hand around his sister arm, pulling her back. "Hold on, where do you think you're going? If you have something to say then say it already."

Choosing to stare at the floor, Bakugo tried a different approach. She really did seem scared of him. "Never mind. You can take as long as you want. Just don't act so nervous all the time, would you? It's just me."

Amari blinked in surprise at his response. This was rather strange for him. She wasn't used to this kind of response from him. "Oh uhh okay, if you really don't mind."

Groaning loudly, Katsuki was trying to keep his patience with her but it was becoming more and more difficult by the moment. "I already said it was fine brat. What did you want to ask already?"

A small moment of silence appeared before Amari tried again, staring at her brother. "I was wondering if you could show me how to control my explosions?"

Bakugo couldn't help but be surprised at this. Last time they tried this, it failed miserably. "What, are you kidding me? After you made me look like a damn fool at the sports festival? Did you lose a few brain cells?"

Flinching at his words, Amari answered. " I'm still sorry about that Katsuki but back then, I did what I had to win. You know you would've done the same thing also. What I said about my explosion quirk though, it wasn't a lie. I still can't control them without my emotions going haywire."

Although Bakugo wasn't having any of it, still feeling the sting of the sports festival. "Do you really expect me to just drop everything and train you again, after you screwed me over in front of the entire country?"

He did have a point. What right did Amari have to ask this of him? Although she couldn't help but still desire it, to finally embrace that side of her she was always ashamed about. It was something she always longed for.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "I know it's foolish and I don't deserve it, but I don't want to be afraid of that part of me anymore. Last time at the sports festival I was holding back because of a strategy yes, but that wasn't the whole truth. The real truth was that I was holding back because I was scared."

Amari then took another step closer to her brother, passion now in her eyes. "Katsuki, I don't want to be scared anymore, because I am a Bakugo, and you said it yourself, right? Bakugo's aren't scared of anything. I want to finally live up to our name, I want to be stronger."

He honestly couldn't believe what he was hearing. Katsuki was still bitter about the stunt she pulled at school but then he recalled her breakdown using the explosions for the first time. If that really wasn't fake then she actually couldn't control them.

Groaning to himself, Bakugo ran his fingers through his hair, already regretting what he was about to say. "I swear I'm going to regret this.."

Amari blinked in surprise, not fully understanding. "Wait, is that a yes?"

Although Bakugo only shook his head, speaking back roughly. "Listen brat, you better not pull that kind of crap you did last time. Don't even think of wasting my time again."

Nodding her head enthusiastically, she beamed back, smiling her usually goofy wide eyed grin. She never really expected him to say yes. "Thank you Katsuki! I promise, I'll give it everything I have! I'll make you proud!"

Bakugo couldn't help but recall when she said those words to him last. It was back before the Hosu didn't know why but he didn't like that phrase. It's like it brought on an ominous omen with it.

He scoffed in response, pushing her head down roughly. "Damn right. It's about time you stopped acting like a wimp and half assing it."

Frowning slightly, Amari huffed. "Hey, I wasn't half assing it. I can still kick your ass just as well with one quirk."

Although Katsuki only smirked back. "Kick my ass? Is that what you call it? Seems more to me like it's been the other way around brat. You can't beat me even if you had ten quirks."

Crossing her arms across her chest, she replied. "That's starting to sound like a challenge. I'm not sure you really wanna do that."

Bakugo then took a challenging step closer to her, looking down at her small form. He couldn't help but feel excited about her fire, her passion. "You watch. Once you finally start to use your explosions we will finally see who is the strongest, and it's gonna be me. All out, no holding back."

Amari quite liked the sound of that. Their banter couldn't help but make her smile. "Well then, challenge accepted, dear brother."

Her smile seemed contagious, creeping into Bakugo's face as well. As much as he hated seeing his sister get hurt, he also somehow really liked the idea of the two of them being an unstoppable team. The strongest of them all. "U.A.'s not going to know what hit them once they get a load of us."

Nodding her head, she replied back. "Hell yeah! Just wait until they get a hold of the Bakugo Dream Team!"

At the terrible nickname, Katsuki groaned, now shaking his head in disapproval. "What did I say about that stupid ass name?" If you ever call us that in public then you're dead."

Amari then let her arms fall, remembering his last words at the mall. "Sorry, still working on it."

Shaking his head even more, Mitsuki couldn't help but catch her eye on her two kids as she headed down towards the kitchen. They looked to be smiling and laughing together which made her chest lighten all at once.

Trufuly, their mother was worried about the two ever since they were little. Having Amari stuck in the hospital wasn't just hard on her, but rather their whole family. She also knew he didn't want to admit it but Katsuki had taken it the worst. The fact that they were twins was more prominent than ever now and she couldn't help but be thankful for it.

Calling out to them, Mitsuki spoke. "I'm going to the store for a little while. Amari sweetie, stay close to your brother."

The twins turned their heads to her all at once, the blonde haired girl not liking the request. "Aww come on Mom. I don't need Katsuki to babysit me."

Although her mother was not having it. "Just the last couple weeks you've been hurt and threatened by villains. This is not up for discussion. I just want you to stay safe."

Frowning, Amari was about to object again when her mother walked up to her, placing a light but firm hand to her face. "Amari please. You're going to give me a heart attack. Promise me you'll stay safe."

After that statement, she knew she couldn't object anymore. Amari didn't even have the heart to tell her that her worries wouldn't matter in a few months. She didn't even want to think of her mother's broken expression when she found out she died.

Feeling her own eyes fall, Amari sighed in defeat. "I understand."

Mitsuki seemed content with her words, now reaching forward to kiss her forehead. "Good. Thank you sweetie. I know it may seem foolish since you fight villains anyways, but I just don't want to lose you again. I finally got you back."

Her daughter couldn't help but feel a small line of tears build up at her words, now knowing that she would lose her again, the woman just didn't know it. "Yeah, I know. I'll be careful mom."

Nodding her head, Mitsuki then turned to Bakugo, her expression changing all at once. "Katsuki, make sure you take care of your sister, and don't you dare be rude."

Bakugo eye could only twitch though, scoffing all at once. "Whatever you old hag. Just get out already."

Mitsuki frowned at that but let it slide for now, knowing that her son would keep his word. She could trust Amari with him.

Once she disappeared, Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you always agree with everything that damn woman says? Would it kill you to have a backbone once and awhile?"

Although Amari's eyes only grew a bit more sullen, Bakugo not understanding the reason. "It's not that. I just want to make her happy."

What she said was partly right, she wanted to see her mother as happy as possible before that harsh reality hit. If that meant giving in and letting her brother babysit her today, then so be it.

Bakugo still didn't understand though, rolling his eyes. "Whatever brat. Now get your ass to the backyard."

Blinking in surprise, Amari didn't follow. "Huh, why?"

Yet her brother only scoffed, already making his way towards the sliding door near the back of the house. "We're training so hurry your ass up."

Amari processed his words, now remembering her request. They were going to start right now? She didn't expect that. "Wait, right now?"

Rolling his eyes once more, he replied. "Yeah idiot. I'm stuck in here with you anyways. Might as well make use of the time. That is, unless you're too chicken now?"

Thinking for a moment, she couldn't help but smirk. He was challenging her again.

She moved towards him then, suddenly remembering the phone call with the Doctor. Soon these little small moment between them would have to end.

Amari stopped then, staring at her brothers face all and once and somehow feeling herself grow far more emotional. She was going to miss him most of all.

Narrowing his eyes, Katsuki didn't understand the reason for her silence though, waving a hand in front of her face a couple feet away. "Hey brat, what the hell are you waiting for? Let's go before I change my mind."

She felt the world come back to life just then and in one motion, she ran towards her brother, her everything, and hugged him tightly, almost knocking the boy over.

Regaining his footing, Bakugo looked down at his sister. "What the hell are you doing? Get off of me!"

Although she wasn't listening, only tightening her embrace even further as she tried to capture and keep his voice in her mind forever. "Katsuki.."

Narrowing his eyes in concern, Bakugo couldn't help but grow still as he heard his sister speak again, this time small and quiet. "I love you."

Katsuki touched his shoulder lightly, still very confused to what was happening. Why was she suddenly declaring her love for him, like back at the USJ incident? He didn't deserve her love. He didn't want to hear those words.

Speaking back, her brother replied roughly. "Stupid, what are you even saying?"

She was silent for a moment before pulling away, an unreadable expression on her face. "I mean it Katsuki, thanks for not giving up on me."

Placing a hand to the back door, her brother sighed. "How can I when you're always in my way? Seems like I have no choice."

Amari smiled then, knowing her own stubbornness very well. "What can I say, it's a family trait."

This caused a small smirk to form on her brothers face as well, realizing that she was kind of right. Stubbornness did run in the family. "And as much as I dislike it, I guess that's why you're my twin."

Hearing him call her his twin made her bubble with happiness on the inside. It was like a dream come true. "Bakugo Dream Team?"

Although he only groaned, already pushing her out the door roughly. "Shut up. We are never calling ourselves that."

And yet somehow, Amari couldn't stop laughing at the idea, now seeing a tiny smirk from her brother as well. Now this, this was the kind of relationship she had always dreamed about.

She just wished it could last forever.

* * *

The next day approached quickly and Amari couldn't help but groan, feeling slightly sore from her training with Katsuki. They hadn't even started practicing her explosions yet and she already knew he wasn't holding back. Just regular combat training was pretty rough.

Rubbing her arm a couple times, she reached into her back for her study guide, remembering that they had their written part of their final exam tomorrow.

She reached the bottom of her bag only to find nothing there. That was strange. She was sure she placed the study guide in here.

Frowning, she lifted herself from her chair and debated asking Katsuki if she could borrow his but then she remembered that her brother was never one for taking long notes. She highly doubted his way of studying would help her.

Amari thought for a moment before a very familiar boy popped into her mind and she sighed. As much as she didn't want to bother him, Todoroki would probably have an extra somewhere. He was always really studious.

She pulled out her phone in a single motion and debated the idea for a moment before giving up and pushing the call button. She needed to go to this training camp so failing wasn't even an option.

It rang for a couple moments before his plain voice echoed into her ear. "Amari, what is it?"

Suddenly growing slightly nervous, she replied. "Oh hey Shoto, I'm sorry for bothering you on the weekend but I was wondering if you had an extra study guide on you? It seems I lost my other one at school."

The line was silent for a moment before he replied. "I do."

Smiling to herself, she couldn't help but think his short way of answering was always cute. "Great, do you think I could pick it up somehow? I'm sorry for asking but I really don't want to fail this test."

Todoroki answered back shortly. "It's alright. I don't mind. Would you like me to bring it to you?"

Shaking her head all at once, Amari didn't want that. "Oh no no that's okay. I wouldn't expect you to do that. I can pick it up. Where are you right now?"

Her paused for a moment, like he was looking around his location. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm at home."

Blinking in surprise, Amari realized what that meant and began to backtrack. "Oh never mind then. I don't want to intrude. Sorry."

Although Todoroki's voice returned quickly, realizing that may have come out wrong. "No, it's not you. You wouldn't be intruding. It's just...well, you'll see when you get here."

He really seemed against the idea of her going to his house but Amari wasn't exactly sure why. Could it be because of Endeavor? She could handle him. "Are you sure? If you're really uncomfortable with it then…"

Yet the boy only shook his head, groaning internally. "No, it's alright. Besides, you are not the one I'm worried about.."

Raising up from her chair, Amari answered. "If it's about Endeavor don't worry about that. I can behave, maybe."

It seemed that still wasn't the problem though, as Todoroki only sighed. "It's not that. Never mind. I'll pull out the study guide right now. See you soon."

Amari nodded her head and hung up, still not really understanding why he was so against her visiting his house.

Well one thing was for sure. She was about to find out.

* * *

When Amari reached Todoroki's house, she couldn't help but gawk at the absolute massive size of the estate. She knew the family was rich but this, this was overwhelming.

The place was lined with Japanese style windows and floors, from the inside out with a large security box next to a giant gate. It was a little nerve racking to say the least.

She pushed a button on the box before it came to life, the voice sounding male. "What is your purpose here at the estate today?"

Looking side to side, Amari clutched her bag tightly. "Oh uhh I'm here to see Shoto. He already knows I'm coming."

The voice disappeared then as the giant gate opened, allowing her to walk through. As she passed by the large entryway, she couldn't help but catch the sight of a small little garden to the right.

She leaned down to look at the flowers when a very familiar voice caused her to look up. "Amari, you're here."

Bringing herself back upright, she smiled at the boy, waving slightly. "Hey Shoto, your house is really umm…"

He answered for her though, sighing. "Don't worry about that. Come on, the study guide is in my room."

Amari nodded her head slightly and began following the boy through the corridors, now noticing a couple maids whispering harshly as they passed by. They seemed to be staring at her for some reason. It kind of made her feel uncomfortable, like she didn't belong.

Suddenly, another voice entered, causing them to turn around. She was an older woman, with white hair spattered with specs of red here and there. Amari didn't know why but she kind of reminded her of Todoroki. "Shoto, quit running so fast. You know dad doesn't like it."

He stopped then as she approached, her eyes locking onto the small girl carefully before realizing that she was indeed, in fact, a girl. This made her mouth drop open in utter excitement. "Oh, and who is this?"

Amari bowed in respect at the woman carefully, not knowing who exactly she was but still wanting to be polite. "Uhh hello. My name is Bakugo Amari. It's nice to meet you.."

The girl blinked in surprise for a moment before her eyes grew wide, shouting all at once. "Wait, you finally brought a girl home?! Hold on, this is big! I have go call Natsou right now! Our little Shoto's growing up so quickly! I can't believe it!"

She turned to leave when Todoroki grabbed her arm, pulling her back to reality and groaning. This is what he was afraid of. "Stop it Fuyumi, you are going to make her uncomfortable."

And uncomfortable she was but the woman didn't seem to care, instead racing forward to grab Amari's hand. "Now tell me, are you his girlfriend by any chance?"

The blonde haired girl felt her cheeks grow red with embarrassment as she nodded her head, causing the woman to go into a frenzy. "I knew it! So that's why Shoto's been all distracted lately. I see now."

Todoroki saw the display and felt his own cheeks redden at her words, forcing Fuyumi's hands off of her. He didn't want Amari to know about how much he thought about her. "I said stop it already."

Although the woman rolled her eyes, ignoring the boy all together. "Oh calm down. I just want to get to know your girlfriend. Sorry, I probably haven't introduced myself. I'm Shoto's sister, Fuyumi. Forgive him, he's always so grumpy all the time."

Amari couldn't help but laugh at her words. "I wouldn't say that."

The boy only shook his head though, already trying to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. "Don't instigate her. She'll only get worse."

Frowning at her brother, Fuyumi then began to circle Amari, noticing her size. "She's cute Shoto. I hope you're being a perfect gentlemen to her and all. I don't know what you see in him but please take care of him for me."

Amari laughed nervously but poor Todoroki was getting more embarrassed by the second, shaking his head in exhaustion. "We are not talking about this now. If you would excuse me…"

Grabbing her hand, the boy turned away from his crazy sister only for Amari to smile back, enjoying the woman's over the top energy. "It was nice to meet you."

Fuyumi waved her hand back. "Hey wait, where are you going? Don't get jealous little brother. That's not a very attractive trait to have."

But Todoroki wasn't listening, instead he kept dragging Amari down the hallway until they were out of sight.

Once she was gone, he huffed out a huge sigh. "I apologize. My sister can be, over the top sometimes. I'm sorry if she made you uncomfortable."

Taking in his flustered expression, Amari couldn't help but laugh, causing him to frown. "Don't laugh at me."

But unfortunately that didn't stop her in the slightest, smiling at his cute face. "I'm sorry, but you look as red as your hair right now. Are you, embarrassed?"

Shaking his head, Todoroki tried to cover the area with his hand. "Of course not. She just always says the most outrageous things. This is what I warned you about. I knew Fuyumi would go crazy once she saw you."

Staring at his face, Amari brushed a couple strands of hair out of his eyes before replying. "So that's why you didn't want me to come over?"

Todoroki nodded, causing her to smile a bit more. The truth was, he just didn't want to subject her to that level of embarrassment yet. "Although, now that I think about it, she kind of reminds me of you sometimes."

Amari's smile dropped then, slapping him across the shoulder playful. She hated to admit it but he was right. "I guess you're right. I do say things without thinking sometimes."

This caused his brow to rise. "Sometimes?"

His words earned him another hit in the shoulder, the girl scoffing. "Okay okay, all the time. Don't call me out like that, would you?"

Looking down the long hallway, Amari thought about something else. "So it's just you and your sister then?"

Todoroki thought for a moment before nodding his head. "At the moment, it's only me, my old man and her. I do have another brother though, although he's in college at the moment."

Amari took in his words, realizing that she really knew next to nothing about his family beside his abusive past. It was kind of like he was letting her into his world a little.

She then notice of two large doors, back to back. They somehow looked ominous, calling to her all at once. "What's in here?"

He stopped then, staring at the surface with some kind of disdain. Amari decided to call him out for it. Something was wrong. "Shoto, are you okay? Sorry I shouldn't have asked."

Running his fingers across the wood, he couldn't help but sigh. "This is where I would train as a child. My darkest memories are in here."

Amari widened her eyes then, realizing that this was the place where his father beat him, trained him until he could barely breathe. This place, it was like a cage to him, wasn't it?

Placing a hand onto his shoulder, Todoroki spoke again, dark and low. "When I was a child, I was separated from the rest of my siblings. That's why we don't share the same traits."

Her stance softened, thinking about her own brother because of that sentence. It seemed like they were more similar then she thought, both of them being a black sheep of the family.

Looking at the door, Todoroki was surprised when in started to open, revealing the space in question. He hadn't seen it in years. "Amari, what are you doing?"

The girl then ran into the center of the space before pointing at him in challenge. "Come on Shoto, let's duel!"

He stepped into the cage willingly, now seeming vaguely confused. "What?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Amari grinned. "This place has bad memories attached to it, right? Well the only thing you can do now is to rewrite it with good memories."

Todoroki still didn't understand. "Good memories?"

That's when Amari reached into her back pocket and pulled out her pills. "Yeah, I'm about to give you the memory of me kicking your ass. Come on, let's go."

Seeing the pills in her hand brought an uneasy feeling in his stomach. The last thing he wanted to do was push her. "You shouldn't be so reckless. You already said you're pills don't last as long. Save your energy."

But the girl only scoffed, emptying the contents in her hands. "Sounds to me like you're afraid of losing half and half. Besides, we haven't trained together in awhile. I could use the practice. Don't you want to be number one?"

Swallowing five pills, Amari then lifted her hand out, forcing him to fight as a large gold ring appeared under his feet. "Show me how good you are, Shoto."

Todoroki jumped out of her way just in time, throwing a large ice shard in her direction. If she wanted to play that way then so be it.

Amari smiled at his participation, covering her body in her gold matter before racing towards him all at once.

He blocked her hit only for her to land another punch towards his stomach, causing him to groan. "You like that one? Katsuki taught me that."

Wincing at the hit, Todoroki flew his ice out towards her, causing the girl to crash onto the ground a couple feet away and hitting the hard floor.

She stood back up then, racing towards him again when he grabbed her shoulder, causing her to wince. He had just touched where Bakugo had hit her last.

The boy noticed his and stopped immediately, pulling back. "Are you okay?"

He reached out to her in concern as Amari smirked, grabbing his hand and throwing him to the ground in a single motion, her body now pushed on top of him. "Looks like I win."

Although Todoroki wasn't convinced, narrowing his eyes in disapproval. "I think that's cheating."

Yet the girl only shrugged her shoulders. "If you don't approve then get out of it."

Amari laughed then, thinking she had won when she felt herself being flipping around, now pinning to the training mats in a single motion. She hated how good he was sometimes.

Frowning, she tried to break away but found his body on hers rather difficult to move from. No matter how much she yearned for it, he was still stronger in terms of muscle "Touche."

This earned a smile from the boy, looking down at her all at once. "Looks like I win."

Rolling her eyes, Amari replied. "Yeah yeah, don't get all cocky tomato boy"

His fingers began to trace a couple strands of her hair, causing her body to shiver, now realizing the position they were in.

That's when he touched her shoulder once more, causing her to wince again. "Your shoulder, what happened?"

Sighing heavily, Amari replied. "Oh that? I've been training with Katsuki and he's not going easy on me. It's okay though, I've had worse."

He fiddled with her cardigan buttons then, concerned for her safely. He hoped that Bakugo hadn't gone too hard on her. "May I see?"

Amari nodded her head, pushing the fabric to the side only to reveal a large purple and blue bruise on her shoulder. It looked pretty nasty to say the least.

Running a couple fingers across the bare skin, Amari flinched at the contact, only for him to pull away. He always hated how far she went for her brother. She was always getting hurt for him. He really wished she would stop doing that.

He eyed the bruise sadly, causing the girl to reach her hand up to him. "Hey stop that. I'll never get stronger if don't push myself. Please don't look so sad about it."

Although Todoroki couldn't help but frown, letting his fingers trace the skin again. "You can't tell me not to worry about you. Of course I don't want you to get hurt. I care too much about you for that."

Then, as if to prove a point, he leaned down, pressing his lips against the exposed bruise causing her to sharply intake at the contact. A soft shiver ran down her spine as her skin began to burn from his touch.

Pulling away, he took in her flustered expression and began pushing a couple strands of hair out of her face. "If I could, I would take away all of your scars. You've been through enough."

Closing her eyes at the motion, Todoroki leaned forward again, this time kissing her lips softly as if to prove his love to her. She didn't deserve any more pain and suffering,and he wanted to make sure of that.

Kissing him back, Amari lifted her hand up, running a couple strands of hair though her fingers as she remembered that terrible phone call. She only had four more months to enjoy this feeling, and then it would be gone.

They pulled back then, breathing heavy as Amari touched his own scar, lining her fingers across his face which earned another shiver from the boy. "I feel the same. I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't have to go through such sad memories again."

Then, she grabbed his face lightly before pushing him down onto her lips again, smiling through the kiss softly, as if to prove her words.

Todoroki was surprised by the action, closing his eyes as well and feeling his hand snake closer to the waist and hip, wanting nothing more than to have this moment last forever.

Suddenly, Fuyumi's voice came back, loudly from the other side of the door. "Shoto, Bakugo! I brought some snacks. Where are you?"

Breaking away from each other, Todoroki sat up, allowing her to do the same and fixed his now messy shirt. The last thing he wanted was for his sister to find out that they were making out. He would never be able to live that down.

Amari could only smile though, putting a finger to his lips and if to remain quiet. "I guess we should go."

Nodding her head, the boy agreed, helping her off the floor before exiting the training room quickly and shutting the door behind him, still reeling from the moment.

* * *

They reached his room soon enough as Amari picked up the study guide that laid across the table quickly. "Thanks. I guess I should probably go. I wasted enough of your time already."

She turned to leave when Todoroki lightly stopped her. "It's alright. I was just going to study anyways. Besides, if you aren't doing anything, maybe we could study together?"

Staring at his table, Amari put her hands out, quickly replying. "Uhh I mean yeah sure. We can do that, as long as you don't mind or anything."

Todoroki just nodded his head, now sitting down at the small table before patting the spot next to him. "Well then, let's get started."

Rushing over to the seat, she plopped herself down next to the boy before opening up the study guide and reading quietly.

It was about an hour of silence before Todoroki looked up from his book when he felt a light weight lean onto his shoulder. Glancing to his left he gently called out to her, hoping nothing was wrong. "Amari?"

Although all he got was silence as her head lulled to the side in a single motion. Had she really gone to sleep that easily? Maybe training with Bakugo really tired her out.

Todoroki didn't seem to mind though as he let her keep her spot on his shoulder, silently going back to writing like before.

Well he tried doing that, but after a couple of minutes, he couldn't help but feel himself grow more relaxed as well, closing his own eyes for a moment.

* * *

Fuyumi slowly creeped open the door only to find her dear brother and Amari slumped together and sleeping peacefully, resting their heads on one another.

When was the last time Shoto looked that calm? She didn't know, but she couldn't help but silently thank Amari for the result.

Carefully pulling her phone out, Fuyumi smiled as she snapped a picture of the sleeping couple, wanting to capture this moment forever.

After everything their father put them through, she was relieved to finally see him happy.

* * *

A loud thud shook the two awake, hearing the door slam a couple rooms away.

Amari stirred first, blinking softly as she noticed a small puddle of drool on Todoroki shirt.

Gasping in embarrassment, she quickly tried to wipe away the evidence when he flopped his eyes open, noticing her touching his shirt. "Amari, what are you doing?"

She jumped back at his words, laughing slightly. "Oh nothing. Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. I guess you couldn't study then."

He opened his mouth as if to reply when a loud voice echoed through the hall, causing the two of them to freeze. Crap, it was Endeavor. She had totally forgotten about him.

They locked eyes with each other as Todoroki's bedroom door flew open, revealing the number two hero himself, looking less than pleased.

He took one look at Amari and scoffed. "You..what are you doing here?"

Frowning at his tone, she replied sarcastically. "It's so great to see you too, Endeavor."

Watching his brow twitch, the man pointed his finger towards her in warning. "I already said I didn't want to bother with you anymore. I don't associate with ones that were expelled."

This couldn't help but make her laugh. "And who's fault is that?"

Although Todoroki's father wasn't having any of her attitude. "Yours, for acting so childish. Now get out of my house. I already said I'm not a babysitter."

At the blatant disrespect, the boy couldn't hold his tongue anymore, standing up to protect her. "I invited her. She's my guest, so you can't kick her out."

Yet Endeavor only scoffed. "This my house Shoto, I can kick out whoever I please, and whoever I deem unworthy."

Letting her eye twitch, Amari turned around. "Hold on, did you just call me unworthy to be in your house? Wow, you really are the worst."

Nodding his head, the boys father lifted a hand out in warning. "You have five seconds to leave before I drag you out myself, and you can take Shoto with you. I don't want to deal with such unruly children."

Amari thought for a moment, debating to make him throw her out but that would also hurt Todoroki. She had lived so long without a home and parents. There was no way she was going to cause the same thing to happen to him.

Puffing her chest out, the girl replied. "Fine. I'll leave. But not because you told me to, because I can't even stand to be in the same room as you."

Quickly grabbing her bag, she turned to leave when Todoroki ran after her, now looking frazzled. "Amari wait. I'm sorry about that scumbag."

Although she only shook her head, placing a loving hand to his cheek. "It's alright. It's not your fault you're related to him, and as much as I hate him, he's your father. I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

Todoroki nodded his head, watching his eyes fall as the warmth of her hand disappeared. This was all his fault.

If only he had a normal family then maybe she wouldn't have as many problems to deal with. Then maybe they could be normal.

* * *

S3 let's go! This season will finally reveal all those secrets and emotions everyone's been hiding. Things are about to get crazy. Buckle up.

So here we find out that Amari only has a little under four months before the pills fully reject her body and she kills herself in the process. Her choice is to either push herself till she dies or stop using the pills and revert back to being quirkless with a weak constitution, ultimately ending up back in the hospital. Amari would rather go down kicking at screaming though.

Also Todoroki and Amari's interactions are getting far more spicy as they grow their relationship and let's not forget Amari finally having the relationship she's always wanted to have with her brother.

Next Chapter: Training Arc time.


	32. S3 Chapter 2

Hello! Really quick before you read but I decided not to include a final exams chapter as I felt like it would just drag the story from the original intention. I don't really want to rehash the anime if I can help it, but rather add new ideas and plot points that will be more interesting. I hope you understand and enjoy!

* * *

Katsuki raised a fist up, throwing an explosion in his sisters directions and causing her to dodge the action all at once. He couldn't exactly remember how he got there but still focused on winning, as he always did. "Come on brat, try harder!"

She grunted at his response before swirling around in the circle, using her gold matter to shield herself from his attacks. The girl didn't respond but Bakugo could tell she was struggling.

He watched her chest heave out a breath, clutching the area as if in pain but for some reason, he was too blinded by winning to be able to stop. It was like he couldn't stop.

Amari faltered and Bakugo showed no mercy, punching her in the stomach and throwing a very close explosion in his path. She hissed at the pain and was thrown across the room, now landing in a hard thud against the ground.

Seeing her coughing up blood, Katsuki tried to stop himself but somehow, he felt himself move towards her instead. Something about this wasn't right. It was like he couldn't control his own body, like he was driven to destroy her.

His mind screamed inside himself, silently begging his muscles not to hurt her as his hand his hand reached for his explosions. _Stop it. Damn it, don't hurt her. She's hurt. That's enough. Why won't you listen to me?!_

Suddenly a loud ringing rang through his ears as Bakugo watched his own sisters eyes loose color completely, her body falling to the floor like a rag doll in a crumpled lifeless fashion.

Racing towards her, Bakugo touched her, only for blood to start to pool across his arms as Katsuki let out a shaky breath of terror. That was her blood. What was even happening?! "Amari?! What's happening?! Hold on brat…"

She raised a shaky hand up to his face, terror now etched in her own eyes as she squeaked out painfully. "Katsuki..it hurts.."

Touching her hand lightly, Katsuki's head spun, gasping onto his sister, his breathing ragged as she drifted away from him. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Don't you dare fucking close your eyes!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed through his ears, laughing at his misfortune. "Such a selfish little boy. See what you let happen?"

Bakugo looked up, only to find the same blue haired villain from the USJ incident stepping out of the dark shadows, mocking him and smiling at his terrified face. He was standing behind his sister as a thousand pieces connected in his mind. Somehow, he hurt Amari.

A low growl escaped the boys through, knowing his bastard had hurt her and Bakugo raced forward, only for the villain to disappear, almost like in a cloud of smoke. "You bastard! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

He appeared a couple feet away and Bakugo chased after him, determination and fire in his stomach. He was certainly not going to get that bastard get away with hurting his sister, not on his watch.

Finally he was able to get a hold on the villain, wrapping his strong hands around the man's throat, anger deeply etched in his stomach as the man began to choke. "You..you killed her!"

Although the man couldn't help but smile at this, his voice smooth and sharp. "No no. You are mistaken. I didn't kill her, you did."

Suddenly, the man's voice began to change into something higher and more famine all at once as a weak hand touching his arm, pleading him to stop. It was slender, definitely not one of a male.

Bakugo blinked his eyes once only for his body to grow completely still. Then he realized that terrible truth.

It wasn't Shigaraki underneath his hands anymore, but Amari

She choked out breath, fear clear in her expression as she brokenly whispered out. "W-Why? Why Katsuki? Was it because I wasn't strong enough?"

Katsuki gasped, letting go of his hold and watching her crumble to the ground all at once. No no, this couldn't be happening...he was going after Shigaraki, this couldn't be happening..no no no

His hands began to shake as the reality set in, Bakugo gently touching his sisters body as a breath of terror rang through the empty black space. "Amari...oh god..oh fuck..no no no...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..this is my fault."

* * *

Opening his eyes, Bakugo raised out of bed, breathing heavily as the sweat poured around him all at once. His shaky hand lifted his face as the boy focused to the room around him. It had been a long time since he had a nightmare that vivid.

Staring at his hands, the boy closed his eyes in anxiety as a sound knock was heard from the other side of his door.

He didn't answer and a couple moments later, it slowly opened to reveal Amari, backpack in hand with a toothbrush in the other. Oh thank god. He hadn't killed her. She was okay. "Hey Katsuki, mom said we have to get moving or we are going to miss the bus. It's training camp day, remember?"

She smiled in excitement then, taking out a couple notebooks out of her backpack and opening them up to a specific page. "I already planned so much! We are going to go cook marshmallow, sing songs, tell scary ghost stories. It's going to great!"

Her ideas sounded less than ideal but Katsuki couldn't help but stare at her as she read them off, her blonde hair cascading across her shoulders like usual. He couldn't help but still be shaken by that terrible terrible dream. He didn't even want to know what it meant.

Noticing his silence, Amari stopped speaking, now taking that as rejection and putting the notebook back slowly. "But uhh I know you aren't really into those things so we can talk about it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything."

Bakugo then realized he hadn't heard any of her ramblings and just shook his head, causing her to awkwardly move back to the door. He obviously wasn't in a mood for talking today. "Right so, mom said that if you don't get up then she would make you so I wouldn't really wait too long. You know how scary she can be. I'll let you change then."

Moving back towards the door, Bakugo's mind flashed back to her cold, lifeless body and suddenly dreaded the idea of her leaving, even if it was just downstairs. He didn't want to leave her sight ever again.

Then without thinking, Katsuki hand wrapped around his sister's arm, pulling her back slightly and stopped her movements all at once. His voice sounded foreign, afraid. He didn't like it. "Wait!"

Amari stopped, confusion by the action, only to notice a slight shake in her brothers hand against her arm. Staring back at him, she noticed something different as well. His eyes looked, wide. "Katsuki, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

It was almost like her words snapped him out of his trance, now realizing exactly what he was doing. He felt weak and pathetic, especially in front of his sister.

Letting go and slapping her hand away, Bakugo scoffed, wishing the conversation to be over. "It's nothing brat. Just tell that old hag that I'd like to see her try to make me do anything."

Amari stared at him for a moment still not believing his words when she was met with a pillow to the face, blocking her vision. "What the hell are you staring at loser? Get out already. I have to change."

Tossing the pillow to the side, his sister frowned before listening and moving back towards the door. There was something up with him, she hoped it wasn't bad but she always knew not to push too hard. The last she wanted she for him to dislike her again. "I'll be downstairs."

Bakugo watched her leave as another flash of memory passed by him, recalling the terrible things he made up in his mind.

Groaning to himself, Katsuki then placed his head in his hands before thinking one single, solitary thing….

He had a bad feeling about this training camp.

* * *

Reaching the school entryway, Amari couldn't help but be worried about her brother from the display he showed earlier. He wasn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve so for him to be so shaken, it must of been something serious.

On their way towards the bus, she tried to bring it up multiple times but Bakugo would always just shut her down and change the subject. The last thing she wanted was to see him in pain.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Deku passed by them stopping for a moment to wave at his friends. "Good morning Amari-chan, Kacchan! Are you excited about the training camp?"

Katsuki looked less than thrilled but Amari was able to give him a soft smile. "Good morning Midoryia. Of course I'm excited. Let's go show the class we mean business together, okay?"

Deku nodded his head and Katsuki started to feel annoyed by their close proximity, pulling her away from the green haired boy. "Stop talking to that loser."

Once they were out of sight, Bakugo shook his head, not understanding her attitude towards the boy. She didn't have to be so nice to that reject. "You need to stop wasting your time on Deku."

Noticing the malice in his voice, Amari frowned. "Why do you hate him so much anyways? You've never had the chance to tell me. He doesn't seem all that bad to me."

Bakugo turned back to his childhood friend before sneering. Just picking one reason was difficult. "He's just a quirkless idiot that happened to get lucky somehow. I've been working on my quirk for years to be the best and he just shows up one day with all of this power? Give me a fucking break.."

This made Amari blink in surprise, not understanding what he was saying. She knew about Deku vaguely but him being quirkless was a new idea to her. "Wait, Midoryia was quirkless when you were kids? Then how did he get so strong?"

Scoffing back, her brother recalled what he said to him on the first week of school but it was so obviously a lie that he didn't give it much thought. "I have no damn idea. But it doesn't matter, quirk or no quirk, he'll always be a nobody."

His words made Amari's eyes fall, remembering her past painfully clear. Katsuki seemed to be the same as back then. Her being quirkless was a nuisance for him. Good thing she fixed that. "Hey Katsuki…"

Turning his head towards her, the girl only sighed, now playing his the ends of her hair. She couldn't help but recall the doctors options in her head, and the consequences for not using the pills. "What would you do, if I was quirkless?"

Bakugo's eyes widened at this, flashing back to her childhood and remembering her weak state. Amari back then wasn't quirkless, but it was almost the same thing as using her quirk could've killed her. But things were different now,right? "What the hell does that mean?"

Thinking for a moment, Amari replied, now making an unreadable expression. Of course he would think of her a weak if that happened. "Sorry, it's just a joke."

He didn't know why but Katsuki felt his chest breathe out a sigh of relief then, slapping her on the side of her shoulder in warning. "Quit screwing around. We both know that's impossible. As much as you are a pain in my ass, with your quirk I guess you aren't completely useless."

That proved it to Amari. Katsuki hated Deku so much because he didn't have a quirk for so long. She supposed that made sense though, given her experience as well. It was good that he found his quirk though, as she did.

Smiling to herself, the girl replied. "Yeah.."

Suddenly, Mr. Aziawa's voice echoed across the space, causing everyone to turn their heads. "Alright everyone. It's time to start loading up the bus. The seating will be assigned so when I call your name, make your way to the front."

The class collectively groaned at the idea of the assigned seating and even Amari couldn't help but steal a glance at Todoroki for a moment. It would be great if she could've sat with him.

The teacher read off a couple names before Amari heard hers clear and slow. "Bakugo Amari and Midoryia Izuku, get to the front."

She heard Bakugo groan behind her, already pushing his sister forward with a heavy shove. "Good luck brat. By the end of this trip, you won't be able to stand him either."

Regaining her balance from the shove, Amari paused for a moment before ignoring her brothers words. After hearing his explanation she still couldn't hate Deku like her brother did.

They had the same circumstances after all.

* * *

Once they started moving, Deku seemed to squirm in an uncomfortable fashion next to the girl who just seemed confused. Maybe he wasn't happy to sit next to her after all?

Although her worries were quelled when he spoke out a couple moments later. "I'm really sorry about this Amari-chan."

Raising her eyes in question, she replied. "For what?"

A small silence appeared then as he pointed behind him. "I know you'd much rather sit with Todoroki or Kacchan. Sorry you got stuck with me."

Amari took in his words before letting her lips curve up in a small smile. He was so considerate all the time. She couldn't hate him after all. "Midoryia, I'm really happy I got to sit with you. We don't really talk much."

The boys face couldn't help but flush from embarrassment, still not used to speaking with females. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I still can't believe we haven't met before. I didn't even know Kacchan had a sister until you showed up during the sludge villain incident."

At his words, Deku watched her face fall now thinking he may have said something wrong. "But umm it's not like I'm not glad to meet you! In fact, I'm glad you came to U.A. Amari-chan!"

His rambling made the girl crack a small smile, changing the subject quickly. "Oh yeah, I heard you and Katsuki were close as kids. I'm sure he was a lot to handle."

Recalling all the bullying, Deku shivered. "Yeah, Kacchan was basically the same back then as he is now. He always liked to pick on me."

He paused when Amari leaned forward then, getting a better look at the shy boy. "I'm sorry. I can only imagine. I think I know more than anyone how Katsuki can be. If I was there I would've stood up for you."

Deku smiled back, noticing the distant look in the girls eyes. It was like she wasn't telling him something, something that really bothered her.

A small silence echoed through them before Amari spoke again, this time small and low. She played with the corners of his book as she continued. "I also heard from Katsuki that you were quirkless until last year. Is that true?"

She watched his face grow sullen then, silently panicking in his mind for some kind of explanation to tell her that was believable. What if Bakugo told her about All Might as well, also remembering how he told his childhood friend his secret. This is could be a disaster. "Oh uhh yeah I guess so. W-What else did Kacchan say?"

He waited for her response for a moment she replied. "Not much. But I just wanted to ask, how did you do it? You lived so long with nothing, how did you not lose hope?"

Amari's words where not what he was expecting in the slightest. She just seemed genuinely curious, so much so that Deku felt like he had to answer. "I don't know, I guess I just really wanted to be a hero, even if it was impossible back then. I didn't want to give it up."

She could understand his motivation well, knowing very well that she was the same. She worked so hard for her quirk, almost like Deku did. "You're amazing."

Deku felt his face flush for a second time, waving his hands in front of him absentmindedly. "What? Oh no no I'm nothing special, just stubborn I guess."

But Amari couldn't help but laugh. "Don't sell yourself short. Living without a quirk for so long, I wish I had your fearlessness."

But then, her stance grew dark again, her eyes flicking towards the ground. She can't help but remember Katsuki telling her why he hated Deku. It was because he was weak back then, quirkless.

Without really thinking about her next words, Amari replied low and serious. "I know I couldn't do what you did. I'd rather die than live without a quirk. It's everything to me."

Deku narrowed his eyes in confusion, noticing her casted eyes and gently touched her shoulder. "Amari-chan?"

Sighing to herself, Amari then turned back, determination in her eyes. "Midoryia, I know Katsuki can be stubborn and say thoughtless things sometimes but could you please take care of him for me when I'm not around?"

Her dedication seemed ominous in someway, Deku not fully understanding. "Not around? Where are you going?"

But the girl only smiled sadly, touching the boy's arm lightly. "Please, I know it's selfish but promise me you will…"

Feeling the heat against her hand, he took in the utter desperation in her eyes and knew he had to agree, nodding his head once. This seemed important to her. "Of course Amari-chan. But I don't understand.."

The agreement made her heart skip a beat, smiling back and removing her arm. "It's okay. You don't have to understand now. Just, thank you."

Leaning back in her chair, Amari then opened up her book and began reading, all while Deku eyes her with a mix of concern and worry.

He didn't know what he just agreed to, but it seemed to be big.

* * *

Everyone reached the camp soon enough, as the students poured out the bus before noticing something off about the whole thing. It was like they were in the middle of nowhere, no camp in sight.

Looking around in confusion, they were suddenly met with two females in cat outfits. After they explained themselves as the Wild Wild Pussycats, the one in the blue outfit spoke once again. "Alright, in order to get to the camp you are going to have to fight your way in! I'd also be quick about it since the sun is about to set soon."

Everyone looked between each other in confusion although Bakugo, Todoroki and Amari weren't far behind, already readying their quirk for the combat. It was time to get serious.

This was going to be a long week.

* * *

Breaking the chapter up because it was running really long. We see how Amari and Deku are similar in many aspects. She vaguely plays with the idea of not using the pills anymore but stupid Bakugo said the wrong thing which confirms her belief that she's nothing without her quirk. Also poor Katsuki with his nightmares. Possible foreshadowing?

This arc is going to have many twists and turns with fluff, angst and a possible love triangle? You'll have to wait to see. :)

Next Chapter: Everyone begins their training and Amari reunites with a very familiar face.


	33. S3 Chapter 3

It was almost sundown when the students finally reached the camp, trudging and dragging their feet as they came upon the clearing. That test was no joke.

It seemed that right when they entered the forest, hundreds of tree monsters blocked their path, forcing them to fight their way out quickly. They just kept coming, with no sign of stopping. It was honestly a miracle everyone made it out so quickly.

Amari clutched her chest, feeling the effects of her pills wear off ever so slightly and caught a glance at Todoroki who was also struggling for breath. They shared a look between each other and nodded their heads, as if saying they were both alright.

Reaching the clearing finally, Ragdoll, perked up. "Congratulations everyone. Although it would've taken us only three hours to complete the course."

The class around them groaned, obviously not pleased that they weren't getting any recognition for what they just faced. "Were you just trying to boast about how much better you are?!"

Although the cat girl could only laugh, now pointing in the direction of Todoroki, Bakugo, Deki, Ida and Amari. "I will admit though, you all are impressive. Especially you five. You acted without any hesitation. Was it because of your experience?"

Then before the five could register anything, the woman started going around and kissing the top of their heads as some sort of award, a reward that no one really wanted.

Although luckily enough, Deku was able to stop her actions with a question, now pointing towards a stranger that was watching them. "Wait, I have a question. Who's kid is that?"

The red cat, Mandalay, answered him shortly afterwards. "Oh, he's not one of ours. He's my cousins kid. Kota, go ahead a greet everyone."

Deku smiled at the child he now knew as Kota before walking over to him extending a friendly hand. The boy looked annoyed but maybe he was just shy? "Hello, I'm Midoriya from U.A.'s hero course. It's nice to meet you."

But instead of the boy accepting his hand, Kota returned the gesture by kicking the poor green haired boy straight in the balls, causing him to crumble over in pain.

Then, the boy just turned around before muttering darkly. "I don't intend to be friends with guys who want to be heroes."

Everyone saw this and gasped, accept for Bakugo who smirked at the action, liking his fire. "That kid's got spunk."

Although Todoroki couldn't help but feel amused by his words. "Isn't he kind of like you?"

This caused Bakugo to tick his brow in annoyance, shouting back to him. "Shut up, you bastard!"

Even Amari couldn't help but crack a smile at Todoroki's joke, moving over to Deku and extending her hand. "Are you okay? Here, take my hand."

The boy accepted as Amari couldn't help but feel a frustrating ich in the back of her throat at Kota's words. That boy didn't know anything about heros.

After she lifted her friend back up, she turned to the small child before speaking. "Hey, you need to apologize to my friend. Also, what's your problem with heros anyways?"

Her words caused Kota to freeze in his spot, finding the idea funny to him. "I don't need to apologize to anyone. It's his fault for wanting to become a hero."

This got Amari even more irritated. Yes he was a child but he wasn't understanding why they were doing this. "What's so wrong with wanting to be a hero? All we want to do is help people"

Kota only narrowed his eyes though, recalling some rather unpleasant memories. "And who can you help? You don't look like much to me."

At his harsh words, Amari's stance grew more deflated, like the boys words really pierced her skin. Of course she didn't look like much to a child.

Although before she could speak, Bakugo moved in front of her, anger now etched in his eyes. "Hold on a second kid, you better watch your mouth. This brat doesn't look like much but that doesn't mean she can't kick your ass."

She looked at her brother, partly surprised he was defending her when another voice entered the space, touching her shoulder slightly. "Yes, I think you owe her an apology."

Amari looked to her right only to find Todoroki beside her, also defending her from that child's cruel words. Maybe they knew how much that kind of thing affected her.

Kota looked between the two scary boys before balling his hands in a fist, knowing he couldn't match up to them. He didn't even understand why they were so touchy about that girl. She didn't look all that impressive to him.

Then before they could speak anymore, Kota turned away from the group, running off into the house, causing Amari to call out. "Wait, Kota!"

Although it was too late, the boy was gone from their sight, just leaving behind an awkward air.

Amari couldn't help but stare in the direction he went, wondering if there was something else to that boy then just anger.

* * *

After a huge dinner and some much needed sleep, the next day of training came faster than expected as they all met Mr. Aziawa. The sun had just begun to rise so that meant that they certainly had a long day ahead of them.

Raising his head to the sky, the man spoke. "Aright it's time to start your trainings to build up and strengthen your quirk. There is only way that you can achieve that…"

The students all listened in carefully as Mr. Aziawa then darkened his expression, his voice full of malice. "And that is it break yourselves. You'll feel like you're dying but please refrain from actually dying."

Their eyes grew hollow as the teacher then began to explain just what they would have to do in this training camp, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

A couple hours had passed since they last started and everyone was giving everything into their training, now sweating and breathing heavily.

Bakugo was tasked with throwing his hands into boiling water to extend his sweat glands before letting off huge explosions into the sky. His screams of determination echoed further than any other student.

Todoroki was thrown into a tub of water in order to control the temperature of his quirk, rapidly throwing ice and fire in a repeated fashion.

Breathing heavily, he heard a loud scream which caused him to pause for a moment, knowing that voice anywhere and feeling his heart rate pick up.

Stealing a glance at Amari, Todoroki saw her struggling through her quirk, quickly covering herself with her gold matter before throwing explosions at the same time. The fact that she was even able to use two quirks together was impressive. He still couldn't do that.

She groaned in frustration as Mr. Aziawa walked over to her, leaning down. "Is that all you have? Don't tell me your giving up Bakugo?"

At his words, the girl felt a newfound determination inside her, screaming back as she threw another explosion with her protective shield, this time bigger than the last few. It looked like it physically hurt her to continue but she wasn't about to give up.

Her chest screamed in pain but the girl pushed through, knowing that her brother was watching everything. She couldn't let him down.

Another explosion later and the rest of the class couldn't help but stop and watch the girl who was giving it her absolutely everything as her veins popped from her skin. Bakugo Amari was really something else.

Feeling the heat overtake her body, she stopped when a cold hand rested on her shoulder, snapping her out of her own desire. "Amari.."

Blinking a few times , Amari forced her woozy eyes into the boy who called out to her, now letting her quirk diminish slowly. Her mind snapped back into reality as she silently understood what he was trying to say. _You are pushing yourself again. _

She took a shaky step forward before nodding her head back to him. "I know, I'll take a break."

Todoroki couldn't help but internally feel relieved for her compliance. A couple weeks back at his father's agency he practically had to drag her away from her desire. At least now, they had an understanding between them. She shouldn't use her power so rapidly, especially since her pills were rejecting her body.

Placing a hand to her chest, as if it was on fire, Todoroki grabbed a water bottle next to him before allowing her to take a really needed to take care of herself.

Suddenly a voice called behind them, making Amari's eyes widen all at once. She must of been hearing things, maybe her mind really was messed up. "Long time no see, short stuff."

She turned back towards the voice and couldn't help but gasped at the sight before her. "Shinso? What are you doing here?"

Shinso only smirked though, pointing back towards the other Class 1-B students that had just arrived. "Class 1-C had a little competition before final exams and the top ranking student in our class got to join Class 1-B for training over break."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Amari replied. "And you won?"

The boy crossed his arms across his chest proudly in response. "Of course I did. I already told you, I'm going to be in the hero course someday. This is just the first step."

Blinking a couple times, Amari couldn't help but admire his dedication, now slapping his across the shoulder playfully while whistling. "Wow, I gotta say Shinso, I'm kind of impressed. Look at you."

Nodding his head back, he couldn't help but look down at the girls state. She was sweating profusely from activating her sweat glands and looked incredibly pale. It kind of worried him, especially since he now knew about her condition. "What happened to you? You look like hell."

Sneering back, Amari scoffed. "Gee, thanks. You don't look that great either. Did walking all this way tire you out already?"

Shinso noticed the slight sweat on his brow before wiping it off. Physical exertion was not his strong suit. "Shut up."

Amari couldn't help but crack a smile at that when a cluster of voices stopped her, now turning to the right and frowning. Just a couple feet away from her was a large group of Class 1-B girls, and they were circling Todoroki.

Narrowing her eyes, Shinso couldn't help but notice her change in attitude, now looking to where she was. "It didn't take long for the wolves to descend."

She remained silent which caused the boy to speak again. "If it bothers you so much, why don't you go over there and play the "he's mine" card."

This caused Amari's face to flush, covering her embarrassment with her hand. "Oh my god, would you stop with that?! I can't do that…"

Noticing her apprehension, he spoke. "Why not? You like him, right? Unless you want me to use my quirk again and.."

Although Amari beat him before he could even finish that sentence, slapping him in the chest in warning. "Don't you dare. Like I need that again."

Shinso meant it as a joke but she seemed really bothered by it, watching the girl sigh sadly. " I can't do anything. I have no right. Maybe it would be better for him to find someone else, someone to be with him after I die. Maybe then that would ease the pain."

The boys eyes widened at her words, now realizing why she wasn't stopping those girls. She thought that he needed to find someone else for when she left. It was kind of heartbreaking to have that kind of mindset. It was no secret that she loved him.

Todoroki saw their interaction as well, vaguely hearing the Class 1-B girls trying to talk to him about various useless things. Why was that guy here, and why was she talking to Amari so closely? He didn't know why, but Todoroki didn't like him.

Shinso was about to comfort the girl from her words when Amari slapped her face, as if snapping her out of her own delusions. "Alright! I think that's enough of a break. I'm going to get back to training. See you Shinso!"

Then before he could reply, she was gone from his sight, with only a huge pit of anxiety in his chest. He silently wished he never found out about her condition.

Because now, he couldn't help but worry about her.

* * *

Deciding to take a walk in the woods later that night, Shinso tried to quell his overwhelming anxiety from his earlier conversation with Amari.

He couldn't help it, after finding out about her, he found himself worried even when she trained. He didn't particularly love the girl and still found her annoying but that also didn't mean he wanted her to die either.

He sighed to himself when the boy couldn't help but catch a small light from behind a nearby tree. That was odd. Everyone else was supposed to be sleeping by now.

Deciding to take a closer look, he heard the loss of breath first, followed by a bright flash of light and someone muttering to themselves quietly.

But when Shinso turned the corner, he had definitely not expected to see Amari a couple feet away from him.

She hadn't noticed his presence yet and even though it was the middle of the night, the girl was still training. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead as her hands shook, speaking to herself. "Come on Amari. You can do it."

Then he watched her let out a painful grunt, throwing her hands out in a small explosion as her gold matter formed around her body, cracking and breaking around her slowly. It was like it pained her to keep that position.

Shinso knew he probably should've made his presence known but somehow, he couldn't stop staring at her determination and drive. Little did everyone know that while everyone else was sleeping, this frail girl was giving her everything day in and day out. It was almost inspiring.

Taking a step forward, he heard a twig snap next to him and Amari sharply turned her head to meet his, now jumping back in surprise. "AHHH.. Shinso? What are you doing here?"

He strolled her to her slowly as she grabbed a water bottle from the corner. "I was just taking a walk. What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

Casting her eyes down, Amari replied. "I don't have time to do that kind of thing. I have to get stronger."

No time to sleep? That sounded odd, although it wasn't like he could judge. Shinso didn't get the best sleep either.

Amari thought for a moment before placing the bottle down. "Don't say anything about this, especially to Shoto. He wants me to take it easy, but I just can't do that."

Then she picked up a small notebook next to her, causing Shinso to question. "But don't you feel bad about hiding this from him? Isn't he your loving boyfriend?"

Closing her eyes as if in pain, Amari spoke back softly. "He'll only worry. I have far too much to do before...well...you know…"

Just then, she changed the subject, crossing her arms across her chest. "I saw you training today. I gotta say, you kind of suck."

The whiplash of the conversation caused him to take a few moments before realizing what she just said, now slightly annoyed. "I'm just not great with hand to hand combat. It's always been my weak point. That's why I didn't get into the hero course in the first place."

Amari nodded her head, thinking for a moment before smirking, now coming up with an idea. "Nah, it's not that. You just need someone to show you how it's done. That's what happened to me.."

Just then, she readied her fists. "Here, come at me."

Blinking in surprise, Shinso out his hands out, shutting her down. "I'm not going to fight you Bakugo."

This only caused her to give a sly smile, coaxing him on. "Ah come on, are you afraid of getting your ass kicked again by me? I didn't know you were such a chicken, Shih Tzu.."

At the sound of her nickname for him, the boy did feel tempted, although he couldn't help but remember her condition. "Oh please, I just don't want to beat up a sick girl. Do you really think you should be using your quirk like that?"

His words only made her smirk though before picking up her box of pills and throwing them to the side. "Fine. We'll make it fair. No quirks, only hand to hand combat. That way, this sick girl can kick your ass correctly. Any objections?"

Her conditions seemed fair, so much so that Shinso felt like he couldn't reject, now moving towards her slowly. "Fine, but I'm not going easy on you."

Yet once again, Amari could only laugh. "Funny enough, I was about to say the same thing."

Shinso narrowed his eyes then, throwing a fist in her direction only for her to dodge easily. He whirled around once, twice, three times, trying to hit the girl but it had no effect. She blocked every single one.

Then he watched her smirk, turning around and kicking his legs from under him and tumbling to the ground. She was so small, how could she even be that fast?!

Standing above him, Amari spoke, confident and smooth. "Oh would you look at that, two out of two. I win. You really have to stop underestimating me."

Shinso dusted himself off, feeling the utter embarrassment from getting his ass kicked by such a small girl, not once, but twice now. It was like she was in a different league. "Did you do this just to embarrass me again?"

Although he was surprised when Amari extended her hand, leaning forward so he could grasp it. "What? Of course not. I'm going to help you."

The words sounded strange to him. "Help me, with what?"

Amari answered back shortly, pride in her stance. "With training stupid. Come on, I'll show you how to really fight. That way you'll be another step closer to the hero course."

She was going to help him learn how to fight hand to hand combat? Shinso alway just believed that wasn't possible for someone like him. She was going to waste her time. "My quirk wasn't made for that kind of thing. Just forget it."

Although Amari only narrowed her eyes in anger, crouching down beside him. The close contact kind of made him slightly uncomfortable, especially from her stare. "Hey, do you think my body was made to be a hero? No. But even so, do you think I let that stop me? If you really want this Shinso, then don't give up. You have to fight with everything you have, or else you'll never improve."

That's when she extended her hand again before smiling. "A long time ago, someone gave me the chance to change. Now, I want to give you the same."

Shinso looked down at her hand and couldn't help but feel this new found hope from her words. If this kid could break through every barrier, tear down every wall and push herself to get what she wanted, then why couldn't he? The truth was, he wanted to change.

Slowly moving his hand up, he grasped Amari's all at once, allowing her to lift him off the ground with a soft smile. "There we go."

He felt the warmth between her palm all at once, motivating him to be better, as she was doing. This girl, he hated to admit it, but she was an inspiration.

Just then, she pulled away causing his hand to run cold again, although the determination was still there. "Bakugo…"

Turning her head towards him, Amari called back. "Yes?"

Shinso then felt his own lips curve into a small smile, wanting to show her what her gesture meant. "Thanks."

Amari blinked in surprise, realizing she'd never seen him smile before earning a grin of her own. "Don't thank me yet. If you think I'm going to go easy on you then you have another thing coming Shih Tzu."

* * *

Right so I know that Shinso isn't supposed to be in this arc but as I said before, I want to add to his character more as the anime did him so dirty. The friendship between him and Amari is so fun to right and he can't help but feel inspired by her.

Next chapter: Jealously? And a realization.


	34. S3 Chapter 4

The next day approached faster than expected as Amari yawned, walking out to the training course slowly. She had to admit, training with Shinso all night didn't give her much rest but in some other ways the girl was thankful for it. Resting and sleeping meant she had to think about the future, and that's one thing she certainly didn't want to dwell on.

Amari saw Todoroki a couple yards away and internally sighed, wondering how on earth she was going to tell him about her four month lifespan. She didn't even want to see the look on his face, suddenly feeling personally responsible for causing him to hurt like that. She knew she had to tell him, but still found it difficult.

Lifting a hand up to greet him, she paused when Uraraka tapped her on her shoulder, smiling slightly. "Good morning Amari. Where did you go last night? You left the room so suddenly and didn't return for a while. We were all worried."

Amari nodded her head, and began to explain her situation but leaving out the part where she was trying to train as well, knowing that Todoroki might hear about it and then grow concerned. "Oh, I'm sorry for worrying you. I was just helping Shin…"

But just as she was about to speak his name, a strong hand wrapped around her mouth, pulling her back and a couple feet. "If you would excuse me, I need to talk to Bakugo for a minute."

Uraraka seemed confused but allowed the boy to carry her away to the corner, all while she cursed at him through muffled speech. Then when she had enough, Amari stuck her tongue out and licked the inside of his palm, causing Shinso to pull away, now disgusted. "Did you just lick me?"

Spitting out the terrible taste, Amari huffed. "You wouldn't let go. What the hell in your problem Shinso?"

He then wiped his hand across his pants, getting rid of her nasty saliva and replied. "Don't tell them about the training."

Amari lifted her brow in confusion, not understanding the big deal. "What, why? Are you embarrassed?"

Shinso shook his head at that, turning his eyes away from her. "I don't want them to think I need help, especially from you. They'll start to assume things."

Thinking about his explanation, she supposed to did look bad for him to need a short, small girl's help in hand to hand combat. It should be the other way around and surely Class B would heckle him for it. She guessed she couldn't blame him for wanting to keep it a secret.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Amari smirked. "Alright fine, I'll protect your fragile little ego. Only because I know what it's like to be belittled for things you can't control."

Shinso breathed out a sigh of relief then, pointing back to Todoroki who was watching the encounter a couple steps away. "And that includes your boyfriend."

Amari's eyes widened then, immediately shaking her head. "I'm not going to lie to Shoto. He's the one person I can't do that with."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shinso replied smoothly. "But haven't you been doing that already, you know, when you train in secret?"

She casted her eyes to the floor then, muttering back. "That's not the same, and I never lied to him. I just withheld what I was doing."

Thinking back to her words, Amari she realized she was being a hypocrite. She hadn't necessarily lied to Todoroki but there were plenty of things she wasn't honest about, like her lifespan or training.

Amari took another small moment of silence before groaning, stomping her foot once in the process. "Fine. I'll keep your little secret, but it won't be for free. If I do this, then you have to help me with something…"

The sudden request was surprising to say the least, now wondering what Shinso had gotten himself roped up in. "What is it?"

That's when she took a small notebook out from her pocket, the same notebook she had during their training last night. The girl seemed very secretive about it. "You're a boy, right?"

The question was odd to him. "Last time I checked yeah?"

Nodding her head in approval, she flipped open the book to the top page before showing him the title. "Good, I need your expertise then."

Shinso read the top line and his eyes widened, now understanding why she was so secretive. How long had she been planning this one event? It seemed like the list ran on forever.

He was about to speak when another voice, caught her off guard. "Amari?"

Jumping five feet in the air, she immediately shut the notebook before hiding it behind her back. "Oh, hey Shoto! What's up?"

Todoroki eyed her actions with confusion, noticing the book she was trying to hide. She had shown it to that Shinso guy no problem, so why couldn't he see it? "What are you doing?"

This made her laugh nervously, playfully slapping him on the shoulder. "Me? What am I doing? Nothing, nothing at all. I'm just talking to my dear friend Shinso, isn't that right?"

Then in her nervous demeanor, she slapped the purple haired boy in the stomach, causing him to double over in a hard groan. Man, she really did hit hard when she wanted to. "Yeah.."

Todoroki turned his head towards the boy and couldn't help but glare. Why did they seem so close all of sudden? They weren't like this yesterday. Had something happened that he didn't know?

Then he caught his eye on her notebook again, noticing it was the same one she was reading on the way to the camp. "Your notebook…"

Gasping at the mention of the object, Amari smiled back, pretending she just realized the object. "What notebook? Oh, you mean this notebook! It's nothing really, just some training strategies and other useless things. Can never be too detailed, am I right? Ha ha.."

Suddenly, Mr. Aziawa called out across the field, saving the poor girl. "Alright everyone, stop messing around and start training."

This was Amari's que to get out of there, slapping both boys on the shoulder and already moving away. "All well, you heard him. Time to get to work! See you both!"

Then before Todoroki could speak again, she was gone from their sight, just leaving the two boys alone.

He knew he shouldn't have pried but the boy couldn't help but grow anxious about what she could be hiding, now speaking low. "That notebook, what was in it?"

Shinso broke away from his usual state and couldn't help but smirk. This boy was really worried, huh. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Although this only made Todoroki even more irritated. "If she's hiding something important, I need to know. If it's about her health.."

His words only made Shinso lose his smile, waving off the boy in question. "It's nothing to worry about. By the way, you act like she's with fragile weak girl all the time when Bakugo is more than capable of handing herself without you being her bodyguard. I've seen it."

A small ball of anger entered in his throat at Shinso's words. He didn't understand anything. He didn't understand how much that girl tortures herself for the smallest things. "You don't understand. She's always so reckless, how can I not worry?"

Thinking about his words, Shinso couldn't help but sigh, now staring at the floor. He suddenly realized he was in the same exact position. He was worried about her also. "Yeah, you got me there."

This caused Todoroki to narrow his eyes, noticing the stance that he was taking. It seemed like he really cared about Amari, he just didn't know it yet. Sure, even Shoto knew how amazing she was, but he just hated it reflected in someone else's eyes.

He was about to speak again, calling him out when Mr. Aziawa called back first. "Todoroki, Shinso, this isn't social hour. Let's go."

This caused the boys to break apart, already moving back to their respective corners.

Although it seemed Todoroki just couldn't get rid of that ugly, terrible feeling.

* * *

Throwing a fist up, Amari blocked the punch easily, yawning in the process as if it was no trouble at all. "Is that all you got? Come on Shinso, step with your right foot!"

He eyed her with frustration, trying to follow her instructions before doing so successfully, now feeling more stable in his stance. She really did know what she was talking about.

Amari dodged under his swing before pushing him in the shoulder, and catching him off guard. "That's it, don't falter."

Shinso easily recovered though, learning from his last fight with her, now aiming his fist lower, towards her stomach.

She realized his strategy a bit too late before his hand collided with her chest, knocking the life out of her and crumbling to the ground in a loud groan. He did it, he got a shot in.

His eyes widened at the action, already raising forward to help her, and realized he was stupid for using that much power. "Bakugo? Are you okay? Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Although he stopped when a soft laughter could be heard from her. It started off small before growing louder, her face now gleamed with pride. "Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Amari held her stomach in pain as she stood up, Shinso voice now filled with concern. "Are you a masochist?"

This caused her to slap him on the shoulder in an annoyed fashion. "Shut up, I'm fine. You need to hit with that much power all the time."

Then, she thought of something else, pointing to his fists. "Although, you still need to keep your elbow at a forty five degree angle for maximum damage. You are always stuck at about a thirty two."

Clapping her hands together, Amari smirked. "Go on, show me."

Shinso lifted his arms up, as if ready for an attack then, she shook her head, now making her way over to the boy slowly. "See, you're doing it again.."

He then froze when he felt her cold fingers wrap around his upper arm, pushing it up slowly to the degree she wanted. They were only a couple steps away from each other now and Shinso couldn't help but feel his chest flip in anxiety. Was this really necessary?"

Almost as if reading his mind, Amari frowned. "Stay still, would you?"

Then she lifted his arm again until she was satisfied. "There we go. Perfect."

Moving around him again, Shinso couldn't help but remain frozen as she circled to the front before wrapping her hands around his fist, fixing the placement of a couple fingers. "Also, stop letting your pointer finger lead. You are going to break it that way."

Shinso wanted to nod his head but found it difficult, now staring at the girl in front of him. She really didn't have to do this, help him train of anything. She already had far too much to worry about as it was.

And yet, here she was, helping him regardless. She was the only person that stood up for him, that didn't call him a villain or run scared. This small girl had done so much for him and what was he doing? Still taking from her.

Suddenly a breeze blew through the tree, causing her hair to become astray all at once. She groaned at the action, already trying to smooth it down. "Stupid wind."

Fixing a few strands, Shinso noticed she missed a couple and before his brain could process it, before he could even think, his hand reached forward on it's own.

His fingers wrapped around the small strand of hair before smoothing it around, the tips touching her forehead lightly and lingering for a moment or two.

Amari's eyes widened at the action, already moving back in utter embarrassment and surprise. "Whaa are you doing?!"

Her reaction seemed to snap him back as well, pulling his hand back and trying to come up with a valid excuse rather then just wanting to touch her. "Sorry, there was a hair.."

Nodding her head in acceptance, the girl tried to rationalize the action and spoke. "Oh, uhh it's okay. Thanks, I guess."

Then she stood up from her spot, quickly gathering her items before speaking quickly. "Right so, I think that's good for tonight. Practice those things I said. Okay, see you tomorrow."

Shinso raised a hand out to stop her but the girl was too frantic, already turning around at a rapid rate.

Although because she wasn't looking where she was going, Amari crashed her face into the nearest tree, causing the boy to step closer. "Bakugo?"

Amari realized her mistake quickly though, patting the surface of the tree before laughing nervously. "What, who put that tree there?"

Then before he could ask if she was okay, the girl was gone from his sight.

Looking down at his hand, Shinso could still feel the warmth there, groaning to himself in frustration. Why the hell did he even do that? It was like his hand moved on its own.

What was wrong with him?

* * *

The next day approached and Shinso tried everything within his power to apologize to Amari but it seemed that whenever he got close, she would make up some excuse or run away. He really messed it up.

After training, the students decided to make a huge feast together, everyone now wanting to help cook and make this dream a reality.

Amari was busy gathering vegetables when a low voice behind her made her jump. All this running from Shinso was putting her on edge. "Do you need help?"

She turned and found Todoroki staring at her so she couldn't help but smile, already giving him another basket. "Sure, here. You wanna help me cut these?"

He nodded his head, grabbing the basket as Amari teased. "I would have never pegged you as a kitchen person Shoto. Don't rich kids get their lunch made for them usually?"

Chopping up a carrot, Todoroki replied. "Usually, although my mother used to let me cook with her as a child, so I know a couple things."

Amari hummed back in response. "I learn more about you everyday. I bet you were a really big help back then."

Moving the carrot to the side, the boy couldn't help but smile at the pleasant memory. He hadn't remembered doing that for so long. "Yeah.."

His smile made Amari's lips turn up also, that was until she heard another familiar voice cut through the space. It was Shinso's.

Widened her eyes in fear, she chopped the knife down only to slice her index finger slightly, causing her to grunt. Then, before she could register it, Amari ducked under the large table hiding her from sight.

Todoroki eyed this with confusion. "Amari, what are you…?"

But she only placed two fingers to her lips, shushing him immediately.

Watching the purple haired boy, look around the area, he put two and two together, realizing she was hiding from him for some reason. The reason why though was still a mystery.

Once his voice disappeared, Amari popped back up, sighing in relief. "I'm going to give myself a heart attack one of these days."

She laughed to herself but Todoroki just wanted answers. "What happened? Why are you hiding from him? Did he do something to you?"

His multiple questions had her head spinning, waving them off one by one. "What, no. It's nothing like that. I guess I'm just overreacting."

Although that didn't quell his fear in the slightest. "What do you mean overreacting? Amari, I don't want to pry but there is something up with you. What aren't you telling me?"

Her eyes grew wide for a moment before brushing it off again. "There's nothing up. I think you're getting a little paranoid Shoto."

Yet right after she said that, Amari yawned loudly, causing him to prove his point. "You've been exhausted this entire trip and Uraraka said that you've been sneaking out at night. You are hiding things from me Amari, don't think I haven't noticed."

Setting her knife down, the girl felt that familiar echo of shame in her throat she knew all too well. She didn't want to hurt Todoroki like this, but she still couldn't tell him. "I'm sorry, but what I'm doing isn't bad. You have to trust me."

He wanted to, he really did but somehow Todoroki couldn't feel at ease with just that. "Does it have something to do with that guy?"

It took a couple of minutes for her to understand the question, and not liking the response. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Although Todoroki could only shrug, Amari now inferring everything from his stance. "Nothing. You two just seemed close."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing? Was he really accusing her of cheating on him? The idea itself hurt, knowing that he was her entire world. "Hold on, are you jealous of Shinso?"

Todoroki didn't like the word on his tongue, and returned to chopping another carrot slowly. "What if I said I was?"

Amari eyed the boy in utter shock before letting her lips curve into a small smile. "You're so cute Shoto."

Her words brought a hard blush onto his cheek, now feeling them burn all at once. "Don't say that. Are you making fun of me?"

Although Amari could only smile even wider, noticing his face grow to an even lighter shade. "Of course not. Sorry, I guess I'm not used to this kind of thing."

Turning away from her, he stopped when she rested her hand on his, covering it lightly. "Hey, it's not like that, okay? I can't tell you now but you have to trust me on this. We are just helping each other out with something."

He wanted to inquire more but the warmth of her hand stopped him. It was like she was giving him her word silently. After that, he felt dirty for distrusting her.

Putting his knife down, Todoroki then returned the action, grabbing her hand slowly and nodding his head. "Alright. I'm sorry for overreacting."

Amari smiled back when a couple students whistled in their direction, the two not realizing that they were out in the open. "Hey! Stop flirting and finish up, would you?"

The couple both flushed with embarrassment before letting go of each others hand and focusing on the dinner before them.

They tried to, but the two couldn't help but smile under each others breath, realizing just how much they valued each other.

* * *

Shortly after dinner, Shinso was making his way over to clean the rest of the dishes as the others started telling ghost stories around the campfire. That was never really his kind of thing.

Although as he turned the corner, he almost dropped the pot, now seeing a figure resting against the side of the house on the back steps.

He moved a bit closer only to realize that the strange was none other then Amari.

Her chest rose ever so slightly as she laid across the steps, Shinso wondered how careless she could be to sleep in such a public place. That just spelled danger all over it.

Placing the pot onto the ground, Shinso moving up to the girl before speaking to himself. "Stupid girl, What is she even doing?"

He then crouched down so that they were eye level, poking her cheek in hopes that would wake her up. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sadly it did not wake her up, but the action caused the girl to groan before reaching her hand out and grasping onto the boys shirt in a tight grip.

Shinso gasped at the action, already trying to pry her fingers off. "What are you doing? Get off me short stuff…"

Although she only happily smiled in her sleep, a bit of drool pooling from the corner of her mouth. This caused him to sigh and give up, now watching the sleeping girl.

Suddenly that urge to reach out came again as Shinso wiped a couple pieces of hair away from her face, as he did before. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he stop thinking about this girl?

She groaned again, this time shivering from the breeze and he knew she couldn't sleep out here like this. Someone had to take care of her.

Grabbing onto her shoulders, he carefully hoisted her up, only for the girl register some kind of human contact and cling to it to escape the cold.

Amari then sloppily wrapped her arms around the boy, causing him to gasp and try to push her off. "Bakugo, stop that…"

But once again, she only smiled in her sleep filled dream, snuggling into his chest and muttering. "Mmmm Shoto…"

That proved it, this crazy girl thought that he was her boyfriend. That's why she was being so clingy. "I'm not Todoroki. Get off of me already.."

Yet after a couple failed attempts, he realized it was hopeless reasoning with this girl. She really was a handful.

Debating on what he should do next, Shinso shivered when he felt her breath run across his neck, his heart rate now picking up at a rapid pace. It was like they were back in the forest, back when he did something he probably shouldn't have and scared her away.

That feeling was there again, the feeling to draw closer to her, even though he knew it was wrong. His fingers twitched at the idea of holding her, of getting closer.

Then, almost as if he couldn't help it, the boys arms lifted towards her back, slowly landing in an extremely light hug, taking in her scent.

But before he could even think about adding anymore pressure, a voice stopped him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Prying his arms away in a single moment, Shinso sharply turned his head around only to find Todoroki glaring back at him. Oh no, now he'd done it. "She fell asleep on the steps so I was trying to take her back inside. That's when she clung onto me for some reason…"

Todoroki took in his explanation quickly before understanding that could possibly be true. He did recall her reaching out to him back in school as well.

Then without a word, he leaned down and picked up the small girl, cradling her in his arms as she snuggled against his chest in a single motion. "I'm sorry about that. It's a habit she has."

Nodding his head back, Shinso froze when the boy spoke again. "But that doesn't explain what you were doing before."

He knew exactly what Todoroki meant, the hugging, the close contact. Shinso wished he had an explanation but couldn't find anything. "That was a mistake."

Todoroki then tightened his grip on the girl before continuing. "What were you doing the last couple days? She's been exhausted. Do you have something to with it?"

Shinso remembered the promise he told her not to reveal but couldn't help but feel the need to explain himself now after everything. He didn't want to cause a hole in something that Amari loved so much. "She's been helping me train at night so I can keep up with the rest of the class. I asked her not to tell you. Don't blame her."

The boy remained silent after that, thinking about how far she was going just for him. She was refusing sleep just so this guy could improve his training? To be honest that sounded like something she would do but that's not what angered him. He was running her down.

At the long silence, Amari's boyfriend then narrowed his eyes, looking down on the boy he just caught trying to make a move and hissed. "I'm only going to say this once. Amari acts like she's strong and independent, but she needs a strong support system."

Taking a threatening step closer, the boy continued. "That being said, don't unload your problems onto her. She already has far too much to worry about."

Shinso's eyes widened as Todoroki then took another step closer, his voice low and scary calm. "Now, answer me honestly Shinso, do you like her?"

Feeling his heart hammer in his chest, sweat started accumulate on his brow. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

Although the boy showed no mercy, narrowing his eyes in disdain. "Maybe you haven't realized it yet, but even so, Amari is precious to me and I will never walk away from her. If you don't wholeheartedly think you can support her like I can, then stay away.."

A sharp chill traveled up Shinso's spine as the boy showed no mercy. Although, he still wanted to believe that his absurd fantasy wasn't true. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You really think I would like someone like her?"

Todoroki wasn't convinced though, just turning away from the boy before muttering. "Call it a hunch. Just remember what I said."

Then the boy walked away, carrying Amari in his arms gently as she absentmindedly smiled against his chest.

No, he was not going to give her up to just anybody, and especially not him.

* * *

Amari sloppy opened her eyes to the moon above her and turned confused. One minute she was cleaning up dinner and the next she was sleeping? Those last few nights of no sleep must have really been messing with her body.

Yawning back, she stretched out her arms only for a voice to shake her. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded head, as if still half asleep, catching her eyes on Todoroki who was leaning over her. Reaching up to touch his face, Amari smiling. "What a nice dream…"

Grabbing onto her hand, Todoroki replied. "It's not a dream."

It took a moment for a words to register in her mind before they clicked, the girl busting up from her position all at once. It seemed she was laying on his lap again. "Oh! Sorry, Shoto..

Although the boy didn't seem to mind, brushing a hair from her face. "You always cause trouble, don't you?"

She felt her face flush in response. "Sorry, and it seems you're always picking up my mess."

Todoroki couldn't disagree with that in the slightest. "Shinso told me why you've been out so late. I'm sorry for not trusting you, although you really shouldn't worry about him so much. Well, at least not to the point of sleeping in random places."

Placing a hand behind her head, Amari answered. "I know, maybe I got a little carried away, but I couldn't help it. He reminded me of myself, wanting to change. I just want to show him that he could."

Her explanation was sweet, her wanting to help others. That was always a quality he admired of hers, no matter how much it got her into trouble. "And you did, right?"

Nodding her head, Todoroki couldn't help but feel a little proud of her, placing a hand on her head like you would do with a small child. "Good job. I'm sure you really helped him. But next time, try to help yourself with that, alright?"

Agreeing with his statement, Amari sighed. "Yeah, I know.."

He seemed satisfied with that, well that was until she grew even more sullen. "Shoto..I have something i have to tell you. You were right, I was hiding something from you."

Growing far more concerned, he placed a hand on her arm, slightly giving her the strength that she needed. "What's wrong?"

Amari then cast her eyes away from him, speaking low. "Remember what I said about having a year to live?"

The boy nodded his head, now more anxious than ever but letting her continue as her lips curved into a sad smile. "Well, I talked to my doctor and it seems that's no longer accurate."

Todoroki felt his heart stop in his chest, drawing her closer in silent fear. When he spoke, his voice was like a whisper. "How long?"

She remained silent then which just made him even more worried, gritting his teeth and speaking a touch more aggressive. He needed to know, now. "Amari, how long?"

Closing her eyes in invisible pain, Amari answered. "Under four months."

He felt his grip loosen on her arm, falling to the side in utter terror and shock. One year was already heartbreakingly painful, but now she only had a couple months? No, it couldn't be..

Standing up all at once, the boy began to pace back and forth, not wanting to come to terms with the reality. "No.."

Then, another question rang in his mind. "Wait, how long have you known about this?"

Amari then stood up with him, placing a soft hand on his arm. "A couple days before the training camp.."

Her response caused the boy to grow lightheaded. That long?! "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shaking her head in response, Amari replied. "I didn't know how to.."

This caused him to become even more frantic. "Amari, you can't keep hiding these things from me."

She nodded sadly in response when Amari felt Todoroki's arms around her, comforting her all and once. "Why do you keep these things to yourself when you're hurting? I'm right here. That way we can face it together."

Amari thought she had come to terms with her short lifespan but in feeling his embrace, she couldn't help but get choked up a tiny bit. "I'm sorry…"

Although he only hushed her cries, rubbing her back in small circles. "It's okay. Don't hold anything back. I'm right here."

She clung onto his shirt for a moment until his next words caused her to freeze. "Amari, I think you should stop using the pills. You are just destroying yourself."

Pulling away from him all at once, Amari somehow felt betrayed for some reason. What was he even saying? "Don't joke about that.."

Yet it seemed Todoroki wasn't in the mood for jokes. "I'm serious. You don't even know who gave you these pills. Maybe if you stopped using them then your lifespan would…"

But Amari wasn't hearing it in the slightest, already shutting him down. "It would mean that I would go back to being that useless frail little girl who couldn't do anything. I'm not going to live without my quirk Shoto, I'd rather die."

Throwing his arms out in desperation, Todoroki tried to make her understand exactly what she was doing. "Don't say that, don't say that you'll just give everything up like that. You are more than just your quirk Amari."

Yet she could only yell back, feeling the shame bubble up in her chest. "No I'm not! I worked too hard to just throw everything away. I have been tortured, shunned, pushed to my breaking point and survived just so I can be here. Maybe I have a memory that forgets chunks of time and I have to force my body to move every damn day but I promised myself that I will be a hero, even if it kills me!"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Amari continued darkly. "So what if those pills eat away at my life? At least then I would know that I was worth something to Katsuki."

Todoroki was about to speak when his mouth ran dry, frozen to his spot.

Amari was about to call him out on it when a voice stopped her, freezing her to her entire core. It was small and quiet, like he couldn't process what he just overheard. "What the fuck did you just say?"

Almost afraid to turn around, she finally gained the courage, now coming into contact with those same red eyes she always knew and loved.

It was Katsuki Bakugo, and he heard everything…

* * *

DUN DUN DUNNNN Uh oh, now Bakugo knows about everything. Let's see how that works out. Fast updates cause I'm so excited to write this arc, can you tell? Next chapter should be soon also. This was so fun to write omg. I hope you enjoyed it like I did writing it.

Todoroki really said hands off my girl though. Oops

Next Chapter: Well...I'm sure you know what's coming…


	35. S3 Chapter 5

The air was unnaturally thick around the area as Amari gazed at her brother with utter horror and fear. The one thing she didn't want him to know, the very secret she was trying to keep, it was somehow all ruined in a blink of an eye. He knew everything now. There was no going back.

Feeling her own voice shake, the girl knew she had to say something, anything that would make him understand. "Katsuki, I can explain…"

With his fists balled to the side, Bakugo was still in utter shock, her words sparking something inside of him. It had to be a joke, it just had to be. She was healthy. "Damn right, you better fucking explain.."

The heat in his stomach was unchangeable as she remained silent. What could she even say? What could she tell him that wasn't a flat out lie? For the first time in her life, Amari was at a loss of words.

Although Bakugo certainly wasn't, taking a step closer. He was being scarily calm though for some reason. "Say it's a joke, say it's a fucking joke right now.."

She really wished she could but the one thing Amari could never do is lie to him, letting her hands fall in despair. "Katsuki, let's just calm down and…"

Yet before she could finish, Bakugo threw an explosion next to her foot, causing her to jump back, now slightly scared of her brother. "Calm down?! Don't fucking tell me to calm down Amari! Tell me the truth already goddamn it! You were joking, right?"

He waited for her to laugh, to tell him that this was all an elaborate prank so they could then go on with their lives normally, but that never came, all he got was a shattering reality as she spoke. "You weren't supposed to find out."

His sisters words crashed into him all at once, now fully realizing what she meant. All of talk about her pills, her lifespan and her struggles, they were all real? And the worst part of it was that she was hiding it from him all this time.

Suddenly, his devastation turned into a hot fiery rage. It was more intense than anything else he had ever experienced before, his head reeling in a hundred different directions as tears started to rise to the surface.

His voice cracked on every word, hurt and betrayed by her all at once. "No, no you're lying. You're lying to me right now! God fucking damn it Amari, say that you're lying!"

Although the only thing he got in response was his sister's teary response, choking on her words. "I'm sorry Katsuki.."

Sorry? Was that all she had to say, for lying and hiding this from him? Bakugo was furious. "And what? You weren't ever going to tell me? You thought you could come into my life and then fucking die without saying anything?! Are you fucking serious right now?"

Balling her hand into a fist, Amari closing her eyes in pain before answering back, sharply. "You've lived almost your entire life without me Katsuki. I figured that not much would change.."

Although Bakugo was livid with her response, feeling a pang of shame in his throat. "Are you shitting me? Not much would change?! God, your brain is so fucked up Amari. Do you really think I wouldn't care about you dying?!

Then he noticed Todoroki in the corner who wasn't reacting to the news at all. That could only mean one thing. This bastard knew. "And you icyhot, you knew about all of this the entire time, didn't you?"

Todoroki opened his mouth only for Amari to put a hand up, blocking him from her brothers advances. He could say whatever he wanted about her but she wasn't about to let Katuski disrespect him. "Stop it Katsuki. Leave Shoto out of this."

The words seemed funny to him, shaking his head in disbelief. "How can I when that bastard knew you were destroying yourself the entire damn time and didn't even say anything!"

That may have been true but Todoroki never pushed her into something she was uncomfortable with, unlike her brother. "That's not his fault…"

Although Bakugo was too livid for reasonable conversation, instead narrowing his eyes in disgust towards the boy. "I don't care. You know what, stay the fuck away from my sister. I knew you were no good for her."

Amari turned her brow in anger though, realizing he wasn't getting the point at all, instead he was saying thoughtless things. " Whoa Whoa, that's not for you to decide, and I'm sorry but not all of us can be born with the strongest quirk. Some of us have to claw our damn way just to be recognized! What's so wrong with taking that chance to be stronger?!"

Gritting his teeth, Katsuki hissed. "What wrong is that you're fucking killing yourself! You stupid little idiot, I knew you had a screw loose but this is on a whole other god damn level!"

His insults made her heart saddened, but luckily it was too covered by anger for her care at the moment. "Oh come off of it Katsuki, we both know that if you were in the same position that you would be doing the same exact thing I'm doing!

Although that might of been true, Bakugo denied it. "Screw you brat! This is over right now. There is no way I'm letting my idiot sister destroy herself just because of some stupid make believe fantasy!"

Then before Amari could register it, Katsuki reached down and grabbed her pills, causing her eyes to widen. "Hey, give that back!"

Yet her brother didn't listen, just holding the bottle high in the air. "Not a chance. You are not using your quirk anymore and that's final. I'll tell U.A. you are dropping out."

All of Amari's hopes and dreams started to shatter around her in that one solitary moment, seeing the pills in her brother's hand. No, she couldn't let this happen. She had worked too hard.

Narrowing her eyes in anger, Amari shouted back. "Stop trying to control my life Katsuki and give me back my pills! The only way I'll drop out of U.A. is over my cold, dead god damn body!"

She jumped up but due to her short nature, Bakugo was able to raise the bottle higher, forbidding her to grab them. "Stop being so stubborn you brat!"

Although Amari wasn't finished, ramming her fists into her brothers chest and knocking the life out of him. Was she really going to fight him right now? "God damn it Amari!"

She then hissed back in absolute desire, throwing another fist towards his body. "Give me my pills…"

Bakugo was able to dodge this time though, stepping to the side. "No, give it up brat. It's not happening!"

Narrowing her eyes in absolute anger, Amari then tried again, punching him in the chest only for him to move his arm and push her aside.

Seeing her chance was now or never, she then looked at her brothers arm before wrapping her teeth around the surface and biting, causing him to grunt in pain.

The action certainly surprised him and caused his grip to loosen on the bottle, just enough so she could grab it. "I said, give it back!"

Feeling the glass in her hands, she quickly emptied and contents before shoving them down her throat, a fiery passion in her eyes.

Then before Bakugo could even widen his eyes, she lifted her hand out, quirk fully at the ready. "I'm sorry Katsuki. I would do almost anything for you but I won't give up my quirk."

He realized that she just willingly shortened her lifespan and a heavy ball of anxiety build up in his throat. This had gone too far. He needed to stop her, now. "You brat, what did you just do?!"

Her response was smooth, the girls red eyes shining through his vision. "I did what I had to, with the chance I've been given. If you can't support that then.."

Bakugo cut her off through, throwing an explosion in her direction. She thought she was acting all righteous when in actuality, all she was doing was getting herself killed. "Damn right, I don't fucking support it! Now, you drop out U.A. right now before I make you…"

Amari's eyes turned cold then, using her gold matter to block his explosion. "Make me? So does that mean you're the only one that can be a hero?! Just because my methods are different doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! I will not go back to the past, I refuse!"

Yet Katsuki wasn't doing what he wanted. Truly he was beyond scared and terrified for the first time in his life. He just wanted everything to stop. "It doesn't matter, quirk or no quirk you are still the god damn same as back then! Using those pills doesn't make you stronger, it makes you a coward!"

Her eyes widened at his words, feeling the sting a thousand different ways. No, that couldn't be. She was stronger, she was better then back then.

Feeling her palms light up with absolute fury, Amari began throwing an explosion back, her control completely out the window now. "You take that back! You fucking take that back right now! I am not a coward for wanting to be like you!"

Katsuki stepped to the side though, realizing what she had just said. No, he didn't want her to be like him. He was a goddamn mess. "What the fuck are you even saying?!"

Narrowing her eyes once more, Amari hissed, throwing a couple more explosion in his path. "Why do you think I wanted to do this in the first place?! I wanted to be your sister Katsuki! I wanted you to actually look at me for once, and with these pills, you finally did. I'm not giving that up, no matter what you say!"

Heavy tears came to her eyes but Amari shoved them down, not noticing Bakugo's fist approaching and colliding with her face. "Shut up, shut the fuck up! I never wanted this you god damn brat! Do you really think I'd be proud of this?!"

Coughing out a spit of blood, the girl replayed the words in her mind over and over again. He wasn't proud of her. Everything was all a lie.

That warm heat build up in her stomach again as Amari screamed, throwing an incredibly large explosion in his path, knocking the poor boy off his feet and into the floor.

Breathing heavily, she laughed to herself insight delium as the boy rolled over in a hard cough.. "I start off as a quirkless nobody and you aren't proud of me, and now that I can actually hold my own and honor the Bakugo name, you STILL fucking have the nerve to say that to me? When will you finally be satisfied?!"

Amari was then caught off guard by another punch, this time to her stomach in order to shake some sense into the girl. "I will be when you stop acting like a goddamn idiot all the time! Snap out of it and realize that you will never a hero!"

Groaning back, the girl then threw another explosion, knocking him back a couple feet and drawing blood. "Screw you Katsuki! You have no fucking idea what I've been through to get here!"

Bakugo scoffed back though, already aiming a close explosion for his sister again. Both of them had lost their control now and were letting their emotions go haywire. "So what?! We all fought our way to get here. You aren't special. Stop acting like a goddamn child!"

The explosion went off, causing Amari to grunt in pain, blood leaking from the top of her head onto her face, yet not giving up. "You're the one that's acting like a child Katsuk. Grow up and realize your mistakes!"

Covering herself with her gold matter, she then touched Katsuki arm, causing him to reel back from an incoming burn, seething. "You brat! It's times like this when I wish I really was a fucking only child!"

His words hit her hard, just as his fist did a moment later, causing her to fall towards the ground. Did he really just say what she thought he did? She kind of already knew that he never wanted her but hearing it out loud was something completely different. "What.."

Coughing out even more blood, Amari looked up at the brother that didn't want her with tears in her eyes, causing Bakugo to falter. "Do you really think that way?"

Of course he didn't, but the emotions mixed with his explosions was making his thinking hazy, only thinking about the utter rage he felt in his stomach at the time.

When she didn't get a reply, Amari accepted that as the truth, raising to her once more before staring at him with utter devastation and anger all at once. "If you really think that way, then maybe I should stop trying to please you. It seems like a losing battle anyways."

Then, through her tearful expression, she spoke again, cracking on each word as if it physically pained her to say them. "And it's times like this when I wish I had a brother that actually loved me."

Amari then raised her fists, once more, ready for another battle when something wrapped around her waist, pulling her back a couple feet and trapping her all at once. "What the hell…"

Flopping to the floor, she heard Aziawa's voice through her emotions, sighing in exasperation. "You two are acting disgraceful."

She looked over to see Bakugo stuck in the same scarf prison and saddened, feeling the adrenaline crash down around her and now only feeling the shame. It was really over, wasn't it? Their relationship was through.

Aziawa said an assortment of things that neither siblings listened to but they did catch the tail end of his words. "You both are banned from the test of courage tournament tonight and will reflect in your rooms alone."

That seemed fair, although Amari couldn't help but feel pained, watching her brother turn away from her all at once, like he was ashamed. Letting her eyes fall, she muttered back to the teacher. "I'm sorry Mr. Aizawa.."

Although the teacher only shook his head once. "This is not the behavior of a hero Bakugo. You still have much to learn."

And much to learn she did, as the girl put a single finger to her cut lip from the fight.

That dream that she loved so much, was suddenly over.

* * *

Thinking back to their fight, Amari sat in her room alone with one leg pulled up to her chest silently. How had everything gone wrong so quickly? All she wanted was to be stronger, why was that so bad?

Suddenly, a tap on the window to her left made her turn around, now finding a couple girls from her class staring at her through the glass.

She made her way over to the object before unhooking the latch slowly. "Mina, Uraraka, Asui? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be doing that test of courage thing?"

Uraraka only smiled back though, resting her elbows on the ledge. "We were but then we heard about you and Bakugo. So, we came to check up on you."

This couldn't help but make Amari smile, suddenly feeling self conscious about her injuries. "Aww thanks girls, but I'm fine really. You should head back before you get in trouble."

Minda spoke next, winking slightly at her next words. "Well, that's not all we came here for. You know that thing we talked about. It's all ready to go.."

Oh right, she totally forgot about that surprise. So much so that Uraraka seemed a bit concerned. "But you don't have to do it tonight if you don't want to Amari. I know you are probably still upset about your brother and everything…"

She was right but for some reason, Amari saw this as now or never. Just because her day started out crappy didn't mean it had to end like that. "No, you all went through the trouble. I'm ready."

Gaining the approval of the other girls, Asui then pulled out a hanger with a large white bag covering it, like she was waiting for her que. "We thought you'd say that."

* * *

Todoroki wasn't really paying attention as his partner for the game, Denki, led him through the course one step at a time. To be completely honest all the boy could think about was Amari. He really hoped she was okay.

Beaming with pride, Denki pointed off the trail. "Alright Todoroki, the next clue says it's around that tree. Will you go check it out for me?"

The boy only sighed, wishing for this game to be over with quickly. "I suppose."

He heard the vague giggling from Denki as he past him but didn't really think anything of it. That boy was always a weird one after all. It was hard to rationalize him.

Todoroki turned the corner only to find the tree adorned with thousands of lights, hanging from the tops as if someone had placed them there. That was strange for a test of courage tournament.

Moving closer, he stopped when he heard the soft sound of music from the corner, but the odd thing was, this music wasn't scary. It sounded rather calm.

Finally reaching the place where Denki had instructed, Todoroki froze at the display before them. In front of him was a large picnic blanket with more lights hanging off the trees, and Amari in the center.

She looked different then earlier, now wearing a light pink laced dress that reached just above her ankles. It was like she was dressed up for some kind of event. "Surprise!"

Looking around the space, Todoroki questioned. "Amari, what is all this?"

But she only smiled, before pulling the same notebook she'd been holding onto for days. The one thing she wouldn't let him see. That was for this? "It's for you. Happy late Birthday."

Todoroki eyes widened all at once, registering her words. "What?"

Moving towards him, Amari replied. "I realized a couple weeks ago that I missed it, and I'm sorry about that. But I wanted to do something special for you. You know, to thank you for all you've done for me."

The boy was in absolute shock, never expecting her to do all of this for him. It seemed to have taken a while. "You did all this yourself?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she sheepishly smiled back. "Well, I had a little help."

Then, she put one finger up before searching for something behind her. "Hold on, let me get your present.."

Narrowing his eyes in concern, Todoroki raised his hand up, as if to stop her. "You really don't have to do that. This is more than enough."

But Amari just shushed him, pulling out a small remote from her pocket. "Listen, I've been planning this for weeks. Let me do this."

At that, he knew had to comply, watching her mess with her dress as if she was nervous. "Right so, don't make fun of me because I haven't done this in awhile."

Then, giving herself a breath of courage, Amari pressed a button on the remote, causing the space to be filled with guitar, followed by a voice, her voice.

(Hello, yes I actually wrote a song for this fanfic.)

watch?v=76dPyo40x68&lc=z224stgjwmi1zbuih04t1aokgz0u1syyqup1gbg05qj0bk0h00410

Todoroki listened to the song in absolute shock, as he listened to the words, truly hearing the extent of her feelings to him.

The last line of the song though caught him by the most surprise, hearing the lyrics. _I know forever isn't meant to be mine, but I think that loving you, would be just fine. I hope it's fine._

Once the song finished, Amari ignored the redness in her cheeks, muttering softly. "I know I'm not going to be around forever so I thought I should make something that would be."

Then, she pulled out a small thumb drive out of her pocket before handing it out to him. "Here you go. It's yours."

Todoroki looked down at her hand for a moment being completely ignoring the thumb drive and instead, choosing to embrace the girl in a tight squeeze. "Thank you. This is the most anyone's ever done for me. My father would usually forget my birthday most of the time."

Smiling into his chest, Amari replied. "You deserve it, and more."

A small silence could a heard after that, until she spoke again, this time slightly uncertain. "Hey Shoto, the last couple months I've been wanting to ask this but I guess I just never got the courage to.."

Pulling away from her, he brushed a small hair from her face before replying. "You know you can ask me anything."

She nodded her head then, reaching up to cup his face softly. "Is it alright, if I love you?"

That was obviously not what the boy was thinking she would ask, now feeling his face rise in heat all at once. He was almost afraid that his fireside would come out but luckily it didn't.

Looking at the girl that changed his entire world, Todoroki only had one answer. "Of course. That is, if it's alright if I do the same?"

Amari's face flushed all at once, nodding her head in agreement as tears started to form. She had never loved anyone before, so it was very overwhelming.

He noticed her tears though, and leaned forward, kissing her eyes and the tears away every so slightly. He silently wished to do that for all her fears.

Once they were dried for the moment, he then leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her lips, drawing her into him all at once.

Amari melted into his touch, feeling their bodies naturally grow closer but didn't pull away. She wished they would never have to again.

Wanting to touch her more, Todoroki then placed his hands on her upper thighs before lifting the girl in the air, now finally able to look at her from eye level.

He gazed at her with such admiration and care before whispering to her smoothly. "Amari, I love you."

She thought the words would feel weird to her, but somehow it just felt natural, like they were made for each other.

Looking down at the boy that saved her, Amari could only smile. "I love you too Shoto."

After she said her words, Amari leaned forward and kissed him, only for him to return the favor a couple seconds after. It was almost like her fight with Katsuki had never even happened. All she could feel right now was absolute and pure bliss.

He turned her body then, the girl now feeling her back hit the tree behind her, his mouth still on hers. Things grew more intense but neither decided to break away, just enjoying the sensation of being loved for the first time. It was perfect.

Suddenly, the sound of loud clapping stopped them though, breaking away and breathing heavy as a stranger voice appeared to their right. "Oh, don't mind me. Please, continue.."

Turning to the voice, the two stopped when they noticed the stranger watching them. He was wearing all black with slightly purple skin around the sides of his face.

Amari called him out first, fixing her dress in the process. "Who the hell are you?"

The man only smirked thought, as if he knew something she didn't. "Don't worry about that. I'm just here to see the lovebirds in action."

She felt weirded out by that, and it seemed Todoroki noticed because he was already putting an arm out in front of them, on guard. "This is private property. You can't be here."

Although the stranger laughed in response. "Oh Todoroki, I can be wherever I please."

At the sound of his name, Amari's eyes narrowed. "Wait, how do you know who we are?"

Smirking back, the strange then stood up from his spot, slowly making his way over to them. "I have my ways. You know, some very dangerous people have been watching you two very closely , especially you Bakugo Amari."

Moving even closer, Todorki stayed on guard as Amari replied. "What, like you?"

Once again, the man smiled before lifting his hand out reaching towards her sharply, and all at once. "Not quite."

Todoroki saw this though and pulled her away in time, just as the strangers hand made contact with the tree trunk.

Suddenly, the tree started to spark with blue flames, covering the entire space and engulfing it completely, now spreading towards the other trees in the other areas as well.

As the fire grew, Amari's eyes widened, hearing the stranger speak again. "You better hurry up, or else Bakugo will be trouble."

His words caused her to freeze, turning to him sharply. "What the hell did you just say?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the stranger replied. "My colleagues aren't so friendly so who knows, they might already have him by now."

Amari felt her chest filled with anxiety, registering his words all at once. Someone was after Katsuki? Over her dead body.

Then before she could even think about what she was doing, Amari raced off through the woods with only one thought in her mind, to save her brother.

Suddenly she heard a voice echo to her left, only to see Todoroki chasing after her. "Amari, wait! Slow down.."

Although she would not slow down, not until she knew that her brother was safe.

Shaking her head, she stopped when a tree flew down behind her, separating herself from Todoroki all at once.

She looked back at the burning tree for a moment before silent apologizing to Todoroki. She couldn't just sit here.

Then all at once, she raced through the trees, with only one thought in her mind.

It find Katsuki before it was too late.

* * *

Angst and romance, oh boy. I told you things are only gonna get worse from here. Hope you enjoyed the song I wrote for the project though. Hopefully it offsets the sadness. I wrote it as a little thank you for everyone's overwhelming support and love.

Next chapter: Kidnapped


	36. S3 Chapter 6

Shinso was heading outside for some air only for him to notice the sky having an unearthly tone to it. It seemed almost blue-ish in color as it peaked over the corner of his vision.

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, the boy then turned towards the glow, only to widen his eyes in utter terror. The forest, it was like it was on fire.

Suddenly, he heard Aizawa calling out to him, ushering him away from the flames roughly, "Shinso, get back inside and don't come out. We are under attack."

His mind started to run at a billion miles per second, staring at the destruction with hollowed eyes. How could that be possible? They were supposed to be safe.

But then, another terrible realization came to his mind. Tonight was the night Amari was planning all those things for Todoroki. That could only mean one, horrible thing, she was still out there.

Aizawa seemed to say another assortment of words but Shinso couldn't hear any of them, only focusing on the possibility of Amari being hurt. That idiot, she would probably run head first into danger.

Shaking his head in frustration, he felt as the teacher grabbed him by the arm roughly. "Shinso, are you listening? Get back inside with the other class 1-B students."

A small silence appeared as the boy then looked down at his arm and realized what he had to do, now pulling away from the man quickly.

Then before he could grab him, Shinso was gone, racing through the woods with no plan and no strategy. He wanted his chance to be a hero, well this was it.

He vaguely heard Aizawa shouting back at him to come back before his echoes slowly faded in the soft breeze of the wind.

After a couple moments, Shinso leaned over, catching his breath when a small giggle was heard throughout the space. "Oh, and what do we have here?"

Sharply turning his hand, the boy stopped when he saw a man staring back at him, he was wearing an all black bodysuit with white beady eyes. That, was a villain.

Shinso stood on his guard, only for the man to clap his hands, as if he was excited. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Twice and it's very nice to meet you. I hate him already."

The change in attitude was not lost on the boy, although he could only remain silent. He had never faced a real villain before, so understandably he was outright terrified.

Twice laughed at that though, putting a finger to his chin, as if in thought. "You wouldn't happen to know where Bakugo is, would you?"

His question caused the boy to ready his stance. He knew his quirk didn't stand a chance against this kind of villain but he had to try, or else they could hurt Amari.

The man seemed pleased at this, his eyes full of pleasure. "Oh, you want to play. How fun! Prepare to die!"

Then, the villain came barreling towards him all at once and Shinso could somehow only just stare. He felt absolutely pathetic, unable to move as Twice threw his sharp metal tape in his direction.

He closed his eyes in terror and waited for the impact but was surprised to find himself unharmed. Opening his eyes all at once, Shinso couldn't help but widened his eyes at the sight before him.

Standing in front of him, with her back facing the boy was Amari. Her shields were up in a shimmering gold light, protecting the two of them from the attack. Shinso didn't know exactly what happened but he knew one thing for sure, she had just saved his life. "Are you okay?"

Shinso nodded his head only for the girl to smile, now feeling his chest tighten all at once. He wanted to ask the same but nothing came out. "Thank goodness."

Twice stomped his foot at her interference though, not happy about it. "Aww you got in the way. Who even are you?"

Then she turned back to the villain before smirking, fire now in her eyes. "Nice to meet you, My name is Bakugo Amari. Now, you wanna play? Then let's play.

Shinso then watched as Twice's eyes lit up, taking in her challenge. "Oh, you'll be fun."

Then, he threw his metal tape towards her again as the girl pushed Shinso back a couple feet, keeping him in her shield. "Stay here."

Amari exited her bubble before smiling and covering her hand with her quirk, grabbing onto the mans tape and stopping the movement. Then she took her foot and kicked his chest, causing the man to groan.

While he was on the floor, the girl was about to turn when his tape wrapped around her ankles, pulling her down into a hard thud, now sliding towards him.

Raising a fist up, Amari gasped before lighting up her explosions and hitting the tape, causing it to shake under her, but not shatter.

Because of that, Twice was able to get a shot in, punching her chest before she could protect herself with her quirk.

Gasping in pain, Amari then tried again, now hearing heckling from the man. "You can't break my tape. Nice try though. Now, what should I do with you?"

He went to punch her again but she lifted her shield up in time, the matter shattering upon impact. This was starting to become bad. He was extremely strong.

Then, she tried one last time, using everything within her and applying pressure to his tape, screaming in the process.

The villain eyed this with interest. "Are you listening? I already said, you can't break.."

But yet, after he said that, the tape started to crack, causing Amari to shout back towards Shinso. "Hey, now would be a good time to do use that annoying habit of yours.."

Twice didn't understand what she meant but luckily Shinso did, now suddenly finding his voice. He had to this, for her. "Hey ugly."

This caught the villains attention, stopping the attack on the girl before narrowing his eyes in confusion. Did he just hear that right? "Excuse me?"

But just as he spoke, the villain felt his body froze, as if he lost control of his functions. Amari smirked at the sight, knowing he had used his quirk finally. "Took you long enough Shih Tzu."

Then, she rammed her hand into her leg, burning his tape slowly and singing her own skin in the process. This caused Shinso to panic, already running over to her. "Bakugo stop. You are hurting yourself.

Yet she didn't stop, finally creating a tear big enough to slip out of his grasp before hissing in pain "Oh calm down Shinso, don't be such a baby. I had to do that."

Shinso sighed internally at that, before reaching out his hand. "Thanks for that. I don't know what happened. I just, froze. Some hero I want to be."

Although Amari didn't look disappointed in him in the slightest, only grasping his hand and pulling herself up. "Don't worry about it. Actually being attacked by villains is completely different from training. I would know. You'll get used to it."

Dusting herself off, Shinso couldn't help but cringe, glancing at the villain who was now under his control and completely still. "I don't know if I want to get used to it."

Laughing slightly, she was about to speak again when silver glimmer caught the corner of her eye, her brain suddenly on high alert.

Then without thinking, Amari's eyes widened, registering what it was and pushing Shinso out of the way quickly. "Shinso, look out!"

Feeling himself being pushed, he was about to question it when a pop was overheard. A quick whistle blew through the space and less than a moment later, it landed square in the middle of Amari's right shoulder.

Gasping out in pain, Amari clutched her arm only for Shinso to finally connect the pieces. That noise, it was a gun, and not only that, she was shot.

She fell down to her knees as Shinso gasped, now reaching for her in absolute fear. He needed to get her to the hospital, he needed to help her. "Bakugo?!"

Seething at the sensation, she felt liquid pooling across her fingers. "Fuck..."

Kneeling beside her, he carefully touched her hand only to pull away when she hissed at the contact. This was bad, this was really bad. Who knows what the bullet could've hit. "Why did you do that?! You're so stupid!"

The girl started to speak with then glimmer of silver shown again, this time the girl pushing Shinso down to the floor with her. "Get down!"

Another bullet whistled by before hitting the tree behind them roughly. That's when the smoke started.

It started off low, pooling around their feet as Shinso gasped, quickly covering her mouth, much to her dismay. "It's poisonous. Quick, cover yourself!"

Nodding her head, Amari clamped her hand over her nose before forcing her quirk to make a shield around the two of them, keeping out the gas. Shinso noticed her struggling more so than usual though, hissing through the pain. "It's the bullet, isn't it? It's draining you. Stop using your quirk already."

But she just shook her head, noticing sweat forming on the edge of her brow. The pills, they were wearing off soon. "Shut up, I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to let you die, stupid."

Then, she struggled to stand, clutching her shoulder the entire time and looking towards the tree line. "That asshole won't stop firing at us until we catch him. I think the gas is his doing as well. Come on, let's go."

Shaking his head, Shinso also stood up, supporting her back so she wouldn't fall. "But your wound.."

Although Amari only smirked, shaking her head as the sweat started to accumulate. "This is nothing. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear at all though. There was something wrong with her, and yet she was still saying such useless things.. He didn't want to be protected, Shinso wanted to protect her.

Snaking a hand around her waist, he turned serious, now knowing he couldn't be a coward for her, especially when she was doing so much. "I'll support you so you can walk. Let's

go."

She felt a little uncomfortable by his hand but knew without it, she would struggle even more to maintain her shield while walking. He was trying to help. "Yeah..."

They inched closer, feeling the bullets bounce off the dome as Amari grunted, forcing her shield not to crack and break underneath her.

Her body was screaming at her to stop, fully knowing that the pills were running out quickly but somehow she needed to do this. What kind of hero would she be if she couldn't even protect her brother?

After walking for a couple minutes, the bullets got closer, until they could see who exactly was responsible. It looked to be a middle school aged boy, with a gas mask and a large oxygen tank. "You are very frustrating."

Another bullet hit her dome and Amari felt it crack, now coughing up a small bit of blood. She wouldn't last much longer. The shield was going to break soon.

The boy laughed, readying his gun as she suddenly got an idea, turning to Shinso sharply. "Shinso, I'm going to put down my shield in ten."

This caused the boys eyes widen. Her shield was the only thing covering each other. "What? No, you'll get caught up in the gas. You can't fight right now idiot."

Nodding her head, she only smirked back. "I know, that's why I need your help. Remember what I taught you?"

Shinso didn't like the sound of that at all though. He knew what he meant exactly. She wanted to him fight. "Bakugo, that is incredibly risky. You know I still can't..."

Although Amari only smiled, patting him weakly on the head once, like you would do for a small child. "Hey, listen. I wouldn't have trained you if I thought you couldn't do it.I trust you wholeheartedly Shinso. So, let's kick some ass together."

Thinking for a moment, another bullet bounced off her dome, causing the girl to hiss in pain and the boy knew what he had to do. Shinso wasn't completely sure he could pull this off, but he knew he had to try. For her. He had to, or else she wouldn't last much longer.

He nodded his head once and Amari understood, now silently counting to ten in her head before letting her shield down and disappearing into the mist while holding her breath. She had about a minute before she passed out from the lack of oxygen.

The villain seemed to notice this as well, laughing at her blunder. "Now, that wasn't very smart. You know, I can sense where you are at all times."

Raising his gun up in the direction of the mist, he was suddenly caught off guard by Shinso, who was aiming a fist at his head.

The boy dodged and the purple haired boy remembered what Amari said, now stepping forward with his right foot just as the villain lifted his gun.

Using his left foot, Shinso then kicked the boys arm causing a shot to ring out in the air, the villains grip loosening just slightly.

He then saw his chance, pushing the boys hand forward enough for him to grab the gun and toss it aside.

The villain stopped his foot in anger then, racing for a boy when Shinso only smirked, pointing behind him.

Then before he could react, the villain heard a strong voice behind him. "This is for shooting me, asshole!"

Raising her hands out, Amari screamed, letting her explosions blow a hole into the villains oxygen tank and letting all the gas in.

Shouting out in utter terror, the gas started to fill the boys mask before he stumbled over unconscious from his own doing. Shinso breathed out a huge breath of relief at the sight. They did it. They really did it.

But the celebration was short lived as he saw Amari fall to her knees, coughing and breathing heavy from inhaling the gas.

He raced over to her quickly, putting a hand to her back before frowning. "You idiot, you were supposed to keep holding your breath. Why did you speak?"

It took a couple minutes but after a few failed attempts, Amari smiled. "But I was cool, wasn't I?"

Her words caused Shinso to freeze for a moment before slowly laughing. He was still anxious but couldn't help feeling slightly relieved, seeing her make such a lame joke. Damn it, Todoroki was right after all. He did like her.

Running his fingers through his hair, the boy couldn't help but smirk, thinking she was really something. "Yeah Amari, you were really cool."

At the sound of her first name, Amari couldn't help but widened her eyes, her smile falling from her face. Why was he staring at her like that?

Suddenly, a loud rustle was heard to their left, the two back on guard and struggling to stand up. What the hell could it be this time?

But as the stranger turned the corner, Amari and Shinso were surprised to find not another villain, but rather Deku, Shoji, Todoroki, and the rest of Class 1A staring back at them. "Everyone you're okay.."

Although that was quite a stretch as Deku looked absolutely terrible, now riding on Shoji's back. It seemed like he had multiple broken bones. "Amari-chan, Shinso!"

The boy seemed desperate from his tone, causing the two to freeze. "They have Kacchan! We have to go!"

Deku words ran through Amari like a sharp spike, causing her breathing to pick up at a rapid pace, already turning for the woods. No, this couldn't happen. She had to protect him. "Over my damn body...where did they go?!"

Giving out a couple vague directions, Amari was on her feet, racing towards her brother as Todoroki caught up to her, looking worried. "Amari hold on. What happened to you?! You're bleeding."

He silently begged her to stop but the girl was determined, now really feeling the adrenaline throughout her entire body. "I was shot. Rather not talk about it."

Gasping in terror at her explanation, he wanted to tell her to not push herself but Todoroki already knew that was impossible. Her brother was on the line after all. "Did you just say, shot?!"

Just then, Uraraka pointed to the sky, now seeing the villain flying over the trees. "There he is! Bakugo is in one of those orbs!"

Narrowing his eyes in determination, Deku came up with a plan, already turning to his friends sharply. "Asui, use your tongue to fly us to him, quickly!"

Asui seemed to understand, quickly gathering up the entire class before speaking. "Here we go!"

Then, the class went flying, crashing into the villain and bringing him to the ground roughly. His idea worked. Thank goodness.

Groaning underneath them, the students finally thought they had the upper hand. That is, until Dabi spoke. "Hey, get out of the way."

Mr, Compress seemed to understand and before the kids could react, the villain had disappeared into nothing.

Eyeing this with confusion, they were suddenly surrounded by the same blue flames from the forest, burning each of them and making the group back away.

Amari touched her burned skin for a moment before laying her eyes on the same villain as before. It was the purple skinned one. She didn't know why, but there was something about him. "It's you again."

Dabi couldn't help but smirk at that, nodding his head. "That it is. You really gave it everything, didn't you? Too bad it wasn't enough..."

His words made her twitch in anger, already getting to her feet and shouting at the villains in front of her. "Give me my brother back, you assholes!"

They all blinked in surprise before slowly letting their faces curve up into a devious smile. The blonde girl spoke first, hanging on every word. "Oh, so you're the one."

Turning her head in confusion, they then heard Twice laugh joyfully. "Oh, he was right, wasn't he? Go after the brother and the sister will follow..."

Feeling the air around them turn cold, Amari didn't understand. They were here for her brother, right? . "What?"

Yet the villains couldn't have been happier, Dabi speaking proudly. "You are so predictable Bakugo Amari. You did just what he thought you would."

Just then, Mr. Compress pulled out a shiny green orb, swirling it around in his fingers. Amari's blood ran cold at the sight, knowing somehow that Katsuki was in there. "Now you have a choice to make."

Lifting up the orb as if to tease her, the masked villain continued. "We will give you back your precious brother, for a price.."

Not fully understanding, she heard Todoroki behind her, begging her not to do anything stupid. "Amari, don't listen to them."

But she honestly had no choice but to listen, or else who knows what they could do to her brother. "How generous."

Dabi smirked back, enjoying her spunk before finishing the sentence, Amari now feeling her heart stop in her chest at the request. "You have to take his place, with no resistance."

Weighing the options in her head, Amari knew that following them probably meant death, or torture, or both. But then if she didn't trade then that meant Katsuki would have to go through all of those horrible things instead. She couldn't bare for that to happen.

Because she was silent, Todoroki automatically started to shout at her, knowing very well that she is thinking about it. "Amari, no. Don't do it. Please..."

His voice was desperate, clinging onto the hope that all of this could just go away, that they could save Bakugo and then Amari wouldn't have to even think about this. The last thing he wanted, the last thing he could handle was losing her.

Closing her eyes in pain, she started to hear her other classmates begging her not to choose this but Amari knew better, now knowing the villains ultimate plan. "You didn't want him from the start, did you? You just got Katsuki to get to me, cause you knew I would do anything for him, right?"

Dabi smirked at this, gaining her answering. Yes, they did all this on purpose.

Amari stared at the green orb for a moment longer, before nodding her head and speaking clear, balling her fists in the process. No, she wouldn't let her brother suffer. "Deal."

Todoroki eyes grew wide at her words, already trying to race towards her when a wave of blue fire blocked him from his path. No no no she couldn't do this. She was right here in front of him. She couldn't disappear. "No..Stop it Amari!, Please don't do this!"

Although the girl only smiled sadly, tears in her eyes as he turned to the boy she loved. "I'm sorry Shoto, but you and I both know that I can't let them hurt Katsuki."

Todoroki's expression grew hollow as Twice clapped, pointing to the pills attached to her belt. "Good good. Now get rid of those pills. No funny games, remember?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari then reached down and unhooked her box of pills before tossing it on the ground. Now she couldn't use her quirk to double cross them.

Then, stepping closer, she spoke. "I did what you asked. Now, let Katsuki go."

Dabi didn't seem satisfied though, beckoning her closer. "Not yet."

Glaring back, she ignored the cries from her classmates to stop and instead complied, moving until she was only a couple inches from the villains. "There, happy?"

He seemed satisfied with this. "Very, but one more thing..."

Before she could even ask, Dabi reached down and grabbed her throat, squeezing her airway and gasping for breath as the blonde girl giggled.

Gleaming with pride, Toga then began to smile, like she knew a secret. "Can I tell her now? Can I? Can I? We decided to keep your brother, for leverage."

The students gasped at the betrayal, the villains now expecting Amari to cry or gasp or be shocked, but they got none of those things.

Instead she only smirked, raspy speaking out. "You didn't really think I was that stupid, did you?"

Then, she showed them her mouth, now with one single white pill in between her teeth. That sneaky girl, she must of hid it in the corner of her mouth before throwing her pills away.

Swallowing the object quickly, Amari then lifted out her hand, a large explosion now going off and burning Dabi's hand.

He quickly let go because of the shock and the girl jumped into action, ignoring the fire in her chest and grabbing the green orb from the villains hand and staring at Todoroki. That crazy girl, she really planned this all out.

Running forward a couple steps, Amari then lifted her hand before tossing the object roughly in the direction of the students. "Shoto, catch!"

Todoroki caught the orb all at once, now staring down at it in utter amazement. She did it. She just saved her brother.

Although the victory was short lived as a rough hand grabbed Amari from behind, pulling her back to where she started, except this time with a bunch of unhappy villains.

Because there was no need to comply anymore, she struggled against her attackers as Twice held her in place. "Now little girl, we said to play nice. Why didn't you listen? You already broke your promise."

Amari wasn't listening though, already trying to activate her quirk against him. "Screw you! Let me go you asshole!"

Twice seemed hurt by the words though as Toga spoke back. "She keeps trying to use her quirk, that's no fun. We should fix that."

He seemed to understand what she was implying, and in one single motion, Twice bend Amari's left arm back extremely rough. So much so, that a sound, sickening crack echoed throughout the entire space.

Everyone's eyes widened as Amari clutched her arm, letting out a painful, terrible and blood curdling scream. That bastard just broke her arm like nothing.

Twice leaned down to her level though, trying to make her understand. "It's your fault for trying to run away."

But Amari just seethed, hissing through her teeth as she muffled another scream.. "Fuck you.."

The villains frowned only for Dabi to sigh, now stepping in. "Just forget the brother. He was a bonus anyways. We have what we came for, come on.."

Then they started picking Amari up off the ground, as she cried out in pain, feeling both the bullet from her shoulder and her broken arm betraying her body as they touched her.

Todoroki watched them take Amari away and immediately ran forward not caring anymore if the flames burned him. This couldn't happen. She was hurt and needed medical attention immediately. He needed to get her back. "Amari! Get your dirty hands off of her right now!"

Amari felt her vision blur from the loss of blood and the pain, opening her mouth to call out to Todoroki before going dizzy and slumping over in the villains arms.

Dabi eyed this with disdain. "Let's hope she doesn't die on the way. That would be very disappointing.

Seeing her unconscious, Todoroki growled, now throwing ice in the villains direction as Dabi easily canceling them with his own flames. "Sorry Todoroki, it wasn't enough."

Even Deku and Shinso started racing forward but it was too late. In a flash, the villains disappeared into a portal behind them, now taking Amari with them.

The flames started to disappear as Todoroki ran forward, turning his head desperately to see where they had gone but unfortunately, it was no use. She was gone.

Shaking his head in utter denial, the boy muttered out brokenly. "No no no, Amari no..."

Then he noticed something on the ground a couple feet away from where they were, it was the notebook that she always carried. It looked like she dropped it in the fight.

Racing over the object in desperation, Todoroki lifted up the book before using a shaking hand to open the front cover, now gasping at the words on the page.

There, in thick black ink was the title, _Ways To Tell Shoto That I Love Him_

Feeling his breathing pick up, he ran flipped over the page only to find hundreds upon hundreds of ideas and details describing his birthday surprise among various song lyrics about their time together.

All this time, the reason she wouldn't let him see the book was because everything was for him, to show him that she loved him.

And now, she was...

Putting the book to up to hide his face, Todoroki slowly fell to his knees at the idea before letting tears rise up to the surface. She was right there in front of him and he promised he'd protect her but now, who knows what could happen?

Slamming his hands into the grass, Todoroki took a shaky breath, only to find Uraraka patting his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

But because it wasn't Amari's touch, he broke down even more, cracking on each of his words at once. "This can't be happening...please don't leave me...I love you..."

Uraraka's eyes filled with tears as well, hearing his devastating cries. He was always so quiet and calm, so seeing the boy break down like this was hard to watch.

She then turned back to Deku who was also crying, muttering under his breath. "She was right there, she was just there and I lost her. I'm so sorry Todoroki."

Although the boy didn't seem to listen, now hearing Asui's voice. "So, who's going to tell Bakugo?"

Everyone perked up then, staring at the orb in Todoroki's hand sadly. Even though they just had a heartbreaking fight, she had still given everything for her brother to be safe. So now, the question still remained...

Who was going to tell Bakugo that his sister was gone?

Ahhh more sadness yes. I told you it only goes downhill from here. I love the Amari/Shinso partner up idea and how badass she always is. She literally was shot and got her arm broken but she's still ticking, hopefully. Someone must save the precious child.

Buckle up everyone cause we are only just beginning.

Next chapter: Dealing with the aftermath


	37. S3 Chapter 7

The first thing Bakugo heard was the small single sound of a machine beeping. It kept a steady rhythm, slowly easing the boy out of his own groggy state. His head felt like he'd just been hit by a giant boulder, not remembering where he even was.

Placing a hand to the area in question, he then heard a voice to his left. It sounded like they were underwater and muffled but he was able to make out the words. "Kacchan! You're awake! Thank goodness.."

He groaned back, now recognizing that annoying voice almost instantly. It was that damn Deku. "Shut up Deku."

Although his friend couldn't help but smile at that, now knowing everything was okay with him. "Yeah, he's back to normal.

Trying to sit up, Katsuki tried to remember what happened but drew a blank. Weren't they supposed to be at the training camp? "Where the hell am I?"

Deku paused for a moment before another voice answered, Bakugo just realizing that he wasn't the only one in the room. "Why, you're in the hospital. You were brought here after you passed out.."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Bakugo froze when she realized who exactly was speaking. It was All Might. Why the hell was he even here? "What…"

Just then, like a flash of lighting, everything started to come rushing back to the boy, now grasping onto the mattress in anxiety. "Wait, the attack…."

Deku noticed his breathing grow more rapid and confused, now trying to settle his friend quickly. "Take it easy Kacchan, you just woke up. You really need to rest more…"

Although, the boy wasn't having it, now noticing something missing, or rather someone. He didn't really care about the condition of most of his classmates but her, he cared about her. "Wait, where is that brat?"

The question seemed to bring an uneasiness in the room, All Might, now taking a cautious step closer to the boy. "Don't worry about that right now young Bakugo, what matters is your recovery."

Yet Bakugo was already distracted, trying to remember his sister in the fight but drawing a blank. Then he realized, hadn't seen her since their last argument. "Don't tell me what god damn matters and what doesn't. I swear, if that brat used her quirk again I'm going to kill her myself. Where is she?"

Deku remained silent at the question, just trying to brush it away and change the subject. No, he couldn't know yet. "You know, everyone was really worried about you Kacchan."

Katsuki wasn't having though, noticing the clear disregard to his question, not once but twice. It was making him uneasy. "If they really thought something that small would bring me down then they really are dumbasses. Screw them, now, do you want to tell me why you two are avoiding my damn question? Where is my idiot sister?"

All Might and Deku looked between each other silently, causing the boy to grow even more uneasy. Why weren't they saying anything? What the hell happened?!

Then, giving up on the two Bakugo decided to find out for himself, now struggling to climb out of bed. He had to know if she did something stupid or not. In fact, he didn't see her the entire fight. "Forget it, I'll go kick her ass myself."

Deku's eyes widened at that, rolling his wheelchair over before trying to stop his friend. "Kacchan wait, you shouldn't be out of bed yet.."

Even All Might started to grow nervous, reaching up the touching the boys shoulders lightly. "Young Midoriya is right, there is no need to get up."

Although Katsuki was determined, throwing the number one hero's arm off of him roughly. "Shut up. I'm not going to just sit here like some loser. I have to go."

Pushing his arm back, All Might struggled to keep the boy in place, begging him to remain calm. "Young Bakugo please…"

Once again though, Katsuki didn't listen, leaning forward even more. "Let me go, god damn it! What the hell is wrong with you two anyways?! Why are you acting so shady? Where the fuck is my sister?!"

Just then, the remote next to the boys bed flew down and hit the floor roughly, causing the TV on their right to turn on. That's when Bakugo's heart stopped in his chest.

It was a news station, with Amari's student photo plastered against the screen. "Local heroes are still investigating a villain attack at the U.A. training camp late last night. One of the students, Bakugo Amari was kidnapped at the scene along with many others becoming severely injured. The girl in question was last scene with multiple broken bones and a gunshot wound in her right shoulder. We pray that the heroes find her before it becomes too late…"

The words seeped into Bakugo slowly, him absorbing them like an extremely painful poison. No, it couldn't be. This was just a nightmare, just like all those times before. This couldn't be real. She couldn't be taken. Amari was a stubborn brat.

His voice, it didn't sound like his own. Instead it sounded small and afraid, just barely whispering out. "No…"

Deku eyes sadden then, already reaching out for him. "Kacchan, I'm sorry. We tried but..."

Shaking his head back in forth, he stood still in absolute shock. She couldn't be gone. Amari was sent to her room after their fight. Yeah, that was right. That made more sense. She was safe. "No no, this is a god damn dream again. This isn't real…"

Although All Might only placed a sad hand towards his shoulder, noticing the boy connecting the pieces together and slowly growing more aggressive. "Now young Bakugo, everything's getting taken care of. Let's just calm down and…"

It was almost like those words sparked something inside him, something far more desperate. If this was a dream then why were those two trying to calm him down? The reality was too heartbreaking to realize. This couldn't be real, could it?

Feeling his hands shake, Bakugo felt himself throw the covers off of himself, shoving the hero's arm off of him. "Don't fucking tell me to calm down! They have to be lying, right?! What the fuck happened?! Amari, she's not...she can't be…"

Katsuki suddenly felt his breathing hitch in his throat, feeling a wave of emotion crash into him all at once. His hands began to shake and for the first time in his life, Bakugo felt so scared, so pathetic. What had he let happen?!

Wheeling himself forward, Deku called out to him, feeling in his own anxiety etch away in his stomach. He'd never seen Kacchan like this before. Frankly, it kind of scared him. "Kacchan…"

At the sound of his voice, Bakugo closed his eyes, willing the nightmare away and grabbing All Mights shirt roughly, pulling him up to his level. "You're not answering me! What the fuck happened?!"

The hero could feel the shaking hands underneath him and knew he had to explain everything or else this boy would fall apart in his arms. But then the explanation wasn't as kind either. That fate was probably inevitable.

Sighing deeply, All Might spoke. "Young Bakugo fought bravely in the attack and when she found out the villains were after you, she stopped at nothing to save you. But it seemed, none of us really understood their true mission. The true target was Bakugo Amari, and we played straight into their hands."

Widening his eyes, Katsuki listened to what happened when he wasn't there and felt the tears start to make their way to the surface. This was his fault. The reason she was gone was his fault. That idiot probably risked her life for him again and he couldn't stop it, again. Why was he so fucking incompetent when it mattered most?!

All Might took in the silence and continued, low and deep. "Don't worry young Bakugo. The top heros are all looking for her. We will find your sister. You just have to wait and trust the process ..."

Although that's not what Bakugo wanted to hear, instead he was already rising from the hospital bed roughly. "Fuck that! I'm going to kill that son of a bitch myself! I will hunt them down and make them sorry for ever messing with my sister!"

Widening his eyes at the declaration, All Might moved in front of the boy, stopping him from reaching the door. "I understand you're upset but there is no reason to be so reckless. All the other students are worried as well but they are still remaining calm.."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes then, moving to step past the hero. "I don't give a damn about them! They can be pussys all they want. I'm not the god damn same as those losers. So, get the fuck out of my way before I blow you up!"

Realizing this is only getting worse, Deku tried to quell his friend by offering some reassuring words, although he didn't really think about the meaning. "That's not true Kacchan! We all want to help Amari-chan, but we aren't pro heros yet. Everyone knows we'd just be in the way. Even Todoroki has been staying calm.."

At icyhots name, Bakugo froze, a newfound rage emerging in his stomach. Maybe he wasn't there for all of this but that bastard probably was. And if that was the case, why hadn't he done anything, why was acting so fucking calm?! This brought another desire in his stomach, he needed to see him. "...That bastard, where the fuck is he?"

Widened his eyes in slight fear, Katsuki then turned to his childhood friend before balling his fists and running over to lift him out of his wheelchair. "Deku, where the fuck is that god damn bastard. Tell me!"

The boy gasped in terror, unable to tear away from his fiery eyes and muttering back. "T-The r-r-rooftop.."

Once he received his answer, Bakugo dropped the boy back in the chair before heading towards the door, ignoring the constant shouts from All Might and his friend to stop.

But there was no way Katsuki could stop now. He needed answers, and he needed to figure out just what that icyhot bastard was thinking.

* * *

Watching the people below, Todoroki stared blankly at the thousands of unknown faces walking into the hospital, none of them realizing how empty he felt inside.

He hadn't spoken much after the heros found them and the truth was, he didn't want to. What was there even to say? If he did speak, it would probably end in tears again.

Todoroki tightened the hold on the railing in front of him, feeling a soft breeze whistle through the space silently, causing him to close his eyes. Everything felt so wrong without her here. Had she really become such an important stable in his life to this degree? Todoroki just felt lost now..

Suddenly, his calm atmosphere was interrupted when the door next to him slammed open revealing a very unhappy voice. "There you are, you bastard!"

He blinked in surprise then, turning to find the smallest glimpse of blonde hair in the corner of his eye. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat, thinking it was Amari.

But sadly, it wasn't. Instead, it was someone he didn't really want to face in the slightest, her brother.

Staring back at him, Todoroki didn't speak, causing the boy to narrow his eyes in anger. "You better explain yourself icy hot! What happened to my sister?! You said you cared about her so much, so what the fuck happened?!"

Although, all Todoroki did in response was look away from him, feeling pain just from the similarities of the siblings. The fact that they were twins was evident now, Amari reflected in his eyes. He looked sad, defeated, and that made Bakugo even more pissed.

Taking a step forward, Katsuki shouted. "Don't fucking look away from me, you bastard! It's pissing me off! What, now that you can't use her to become the number one hero you suddenly don't care anymore?!"

Balling his fists roughly, Todoroki spoke for the first time since the attack. It was low and quiet, almost afraid with a slight crack on the words. He just wanted everything to go away. "Just stop it Bakugo.."

His words seeped into Amari's brother roughly and all at once, causing a hot fiery rage to build up in his stomach. How dare that bastard tell him to shut up?! He had no fucking right, especially when he was acting so calm. Did he want him to just forget about his sisters kidnapping? Screw that. Guess he really didn't care for her.

Racing forward, Katsuki extended his fist before punching Todoroki straight across the face. The boy didn't even defend himself either for some reason, just letting him be stuck. "Fuck you! How about you have some fucking god damn emotions for once!?"

Todoroki coughed at the impact, touching his cheek lightly before hearing Bakugo again, except this time, it was far more dark. "Oh I see, now that you can't use her to quell your daddy issues, she's not valid to you anymore, is she?"

Widening his eyes and hearing the words seep in, Todoroki suddenly felt something inside of him burn, like he was on fire. How dare Bakugo assume such disgusting things about him. He wouldn't allow it.

Then he turned his hands into a fist and frowned before watching Bakugo throw another first towards him, except this time, Todoroki caught it, already over his unjustified anger. "How dare you...Stop acting like you understand everything, I care about your sister Bakugo, more than you'll ever know."

Growing shocked at his tone, Katsuki tried not to falter, forcing the boy to let go of him roughly. "Bullshit! There is no fucking way you care about her. You let her kill herself!"

Todoroki flashed back to the argument Amari had with her brother and glared. This boy had no idea how hard it was for him to live with her reality. "Because all she wanted was to be like you. Do you think I wanted her to die? But If I told her to stop, then it would've broken her. I couldn't do that to her…"

Bakugo froze at his words, realizing that she was pushing herself because of him, because it was what he expected from her. He was killing her and he didn't even realize it.

Her brother took in his explanation but wasn't fully satisfied, spitting back. "Who cares about what she god damn wants?! She just an idiot, always coming up with these stupid fantasy dreams and delusions!"

That phrase seemed to make the boy even more angrier. "Amari is no idiot. Stop calling her that. All she's ever done has been for you. She even traded places with you during the villain attack. How about you act grateful for once instead of constantly tearing her down?"

The insult was not lost on the boy, taking another dangerous step closer. "What the hell did you just say to me you bastard?! How I treat my sister is none of your goddamn business! That brat is so pathetic and weak, acting like she's all strong and shit when she's really not. You don't fucking understand how that makes me feel!"

Throwing an explosion towards the boy in anger, Todoroki used his ice to block the blow, narrowing his eyes at the boys words. He hadn't seen Bakugo this open since the USJ accident.

Todoroki called out to him then, trying to quell the boys rage along with his own. He had a lot of patience for Amari's brother but it was slowly starting to run out. "Bakugo, let's stop this. I understand you're upset but you are directing your anger on the wrong person."

Although that response didn't help the boy at her, instead Bakugo puffed out his chest in a huff. "Oh I know exactly what I'm fucking doing! At least I'm reacting, unlike you. I thought you cared about that brat but it looks like you were lying, just like I thought. You piece of shit, how dare you just sit there and forget about her! You will never understand my goddamn feelings right now so don't tell me to calm down you icy hot bastard!"

Todoroki tried to stay calm, he really did. But those words were the breaking point, causing his chest to flare up with rage. Bakugo was misreading this entire thing and he was sick and tired of it.

Then, reaching forward, Todoroki roughly grabbed Bakugo shirt, pulling him close in the dangerous glare. "You don't think I understand? Well you're wrong, I understand plenty. I know just how hard that girl pushes herself everyday. I know how much she loves you, even though you don't deserve it half of the time. I understand every moment she's cried or held back tears because of some careless thing you've said or some kind gesture you finally decided to give and I understand how much she's always hurting inside. So don't you dare tell me I don't understand your feelings or care about all this because I love your sister Bakugo.."

Katsuki remained frozen for a moment, taking in the boys words before shoving his arms off of him roughly. He really hated how much Amari confined in his bastard when her own brother didn't know half of those things. He supposed it showed how broken their relationship is. "Bullshit...if you love her then you would've done something to stop her. You would've kept her from fucking killing herself…"

Looking down at his hands, the boy muttered in reply. "Maybe I should have, but then I would have lost her trust. It's taken so long for her to confide in someone again, I didn't want to break that, I didn't want to break her. She's been so dedicated to you, to making sure you were safe, I couldn't take that away from her."

Kasuki didn't really know why he was pouring out such information but before he could think about stopping, he kept on speaking. "Shut up! I never asked for that! Acting like she can be a hero, breaking herself down, trading places with me, that's not what I fucking wanted! She always decides these stupid ass things without me and hate it! I never asked to be protected by that brat!"

Raising another fist up, Bakugo hit Todoroki again, feeling his quirk flare up his emotions fast. Usually he had better control but right now it was harder than ever. "Why does she keep getting hurt and why am I never there to stop it?! She's such a goddamn idiot all the time I swear. Giving herself up to a villan, give me a fucking break! Why didn't she just let them take me instead?! I could've taken them, I could've stopped all this but she never trusts me!"

There were tears now, lining the corners of Amari's brothers vision and blurring the sights around him.

A wave of devastation crashed into him all at once, feeling his voice crack. "I just want that brat to be okay, is that so hard to ask?! I want her to think more about her herself for once and not care so much about her fucking sorry excuse of a brother."

Seeing his tears, Todoroki couldn't help but be surprised, reaching a hand out towards him slowly. "Bakugo?"

Although when it touched his shoulder, Katsuki threw the hand off, hissing back. "Don't touch me you goddamn bastard! I already know, I fucked up with her. I fucked up so bad. I don't need your shitty harassment to tell me twice."

Not really knowing what he should be doing, Todoroki was silent for a moment before speaking low and quiet. "Amari thinks the world of you Bakugo. She does all of those things, as messed up as they may be, because she loves you."

Shaking his head roughly, Katsuki felt his voice crack slightly. "I never wanted that kind of love. I never goddamn deserved it, not after everything. Shit, and the last thing we said to each other before all this shit happened, why did I say that? Why did I push her away again? I'm such an idiot."

Not fully denying it, Todoroki looked down at Bakugo before speaking back, this time darker than before. "These are things you need to tell her. You need to tell her how much you care or else she's going to keep hurting herself to get your approval. Whether you like it or not Bakugo, you are everything to her."

Looking down at the floor, Bakugo scoffed, knowing somewhere inside that he was right. Regardless of what he wanted to believe, Amari's mindset and actions were all because of him, because he was too scared to tell her his own shame.

He hated the idea that she had risked everything for him, knowing fully well that Katsuki didn't deserve that kind of love. He wasn't the strong and confident twin brother Amari idolized him as. No, he was a coward.

Shaking his head weakly, Katsuki muttered back, mostly to himself. "I don't want to be."

* * *

Feeling a thousand imaginary pins and needles stab her brain, Amari groaned loudly, now realizing her entire body felt numb. Her mind was in a haze, not exactly knowing where she was or what happened. It felt peaceful.

Then, in a flash, the memories returned. The attack, Katsuki and those villains. She remembered them clear as day, now growing far more panicked than before.

Amari refocused her eyes when the excruciating pain started, punching her multiple times in the arm and shoulder, causing her to wince. Oh that was right, broken arm and bullet wound. Lovely.

She wanted to cry out but found it difficult as the realized the tight gag in her mouth, stopping her speech so all that she could manage was a rough moan of pain.

Trying to move, she also found her hands and feet bound to come kind of chair. This wasn't good, she needed to get out of here, and fast. Who knows what those sick villains had in store for her?

Suddenly, the door swung open and trail of people waltzed in, looking at their prize happily. "Finally you're here. I've been waiting quite a long time for this."

Amari narrowed her eyes and found none other than that same villain that tried to harass Deku and her in the mall, Shigaraki.

He strolled up to her slowly before circling his prey. "You look a little afraid there doll. What, are you going to call out for your dear brother this time? It's too bad he couldn't join the fun though. How great would it have been to watch your scared little eyes as we hurt the one close to you? But of course, you had to ruin everything again, didn't you?"

Narrowing her eyes in anger, Shigaraki smirked, pointing to her gag. "Oh, you want to speak, don't you? I suppose I can be generous."

Then he lowered the fabric down slowly before coaxing her again. "Now, what was it you wanted to say?"

Pressing her lips together, Amari hissed. "Fuck you.."

This certainly caused the villains eyes to widened before letting his lips curve into a small smirk. "Well, that's not very nice."

Rolling her eyes though, the girl replied. "Yeah well, I don't really respond nicely to someone who broke my arm and threatened to torture my brother, asshole."

Shigaraki just put his arms up in defense though. "That wasn't my doing. Call it creative expression from my colleagues over there. The orders were to get you here unharmed, but it seems nothing can go to plan today."

Then, he trailed his fingers down, to touch her broken arm, causing the girl to wince back in a cry of pain. "Oh, you poor doll. Look at you, you're so broken. Don't worry, we can fix that."

Glaring back, Amari watched as Shigaraki then grabbed her arm roughly causing her to let out a scream, holding it back with tears in her eyes. "Don't fucking touch me!"

Although he didn't listen, just gripping tighter and causing her to lose her words before hearing a loud snap as Shigaraki popped her arm back in place aggressively and causing her scream once again.

He smirked back at his work as Amari tried to catch her breath. "There, I fixed you. Now, where is my thank you?"

Leaning in closer, she locked eyes with the man before glaring and giving him his response, by spitting in his face.

Shigaraki jumped back clearly enraged before a loud noise echoed through the space as he slapped Amari hard across her face, making her cough up a bit of blood and reopen her cut lip. "You bitch! I'm trying to be nice to you and this is what you do? You know what, forget his orders. I think I can bring you to him a little broken after all."

Amari's eyes widened then, knowing she probably made a mistake when there was a soft giggle in the corner. It sounded female. "Oh I want to play with her first!"

Running forward, she caught sight of the same blonde girl from the attack, now leaning on her lap and eyeing her creepily. "Hi, I'm Toga! I wonder how good your blood is? I bet it's as fiery as you are. Oh, I can't wait!"

She started to take out a knife and Amari felt her breathing stop for a moment, but luckily she was stopped a moment after. "Toga, we talked about this. You can't have her blood."

Toga seemed to frown at this, glancing towards Dabi roughly. "Aw you're no fun."

The man sighed back, obviously over her antics as Shigaraki spoke again, this time playing with a piece of Amari's hair. "That's right. We have big plans for you, doll. You just have to be patient."

Frowning back, she replied. "Can you stop calling me that? I feel like I have to take a shower after everytime you say that stupid nickname. Creep."

A small chuckle entered the space as Dabi couldn't help but smirk, although it was slowly shut down by a glare from Shigaraki. "No, I think it's quite fitting for you. You just don't know it yet."

Amari rolled her eyes then. "Can you say anything not shady? I swear, that's like all you do. Just spit it out already, will you? What the hell do you want with me?"

She pulled against her ropes, causing the man to frown. This girl was already getting on his nerves. He couldn't even imagine what her brother would've been like, probably a nightmare.

It was silent for a moment before the villain decided something, leaning down slowly and causing the girl to cringe. "Alright, you win. Come on, I'll show you a little taste then.."

Then, he detached the girl from the chair before Dabi hoisted her up and threw her over his shoulder. Given her small size it wasn't hard in the slightest and the protests started almost immediately. "Hey! Put me down! You purple skinned zombie man, I swear…"

Once again, he couldn't help smirk at her words before following Shigaraki through a portal to their right, sucking the three of them in whole.

Blinking twice, Amari was suddenly hit with bright lights, surrounding her at every corner. This feeling, it was almost nostalgic.

She shook her head at the idea when Shigaraki smiled, opening a large door next to him. "Now, let's see what you can do."

Then, in a single motion, Dabi tossed the girl into the dark room before throwing an object in with her and shutting the heavy metal door behind them. Well, that didn't tell her anything at all, great.

The girl felt the object in the dark strangely before recognizing it almost immediately. Wait, that didn't make sense. These were her pills.

Suddenly all the lights turned on at once, blinding the girl in question as a voice was heard over the speaker. It was that damn Shigaraki again. "Try not to die doll. But then again, that would be better for me so do whatever you'd like."

Amari raised her head up, seeing the large empty room before her, shouting. "Hey weirdo! You're still acting shady! What the hell are you even talking about?"

A small chuckle was overhead before the doors next to her started to open. There were eight in total, lined up next to each other. Well that couldn't be good.

Suddenly, a loud animalistic growl was heard throughout the space and one by one, eight Nomu stepped into the light around her. Oh crap oh crap crap crap. She couldn't fight all these off by herself.. They would kill her.

Shimmying herself backwards, Amari felt a ring of terror in her throat as the intercom started again. "Here is your test doll. The doors won't open until you either defeat all the Nomu or die. Whichever comes first. It's your choice."

One of the Nomu stepped forward then, causing the girls voice to shake slightly. "I thought you wanted me alive! You said you couldn't kill me. Aren't you contradicting yourself?"

There was a small silence before his voice returned, cruel and low. "That's why the test is very important. If you can't even do this, then you aren't worth keeping alive."

He laughed then, Amari's face turning deathly pale. She was confident in her skills usually but with eight Nomu, the odds weren't good. Chances are she would die here.

Watching the monster take another step forward, Amari suddenly knew what she had to do. There was no way in hell she was going to die in this unknown villain layer.

She then grabbed onto her pills roughly before opening the box with her tied hands.

No, Amari was not giving up. She would fight her way out, no matter how impossible it was.

* * *

Unknown to her, a mysterious man watched the feed from the arena.

He then saw Amari pick up the pills willingly which couldn't help but make him smile a bit wider because of it. "Yes little one, show me what you can do."

Tapping his fingers on his chair, he only had one thought in his mind.

It was almost time. His secret weapon was almost ready to be unleashed.

* * *

Oop we got feels, plot and oh crap Amari no! Fun times! We are getting closer to all the major secrets being revealed so that's funnn

Next Chapter: Badass Amari being badass and Bakugo/Todoroki alliance?


	38. S3 Chapter 8

Amari watched the Nomu's approach as she opened the box of pills with her tied hands before dumping a couple on the floor. Then, she turned around sharply and picked up the objects, emptying them into her mouth in a single motion. This was it, she had to give it her everything if she wanted to survive this.

Her chest started to burn slightly at the familiar sensation, causing her wrist to light up in a gold shimmer, burning the ropes off her her hands and freeing her from her prison.

Standing up slightly, Amari surveyed the monsters that were only a couple feet away and began to think of a plan. Her pills had a limit so she needed to get this done quickly if she didn't want to die.

Then, balling her hands to her sides, she thought of the ones waiting for her. Todoroki, her class friends, her parents and even her brother. She needed to get through this, for them. Regardless of how Katsuki felt about her now, Amari knew she had to survive.

She narrowed her eyes in determination before setting off, racing towards the Nomu with her hands raised and fire in her chest. It was all or nothing now.

One of the Nomu swung its fist down but Amari was able to slide under his arm easily, dodging the attack completely and aiming for the monster beside her.

Letting her hands glow with warmth, she then slammed her hand into its chest, causing the area to sizzle and burn around him.

The monster let out a loud, inhuman scream before grabbing the girl by her injured shoulder and throwing her across the room, hitting the floor in a heavy thud.

Hissing at the content, Amari clutched her shoulder and ignored the pain in her chest before standing back up and trying again.

She couldn't defeat them in groups, somehow she knew she had to seperate them into one on one fights.

So this time, instead of repeating her last attack, she raced forward and lifted her hand out, creating three gold circles on the floor around each of the creatures.

Then, one by one, the domes raised to cover the Nomu, burning their skin as it made contact with her gold matter.

As it held them in place, Amari got to work on the others, now turning around and speaking mostly to herself. "Now, it's just you and me. Come at me with all you have!"

The Nomu screamed at that, racing towards her all at once only for the girl to jump up in the air, explosions at the ready. She quickly thought of Katsuki, and the lessons he taught her over the last couple days.

Feeling her palms spark to life, Amari let off a small explosion, distracting the Nomu and having them become disoriented for a moment. Good, it was working.

Then before they could process the attack, she outstretched her hand again, this time landing on the Nomu's back and slamming her hand into the surface roughly.

The monster screamed as Amari's hand shimmered, burning its back all at once and creating a large, gapping the bleeding mark in the spot.

Another started to swing but she was too quick, jumping from the first monster onto the next as its claws dug deep into its colleague. It cried out in pain at that before slumping to the ground in a heavy thud.

Amari looked at the wreckage and smiled. That was it. Maybe she couldn't take all of these things down but she could have them take themselves down. As far as she knew, the Nomu weren't very smart in terms of intelligence, just mindless monsters. She could use that.

After seeing that, the girl got to work, jumping from one Nomu to the next, burning its skin on various different spots so that the others would blindly attack them.

Although, when she got to the third one, her chest began to explode with pain, now realizing that two of the trapped monsters had broken free of her dome and shattered it.

Realizing that she might have been staring for a little too long, Amari then turned back only to find herself face to face with the escaped monster. Oh no, this wasn't good.

Before she could even realize it, the Nomu's claws slashed against her chest, causing the girl to see blood, her blood. Amari looked down in shock before feeling the liquid drip from her mouth in a single line.

She felt the slight flash of pain but it didn't last long as she was suddenly picked up by his friend, throwing her into the ground with its taloned hands.

Groaning at the pain, the Nomu's lifted its fist up to crush her as Amari gasped, quickly creating a shield for herself to stop the attack.

It's fists hit against her gold matter, shaking her shield in a single motion and Amari felt that familiar moment of terror in her throat again.

Suddenly, more Nomu started to break free from her prison, causing the girl to grit her teeth at the exploding pain in her stomach and seeing a tiny crack in her shield. This wasn't good. They were overpowering her. She needed to get out of here, and fast.

More fists appeared then, all slamming their hands and bodys into her shield, forcing it to slowly crack and with every hit,more blood pooled into her mouth. All she could taste now was that metallic substance and it was making her sick.

Suddenly she was back in that dark alleyway with Stain, feeling that familiar and similar moment of panic. She couldn't do this. Somewhere deep down Amari knew this was a lost cause. Soon the Nomu would overpower and kill her.

Closing her eyes in fear, Amari willed everything inside of her, all her power into one single motion, seething as it felt her insides were slowly burning her body.

Then, in a single motion, she screamed, lifting her hands out and growing her shield to about five times her size. The attack caused all the Nomu's to forcibly stubble backwards, freeing her from her bounds.

Before she could think, Amari stumbled to her feet, running across the arena until she found her pills laying on a floor a couple away. In order to even stand a chance of winning Amari knew what she had to do, she had to overdose.

Grabbing the objects roughly, she saw the monsters racing towards her again and quickly opened the box before doing something she'd never done before.

She swallowed the whole container.

The most she had ever taken before this was five and that was always between a long period of time. Taking the pills all at once, it was incredibly dangerous and risky but what else could she do? She was going to die without them.

Almost immediately, she felt the effects,, burning her from the inside at once and causing her to slump down in absolute torment. It felt like her body was fighting them, trying to reject the pills all at once. It felt like it was tearing her into two.

Falling to the floor, Amari screamed, covering her body as her hands began to shake violently, hugging herself to will the pain away.

As the Nomu approached, she still remained frozen, not understanding her surroundings or the immediate danger.

Covering her ears, suddenly a voice appeared, his breath extremely close to her. It sounded nostalgic and inviting, wanting to listen to it somehow, feeling the desire to follow it.

She heard a scream far away but she didn't know who it belonged to. Maybe it was her own but she couldn't actually tell. All that filled her head now was that warm, inviting voice, telling her to let go.

Shigaraki watched the girl huddled in the corner before grabbing onto his chair tightly. It wouldn't be long now.

Then, all at once, a sudden and powerful burst of gold energy tore across the room, lighting up the entry of the space and bouncing towards the walls.

The gold matter barreled into the Nomu's all at once, cutting through them like a sharp and quick knife, slicing all eight monsters in half and making their bodies explode into splatters of thick, massive pools of blood.

The splatters flung onto the walls and the girl, covering her in spots of their blood as she slowly stood up, her eyes looking dead and lifeless. It was like she was a walking corpse, with no owner, just watching the destruction with a hallowed expression.

In closer inspection, thick black lines began to cover the veins on her neck, peeking out over her collar slowly, slithering up like a snake but stopping before her chin.

After a couple moments of erie silence, Amari's eyes blinked, regaining her life as she looked around the space in utter and complete shock. The black veins disappeared and all that was left was confusion.

Her mind was fuzzy, not remembering why she was standing or what had even happened. One minute she was on the floor and then the next….

Gazing at her hands, she found blood there as her breathing picked up rapidly. Did, she do this? No, that was impossible she didn't have that kind of power. She couldn't have just killed them in cold blood. That's not what a hero does. "W-What, what did I do? Oh god, what just happened?! I...I...killed them ..."

Amari's body began to shake as she survived the bloody aftermath, seeing chunks of the Nomu scattered everywhere. This had to be some time of dream. She couldn't have just killed them. Hurt, sure, but Amari had never killed anything before in her life.

Suddenly, the intercom came to life as the girl jumped at the voice, not remembering that Shigaraki was still there. "Now that's a good doll."

She turned her head around sharply before looking towards the ceiling and shouting, her voice cracking in absolute anxiety and fear. Her mind was moving at a thousand miles per second, trying to understand anything. "You...W-What did you do to me, you freak!?"

Shigaraki only laughed though as Amari heard a new voice, one she knew very well. It was her Doctor. But wasn't he supposed to be in America? "Subject has retained memories of event. Standing by.."

Widening her eyes at his words, Amari ran up towards the wall, pounding on the surface before angrily speaking to the air. "Doc, what the hell are you doing here?! What's happening?! You better tell me right now!"

Suddenly though, the movement caused her body to sway, now fully realizing the effects of the pills. Black spots appeared in her vision as the girl tried to blink them away but failed.

Feeling the world spin around her, Amari put a hand to her head before falling to the ground roughly, the black spots now consuming her completely and turning unconscious.

Before she passed out though, she heard the Docs voice again, far away and echo-y. "Subject has fallen unconscious after five minutes of use."

* * *

Hearing the sound of the door open beside him, Deku turned only to find Todoroki staring back at him. The boy's eyes looked tired, like he hadn't slept in days but he supposed that made sense. Amari's disappearance must have been tough on him. "How are you feeling Midoryia?"

He sat up in his bed at the question before smiling sadly. "I'm getting there. Seems like I overdid it again. What about you Todoroki, how are you?"

There was silence then as he watched his friends lower his eyes to the floor, almost sad. Deku then realized that he misstepped. Of course he wasn't alright. "Right, sorry."

Then, he changed the subject quickly. "I know Kacchan was looking for you, is he okay?"

Recalling the conversation on the rooftop, Todoroki couldn't possibly think of Amari's brother as okay. In fact, he was an utter train wreck but where he showed it on the inside, Bakugo showed it on the outside.

He shook his head in response slowly. "He always shows his care for her in the strangest ways. Regardless of how brash he always is, it's strange to think that even Bakugo can fall apart as well."

Deku took in his answer before realizing that Todoroki was right. He had always seen Kacchan as this strong, unbreakable wall but the way he acted to Amari's disappearance, it was almost human.

Looking towards the boy again, he noticed the circles around his eyes and tried to reassure him. "But I'm proud of you Todoroki for remaining so calm. I know it can't be easy."

Although what he got wasn't what he expected, watching the boy shake his head once, his eyes a tiny shade darker than before. "That's not it Midoryia.."

Deku then turned to Todoroki only to gasp. He looked like he was just barely hanging on, seething on his words. "I'm afraid if I react anymore then this then I will truly do something I regret. The truth is, I'm furious. I want nothing more than to barge into that villains hideout and make them sorry for taking the one I love. I want to make them beg and pay for what they've done. But we have to be smart, for her sake."

The air around the boy was rather intense, Deku watching as he then pulled out the book that was left by Amari, Todoroki lightly touching the cover like it was glass.

Then, he opened the surface and pulled out a piece of paper, showing it to his friend. "I found a lead on where she might be. There is an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town that's shown to have villian activity. I'm leaving tonight and I came here to ask you if you want to come with me Midoryia."

His friend gasped at this, sitting up in his bed. Maybe he was wrong to assume Todoroki was calm. He seemed to be just as dangerous as Bakugo. "Wait, Todoroki, you can't! We already promised to let the pros take care of it…"

Yet Todoroki cut him off, narrowing his eyes in response. "I promised nothing. I will not just stand by and wait while Amari is out there hurt, alone and afraid. It doesn't matter what it takes, I would do anything for her. So, regardless of what you decide, I'm going."

The amount of love and admiration he had for the girl was overwhelming, knowing very well that he would probably die for her if it came down to it. What they had was really special but yet, it still worried Deku. "I understand you're worried but what can we even do? We are just kids. Back at the training camp attack, we couldn't stop them. What makes you think we can do it now?"

Thinking about his question, Deku did have a point. They were just kids, but that wasn't about to stop Todoroki. Balling his hands into a fist, he replied. "It doesn't matter if we are kids, we have to try. I have to try, for her."

Then, he looked up at the boy, determination in his eyes. "So, are you going to join me?"

A small moment of silence appeared then as Deku opened his mouth, only for another voice to beat him to it. "I'm in."

The two blinked in surprise, only for Todoroki to frown at who the voice belonged to. It was Shinso, standing in the doorway silently.

Deku called him out first. "Shinso, what are you doing here?"

Strolling into the room, the boy crossed his arms before speaking. He also looked deprived of sleep but the two weren't sure if that was normal for him or not. "What you said about Amari, I'm in."

At the sound of her first name, Todoroki's stomach did an unpleasant turn, not liking how familiar he was addressing her. "Since when have you called her by her first name?"

Although Shinso didn't take any intimidation, instead thinking about the girl in question. "Since she took a bullet for me."

His response was certainly surprising, Todoroki remembering how she told him she was shot and frowned. She took a bullet and got herself hurt for him? That certainly made him uneasy. "You're the reason she was hurt?"

Shinso eyed saddened then, glancing towards the floor roughly. "Don't look at me like that. I don't like it either. That crazy girl did it on her own."

Yet Todoroki still wasn't pleased. "Maybe she wouldn't have if you stopped dumping your problems onto her."

Shinso shook his head at that, feeling a sense of irritation build up in his own throat. He was acting like he wanted her to get shot. "I think we both know that's impossible. She likes to shove herself into danger one way or another. Maybe you should know that, you know, being her boyfriend and everything."

Deku seemed to notice the tension, turning slightly awkward. "Uhh guys?

His words caused the two boys to break their glares, Todoroki sighing in exasperation. He knew about Shinso's quirk and strength, not finding it useful in this situation. He wasn't even in the hero course after all. "Regardless, you would just get in the way. We can't afford to make any mistakes that would hurt Amari. I won't allow them."

Shinso raised his brow at that, taking a challenging step forward. "Whoa hold on. Just because you are some rich kid that skated their way into the hero course doesn't mean you can order me around. I already said I was coming, so get used to it."

Todoroki frowned in response. "I'm only stating the facts, and I didn't skate my way into the hero course, I trained just as hard as anyone else. Stop talking like you understand."

Although Shinso only scoffed in response, pointing a finger towards the boy. "Oh I understand plenty. Just because you're daddy favorite you think you can order everyone around, like you're better than everyone else. Well, it won't work with me."

Staring at his finger, Todoroki slapped his hand away before hissing back. "You take that back. My accomplishments have nothing to do with my old man."

Shinso took another step closer and Deku noticed the air getting thick once more, crying out. "Guys, stop it! None of this is helping. Think about Amari-chan. She wouldn't want you two to fight."

At the name, the boys froze, Shinso speaking first. "He's right. Regardless of how we feel about each other we do share one thing in common. We want her to be safe, and I want to help."

Todoroki hated that what he was saying was true, turning away in annoyance. "Why do you want to help? Don't you call her names and insult her all the time?"

Looking down at this, Shinso recalled his treatment towards the girl and sighed. "It turns out you were right. I don't really mind short stuff as I used to. Maybe it's her off the wall reckless personality or the fact that she was the first person to not look at me as a villain but it seems whether I like it or not, I've grown used to Amari and I don't want her to get hurt again."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes, taking in his words and couldn't help but feel some sort of atmosphere of admiration around the boy. It was almost like he liked her. That made him feel uneasy.

Deku listened to the explanation as well, not knowing that the two were close. "Shinso, I didn't know you cared so much about Amari-chan..."

This only caused the boy himself to smile, Todoroki's chest dropping a couple feet. Crap, he finally realized it. He did like her. "I didn't either."

As much as he hated the look on his face Todoroki knew that Shinso's feelings for Amari would cause the two to grow more determined. If his feelings were real, then he would probably fight with everything he had for her. "Fine, you can join. Meet us outside the hospital at eight."

Shinso's face lit up then before scoffing. "Not like I need your permission since I was going to come anyways, but thanks."

Deku then looked between the two boys before raising his hand up high. He was being foolish. If Todoroki and Shinso were willing to risk their lives then he wanted to as well. "I'm in too! If it can help Amari-chan, I'll do anything.

The three boys looked towards each other before nodding their heads, now going over the plan to save Amari.

* * *

Blinking away the black spots, Amari, rolled her head to the side, now finding her hands tied to the chair again. She groaned at the contact, refocusing on her surroundings before noticing herself in an empty small room. It wasn't that arena anymore. They must have dragged her back somehow.

Amari then looked down at the blood splatters on her dress before everything came flooding back, causing her to breath in a shaky breath. It wasn't a dream. She really destroyed those Nomu somehow. How was that even possible?

Although before she could think, the door her right opened to reveal that same purple skinned man that had thrown her into the arena. She didn't know why but there was something about him, something familiar.

He approached her slowly, hands in his pockets. "Oh, you're awake…"

Narrowing his eyes in anger, Amari lunged forward, desperate for any kind of answer. "Alright you need to tell me what the hell is going on right now! What the hell did you do to me?!"

Her anger only made him move closer though. "You still remember? Interesting. They weren't sure if you would."

Amari turned her head in confusion then. "Of course I remember, you asshole. What are you even talking about?"

Yet once again, he moved closer, leaning towards her body as the girl leaned back, willing herself away from the man. "Hey, what are you doing? Get away from me!"

He only reached closer though, until she could feel his breath on her neck. It was almost like he was hugging her as his arms were wrapped around the chair. This made her even more panicked and uncomfortable. "What is wrong with you?! I said, get your damn hands off of me!"

Then, before she could speak again, the ropes tying her hands together dropped to the floor, allowing her to pull them back. Wait, did he do that? "What.."

Her surprise quickly turned to determination though, now realizing her chance and racing towards the door only for Dabi to block the entry. "Let's not get too carried away Bakugo. I only want to talk. Don't mistake it for something else."

Rubbing her wrists from the burns, Amari replied. "So you untied me to have a quick chat? What, are you lonely or something?"

This caused Dabi to smirk, enjoying her sass. "Not exactly. I've been curious about you. You see, I've been wanting to meet you for awhile now. Seems you are far more explosive than I imagined you to be. Course, I wouldn't expect any less from the person who told off the number two greatest hero."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she turned her head. "So what, are you a stalker or something? Have you been following me?"

Dabi thought for a moment at her words. "Not you, no. Although, I do tend to take notice on things that interest me."

Leaning back, Amari cringed as he approached. "Sorry buddy, I'm not interested."

He seemed confused by her response before laughing in amusement, lifting his arms out. "You misunderstand. I'm here to give you some advice. You see, you remind me of myself many years ago. So young, so naive.."

Scoffing back, the girl crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't need any therapy sessions from you but thanks."

Dabi shook his head then before taking another step closer to the girl, making her lock eyes with his. "You should give up on your brother. You'll never get the love you desire. It's useless to try and find something that's not there in the first place. I would know."

Widening her eyes in shock, Amari suddenly felt a sense of irritation at the back of her throat. "Hold on, not that it's any of your business but I would never give up on Katsuki, regardless of what he thinks of me."

He shook his head at her words. "This is what I'm talking about. You break yourself down to gain the approval of someone who doesn't even care. Face it Bakugo, he'll never see you as worthy. That's just the kind of person he is. I'm trying to tell you what I wish I knew all those years ago. It would have saved a lot of time."

Amari didn't know what was up with this guy but he had no right to tell her anything about her brother. That was her business. Give up on Katsuki? What a joke.

Glaring back, she replied. "Look buddy, I don't know what kind of rough childhood you had or whatever but Katsuki is my brother and I love him. If you really think I'm going to just betray him like that then you have another thing coming to you."

Dabi was growing frustrated with this girl, obviously she wasn't understanding. "You say that now but I'm going to break some bad news to you kid. You need to embrace who you are, and it's not a hero…"

Widened her eyes in confusion, Amari shouted back, not understanding. "Okay, I'm just about over your words of wisdom zombie man! You are wrong. I will be a hero, just like my brother."

Although, Dabi only shook his head, as if he knew something she didn't. What was up with this guy? Why was he so against her fighting for Katsuki? It wasn't any of his business.

He opened his mouth again only for another voice to enter the space. "Oh what is this? Our doll has broken free? That's no fun."

Amari eyed Shigaraki his disdain before lifting her fist up and racing towards him in an angry shout. She had to get out of here, and fast. "You're gonna regret doing that!"

She threw a punch but Dabi was quicker, grabbing the girl by her collar and throwing her back over his shoulder roughly. "What the hell?! Not again!" Put me down!"

Jamming her fists into his back, Amari tried to break free although Dabi wouldn't budge, now seeing Shigaraki staring at her creepily. "Alright doll, it's time. He wants to meet you."

Amari narrowed her eyes in confusion, shouting back. "Well I don't wanna see him, whoever he is. Now, let me go you assholes!"

Although, her request was denied as they carried her silently into another portal to their left, now in a dark, wide, black room.

Dabi threw her down on the ground and Amari was about to shout back at him when a voice stopped her, freezing her to her very core. This voice, she heard it before. "It's been so long, little one."

Feeling a ring of terror in the back of her throat, she slowly turned around only for her heart to stop in her chest. No, no this couldn't be. It was the man she met as a child, the one that promised to give her power. "You…"

Turning around in his chair, the man nodded before standing up and towering over the girl. He then leaned down and extended a hand, the same hand that told her she could change all those years ago.

Then, all at once, All for One began to smile. "Yes, it's me."

* * *

Well crap. Who's ready for the big climax next chapter? Oh boy it's gonna be painful and spicy. So we don't know much but All for One was the one who found sick Amari all those years ago and trained her, giving her those pills. And now we also know that there is something fishy about those pills. It's like he has some kind of plan for her?

I wonder what it is?

Next Chapter….pain….


	39. S3 Chapter 9

Approaching the entrance to the hospital, Todoroki saw Deku and Shinso waiting for him quietly. It was nightfall now which meant not as many people around so the group could investigate fully. He took one look at Shinso though and sighed.

The boy half regretted bringing him along but knew somehow it would strengthen their odds of saving Amari. Although, his feelings for her would surely make him annoyed.

Taking a map out of his bag, he called over to the boys. "Are we ready?"

Deku nodded his head, although still feeling very uneasy about the whole thing. "I think so, but are you really sure we can do this Todoroki?"

Answering back, the boy had no doubt in his mind. They would save Amari, or die trying. "We have to."

Shinso eyed their interaction with interest, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you always this intense? Frankly I don't know how she even deals with you half of the time."

Todoroki frowned at that, watching Deku nervously laugh. "Hey guys, we promised not to fight, remember? For Amari-chan."

As much as icy hot hated it, he knew his friend was right. He'd just have to deal with this guy. Any discourse between them could chance her safety. "Sorry Midoryia. You're right. Let's get moving."

They all seemed to agree at that, turning to leave when another voice stopped them in their tracks. It was loud, filling up the space in a booming shout. "Where the hell do you think you're going, extras?"

Stopping at once, everyone turned their heads only to find Bakugo staring back at them, looking extremely unhappy. His blonde hair made Todoroki's eyes fall, remembering the girl he loved for a moment and missing her entirely.

Deku spoke first, questioning. "Kacchan, What are you doing here?"

Katsuki stopped up to the group before answering back roughly. "I'm here to get my idiot sister back you damn Deku."

Blinking in surprise, Todoroki replied. "How did you know about our plan?"

He only scoffed back though, narrowing his eyes in anger. "Do you really think you could go off and save that brat without me?! Hell no, I'm coming so I can personally show those villains who exactly they messed with. I'll make them sorry for even looking at my sister."

The group all looked between each other, as if having some kind of unsaid meeting. Bakugo was reckless but he was also strong and if Amari was here they knew she'd want him to come along, as long as he was safe. The choice seemed almost obvious.

Katsuki took in the silence for a moment before stomping his foot, not liking the atmosphere. "And don't even think about telling me I'm not coming because then you can go screw yourselves!"

Thinking for a moment, Todoroki took a step closer, thinking about what Amari would want. "Bakugo, I understand the desire but think about Amari. They were going to take you as well just to torture her. If you come, then you'll just be playing into their hands again. You and I both know the last thing she wants is for you to be hurt."

Although Amari's brother didn't enjoy that response, balling his hands into a fist. He knew that going would be a huge risk, especially seeing they were after him first, but didn't mean he was going to stop. "Who fucking cares what those bastards want! Let them try and come at me so I can show them just what a Bakugo is capable of."

Todoroki only shook his head at this, knowing Amari would disagree as well. "Bakugo, that's not the point.."

Yet Bakugo seemed to understand plenty, hissing back loudly. "You don't think I understand? Well, I fucking do. I'm sick of always being protected by that god damn brat! So this time, I'll be the one to protect her, whether she likes it or not."

He knew he should have shut her brother down but somewhere deep down, Todoroki understood. If the positions were switches he already knew he would be doing the same thing as Bakugo. It showed how much he loved his sister and Todoroki knew he couldn't deny him that.

Sighing heavily, the boy replied. "I understand, just please, be careful. If not for your sake, then for Amari's. I think you and I both know what she would do if you got hurt."

Understanding what he meant, Bakugo nodded silently. He had to watch himself so she didn't dive into danger again. "I don't need you to give me advice icy hot."

Todoroki couldn't help but smirk at that, thinking that this was typical Bakugo behavior. "Yeah, I know."

They began to walk for a couple minutes before Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and pushed Todoroki with his hand. Although his voice was now softer, more so than it was before. "Hey icy hot.."

Rubbing the spot where Amari's brother pushed him, he replied. "Yes?"

Bakugo looked at the ground from a moment before muttering back. "If you really meant what you said earlier, if you love that brat, then don't even think about leaving her."

Todoroki eyes couldn't help but grow wide at that. That almost sounded like he was approving of their relationship. What had brought this on? "Does that mean you accept us?"

Frowning back Katsuki scoffed. "Of course not you bastard, but I can't deny the way she listens to you, hell, even more than her damn brother. I hate it, but at least she listens to someone."

Her brother's words were sad, as if he wanted to be the one to hold the spot of Amari's trust, but that would have to wait. For now, Todoroki was who she confined in, whether he liked it or not. "Bakugo, I would never leave her."

Nodding his head back, Katsuki glared. "Damn right, you better not or I'm going to kill you myself, you got that? You better be willing to do whatever it takes to get her back.

Todoroki locked eyes with Bakugo for a moment before slowly nodding his head back. "I would do anything to get her back."

Because of his serious attitude, the boy accepted his declaration, now turning back the rest of the group before speaking loudly. "Damn right, now let's go get that brat."

* * *

Moving towards the abandoned building at the edge of town, the group crept up the back alleyway before seeing an extremely tall window a couple feet away. The room appeared to be dark and vast, everyone not knowing where it ended.

Deku looked up at the window before speaking. "Alright, let me get on someone's shoulder so I can see in."

Almost immediately, Bakugo scoffed, pointing at the other members of his team. "You must have a death wish if you think I'd let you touch me. Have icy hot and the hero course reject over there to do it."

Todoroki seemed used to it but Shinso couldn't help but feel offended by the name. "What did you just call me?"

Although the two tone haired boy just shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just forget it. You're not going to get him to apologize. It's easier just to ignore it."

Shinso glared at Amari's brother and couldn't help but fire back. "Are you two even twins? Amari's stubborn but she's definitely not as much of an ass as you. Honestly, I don't know why she worships you so much. You don't look all that special to me."

Deku's eyes widened as the boy hit Bakugo where it hurt, watching the veins popping out his skin. He was trying to stay quiet but it was getting rather hard. "Who even are you, you extra? Obviously you want to die!"

His palms extended out only for Todoroki to stand between them. "You two, stop it. This isn't helping. If you make any more noise and they'll hear us. Think about why we're here."

As much as they wanted to fight right there and now, they both knew Todoroki was right. They needed to get their heads on straight or else it could cost Amari.

The two boys voices grew silent then, walking over the wall before Bakugo crouched down and showed his palms to Deku. "Just do it already before I change my mind."

His friend was certainly surprised by that. He never thought Kacchan would ever be that complacent. "Are you sure Kacchan?"

But the boy just huffed, glaring at Deku. "You have five seconds before I say screw it, you damn nerd."

Looking back nervously, Deku complied, now grabbing his friend's hand and having him hoist the boy up onto his shoulders to get a better look inside.

Squinting through the glass, the green haired boy wiped away some of the fog only for Katsuki to shout down quietly. "Hurry up before I drop you, useless Deku."

Deku frowned at this before turning back to the window, blinking twice, only for his heart to drop in his chest at what he saw.

There through the glass were rows and rows of Nomu, floating in large containers individually. It was like some kind of underground lab of some sort.

When his voice returned, it was small and afraid. Somehow they felt like they had bitten off more than they could chew. "Kacchan, this is bad."

Todoroki noticed his tone, calling back. "What is it Midoryia?"

Dropping the boy down, Deku replied. "There are Nomu everywhere, rows and rows or them. It's like some kind of army. I didn't see anyone though."

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed to their left, causing the building to crumple in front of them. It was like someone had broken in.

Turning back towards the building, the group gasped, finding a bunch of pro heros now in the space, capturing all the Nomu at once. It seemed they had gotten there before them. That was certainly a relief. "The pros are here. Thank goodness."

They listened to the radio of Best Jeanist, hearing him speak to his colleagues. "Bad news. All Might successfully stormed the villains but there is still no sign of the kid. Keep a lookout in the area Mt. Lady."

The woman nodded but everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in their stomach. Amari wasn't with the rest of the villains? Then where the hell could she even be?

Bakugo gritted his teeth in anxiety as the hero's ran up to an unknown figure, turning her around slowly. "Ragdoll, what did they do to you?"

Although their teammate remained motionless, like she was a doll with no owner. The hero's looked between each other before sharing a look. There seemed to be something else going on here.

Just then, a voice stopped them, causing everyone in the area to freeze in absolute terror and fear. "Sorry about that, but her quirk was too good to pass up. So, I took it."

The kids turned their heads in confusion only for an extremely tall and intimidating man to step out from the shadows. He wore a mask covering his face but everyone could feel his chilling smile underneath.

Best Jeanist eyed the man with disdain before readying his quirk, now serious. "You did this. Now, you have one chance to tell us where Bakugo Amari is."

The man eyed this with interest before lifting his hand up. "Oh, do I?"

Then, the man let off an enormous burst of power, blasting through the entire building and tearing it into shreds. The amount of power this one man had was insane, almost like All Might.

When the smoke cleared, the man casually strolled up to the struggling hero's before they gasped, now realizing who they were messing with. "You're…"

Smiling back, the man nodded once. "Yes, I'm All for One."

At his name, Deku felt an unknowing amount of bile rise up in his throat. This was the villain that All Might fought all those years ago. This was his greatest enemy.

Leaning down to the paralyzed hero's, All for One spoke back evenly and smooth. "Although, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can show you what you desire."

The hero's eyed this in confusion as the villain then turned away, only for a portal to open on his left hand side. Coaxing softly, he spoke. "Come on out."

Then reaching into the purple mist, he then reached his hand out and pulled someone out into the space with him. This caused all the heroes and students to gasp in utter fear. It was Amari.

She struggled against his hand but All for One, was too strong, holding her hands as she fought. "Screw you! I already said don't touch me!"

He seemed to find her struggling cute though as he eyed the girl with amusement. "Such fire as always little one. I'm glad to see that hasn't gone away."

Amari glared as Bakugo eyed his sister, now an intense ball of anxiety in his throat. She was taken by All of One, the most powerful villain known to hero? He wanted nothing more than to race out there to force him to let go of his sister but Todoroki held him back, knowing it was too dangerous.

Todoroki watched Amari fight the villain roughly as a low growl admitted from his stomach. She looked to be okay, with only a cut lip but somehow there was caked blood on her clothes. He really hoped that didn't belong to her. "Oh god.."

Amari kicked her legs into the villains roughly at a weak attempt to escape but found that it did nothing, only causing him to sigh. "Now don't be like that. The show will start soon enough. You just have to be patient."

Bakugo watched his sister struggle for a couple more seconds before he couldn't take much more. She looked to be in pain and all her brother wanted to do was show that asshole that he was making a grave mistake. That bastard would pay for hurting her.

Stepping out, Todoroki put his hand out again only for Katsuki to slap it away. He felt another hand stop him shortly after but this time, it was Deku. "Kacchan, wait! Do you even know who that is? We can't just go out there without a plan."

He took one look at the villains before scoffing, now throwing his friends hand off roughly. "I don't give a damn who he is. No one touches my sister like that and lives! That asshole has another thing coming to him!"

Then, before the others could call after him, Bakugo was gone, now shouting towards All for One. "Hey asshole! Get the fuck away from my sister!"

Turning around in interest, All for One eyed this curiously as Amari's stance grew even more panicked. Why was Katsuki here?! No, he can't be. It was too dangerous.

Amari reached towards him, only for the villains arms to pull her back as she struggled even harder, shouting back to her brother. "You idiot! What are you doing here?! Run away!"

That wasn't the type of greeting Bakugo thought he would get but the scared look in her eyes made him grow even more furious. "Screw that! I'm getting you home stupid."

Tear welled up in her eyes, knowing that was impossible now as All for One laughed. "So this is the famous Bakugo Katsuki I've heard so much about? Say little one, should I kill him?"

Widening her eyes, Amari pushed against his arm, utter terror in her voice. "No, don't..please!"

This caused the man to chuckle once more, enjoying her tears. "Never mind, I wouldn't dream of doing that to you. He's your strength after all, which is a great asset to me."

Not fully understanding, Bakugo readied his quirk only for All for One to lift his hand up in warning. "Although, We can't have him ruining our plan. So, I'm going to have to cut him a bit."

Reaching out to the boy, Amari screamed back, begging her captive not to kill the only brother she had. "Stop it! Katsuki!"

The man let off a huge burst of energy, causing Amari to shut her eyes in terror as the light filled up her eyes before slowly fading.

Feeling her breathing pick up, she finally opened her eyes only to find the very familiar face blocking Katsuki and protecting him. It was someone she'd know anywhere, All Might.

He moved out of the way and turned to Bakugo who was still in utter shock at the man's power. "Are you alright, young Bakugo?"

Nodding his head once, All Might seemed satisfied, now turning to his arch nemesis roughly. "Now, I will have to ask you to hand back my student as she doesn't belong to you."

He eyed the man in surprise before smirking through his mask. "Oh really? I think it's the other way around actually. But it's so nice to see you again. I've waited for this moment for a long time. She has as well, haven't you, little one?"

Frowning back Amari hissed. "I still don't know what you're talking about, you psycho! Don't rope me into your twisted games!"

He found amusement in her words though, replying back. "Well, now that he's here. I guess it's time to begin..."

Then, taking a step forward, everyone watched as the villains moved, pushing Amari with him, slowly and smoothly. "You see, after you destroyed my body so badly, I knew I had to come up with something to pay you back with for when I returned."

Stopping a couple feet away, All for One then pulled a large syringe out of his pocket before tapping the top lightly and pointing it towards the girl. "Now, you'll see just what I've been working on All Might."

Amari pulled away from the needle, a deep terror etched in her eyes now. "What the hell is that?! Get it away from me!"

Although the villains didn't comply, only touching the tip to the needle of lightly to her neck. "Time to see my masterpiece in action."

Then, all at once, All for One pushed the needle into the side of Amari's neck, causing her to gasp and the sudden adrenaline as a spiky sensation entered into her body.

Todoroki covered his mouth in terror to stifle a shout when the villain threw her away from him, causing the girl to crumple to the ground.

Gripping the floor with her nails, Amari suddenly felt her breathing shorten, gasping for breath as she shouted back brokenly. "W-What did you do to me?!"

All for One looked back at his work foundly before speaking. "What you were always meant to be. You see, the Nomu's are a wonderful creation but there were many flaws with them as well…"

Feeling a surge of pain course through her, Amari clutched her heart, feeling like it was going to tear itself right out of her chest. The sensation was just like before when she swallowed all of her pills, except this time, it was amplified to one thousand.

She stiffened back a scream as he continued, strolling over to her carefully. "One of the major flaws were that no matter how I tried, my power would always crush the Nomu's mind, causing them to become unintelligent drones, just following orders blindly and being easily disposed of. Not much of an army."

The girl felt herself bite her tongue, finding that strong metallic taste she had known all too well. Her mind was in chaos, unable to hold back her screams of agony any longer. It felt like she was going to die.

Thinking about her brother, she reached out to him, begging him to make the pain stop. "Brother...please...it hurts…."

Bakugo watched his sister call out to him but felt his feet glued to the floor for some reason. This wasn't a nightmare, this was real life, yet why did he still feel so damn useless? She was right there, right there in front of him, calling for him and yet, he couldn't move.

Leaning down to the girl, All for One started to see black veins traveling up her neck slowly and smiled, pleased with the progress. "So I wondered if there was somehow a way to preserve the mind and still strengthen the body. That's when I got an idea. What if the conversion of a Nomu was far more subtle, what if, by ingesting its blood in small doses they could transfer its power without losing their minds?"

He reached down into the girls pocket then, pulling out her pills. "That's when we got the idea, testing the results on many weak minded children, although the only one that managed to survive the process was our little one here. Unfortunately, all the others died immediately. It really was such a shame. No one else had her strength and desire to succeed."

Throwing the box of pills onto the ground, the objects tumbled out, hitting the floor and causing the hidden students to gasp. Todoroki especially.

He recalled what Amari had said throughout the last couple months regarding her pills as everything painful clicked together. Her pills had Nomu blood in them, that's why her body was rejecting them? What had this girl gotten herself into?!

Amari suddenly heard the voice again, the one calling her internally and suffocating her with his words. The pain slowly started to dissipate as her mind grew numb, fading away into nothing. It was blissful, giving into the idea of peace and comfort once again.

Noticing her screaming had ceased, All for One smirked. "Yet it seems even when she ingests too much blood, the girl turns loses her mind for a short time as well. It's a side effect but it helps with her compliance. Stand up little one."

Then, everyone gasped as the girl slowly stood up on his orders before staring into space. Bakugo couldn't help but feel his heart drop in his chest at her appearance. His sister looked dead, like a walking corpse with far away eyes and thick black veins wrapped around the left side of her face and ending at her eye. What the hell happened to her?!

Katsuki's voice came out small and scared. "...Amari?"

All Might, watched his student in fear, speaking out towards her and not believing what he was seeing. Was all this going on under his nose and he didn't even realize it? What terrible things had this girl been through? "Young Bakugo, are you alright?"

Although All for One could only laugh, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder as she ignored their cries. "All Might, I would like to introduce you to my masterpiece, the Nomu's of all Nomu's, my secret weapon."

* * *

Right so, the next chapter is gonna be the big fight. I just couldn't wait that long to post this.

So it turns out that all the kids that went missing in America were being experimented on to test this new "Nomu Blood theory." Although, none of them managed to survive the process so died before they could be found. Amari was the only one successful though, therefore that's why he says she's his masterpiece. Because she's been taking the pills throughout her life, its slowly been changing her into part Nomu, and when she overdoses enough (like last chapter) that's when she slows signs of a traditional Nomu, such a mindlessness and following orders.

So yes, it's very bad. Let's hope the peeps can snap her out of it.

Next Chapter: Villain Amari?


	40. S3 Chapter 10

Staring back at Katsuki were eyes he knew oh so well, eyes that followed him throughout his entire life, never really knowing just what she was suffering from for so long.

Time and time again Bakugo ignored her, turned away from her because he never wanted to face the mistakes he had made in the past. Although it turns out, he really didn't know anything after all.

Now that gaze he had come to love was clouded, and distant. Like she was some kind of living doll, just waiting to be played with. Bakugo couldn't help but stare in utter horror and fear at her appearance. His sister was standing before him but for some reason, it was like she was already dead.

Feeling his voice choke onto his words, he called out to her again, hoping that she would answer back normally. "Amari? What…"

He couldn't even finish the sentence. _What did they do to you? _

A smooth laughter broke him out of his thoughts, now hearing All for One speak as he ran a couple fingers through her hair slowly. "Wonderful, isn't she? What the girl wouldn't do for her brother. I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have been as successful."

His words created a sharp chill in the boy's spine. She agreed to be tortured and experimented on, because of him? Because he was too scared to show her he loved her? No, that couldn't be. "Shut up..shut the fuck up! You don't know anything!"

Yet All for One only smiled back, knowing his words were getting under the boys skin. "Somewhere deep down you know it's true. You had a hand in creating her, as did I."

Bakugo couldn't help but remain speechless at this, knowing very well that he was right. This was all his fault. He had pushed her away without knowing the consequences. All this time he was killing her, just like in his nightmares."I..I…"

All Might stepped in front of the boy then, knowing that he was on the verge of breaking down. "Young Bakugo, it's alright. We'll save you, I promise."

The villain narrowed his eyes then, looking down in amusement. "Sorry hero, this isn't something you can fix, and besides, she doesn't want to be saved. You saw her willingly pick up those pills. I never forced her to do anything."

Katsuki balled his fists then, shouting back in anger. "Because you never told her what she was really doing, asshole!"

Shrugging his shoulders at that, All for One replied plainly. "Perhaps, but her desperation to be strong was so easy to use. The poor little one, sick and useless. She would've done anything I said just to be a hero. It's comical, really."

Shaking his head in anxiety, Katsuki felt the heat rise up in his chest, his explosions itching to be used. It didn't matter if he was a terrible brother, or if he caused all of this. Bakugo needed to save his sister. "You have one chance to let her go before I make you!"

All for One took one look at his desperation and smirked, watching All Might holding him back carefully. "Young Bakugo, you musn't."

Although the villain seemed interested in the declaration, placing both of his hands on Amari's shoulders. "No no, let the boy struggle. It's time to test out my masterpiece anyways, and what better way to do that then with the boy she admires more than anything.."

Bakugo widened his eyes in confusion as All for One leaned in close to his sister, whispering out low and smooth. "Kill him."

Before he could even register it, Amari was racing towards him, intent in her stance as she lifted up her hands and threw a spike of gold matter towards Katsuki.

The flash of light ran past the boy, cutting his check in a single line of warning, blood now leaking from the gash. Did she just hurt him? No, this wasn't Amari. She would never physically never hurt him, even in their training. He always called her a wimp for it.

He lifted a finger up to his cheek before Amari's fist raised towards his head, causing Bakugo to let off an explosion to counteract her quirk. "Damn brat, stop it!"

Although her words had no effect on him, throwing a large explosion back, having the boy jump back a few feet. This wasn't good. He needed to stop this "Snap out of it! You idiot, come back! Are you really going to let that damn bastard control you like this?! Fight it!"

Pushing his body back a couple inches, Amari still remained emotionless, putting her hands on her brother before another burst of gold cut into his leg, causing the boy to grunt at the pain.

Bakugo shoved her back easily though, given her small size, before grabbing her body and slamming her onto the ground like they would do in training. "Amari, I swear…"

She immediately began to struggle though, making no indication that she was hurt, even though Katsuki slammed her down relatively hard.

Another gold spike cut his forearm then, causing his grip to loosen as Amari kicked his stomach, pushing her hand into his face roughly.

Then, before he could process it, she let an explosion off, right next to his face, causing the boy to back away at the sudden ringing in his ears. She really was trying to kill him.

Katsuki blinked again, trying to regain his sight when he felt his head turn to the side, a sharp pain erupting in his jaw. Had she just hit him?

Although that wasn't the last time, as he felt another hit, causing the boy to put his hands up in the desperate attempt to block her attack.

But with no sight of her and the ringing in his ears, the boy soon found himself on the ground, being pounded in left and right by her fists.

Slapping her hands away, Bakugo could taste blood, knowing that she was kicking his ass. How embarrassing. Since when did that brat have this kind of power? "Amari! Stop it already!"

Although he couldn't see, Katsuki knew he had to get out of this position so he instead blindly aimed his palms upwards before letting off an explosion, tossing the girl to the side and hitting the ground in a heavy thud.

Coughing, Bakugo slowly stood up, feeling his legs burn from the strain of his quirk. He really hoped he hadn't hurt her, now seeing his sister a couple feet away, coughing as well.

He saw her struggle to stand up as Katsuki called out to her again, this time with a little more desperation in his voice. "Are you really so weak that you would let that asshat tell you what to do!? My sister is stronger than this, you are stronger than this Amari! You said you'd never give up, right? Then start being a Bakugo and fight it!"

Suddenly, Katsuki felt a sharp pain in his chest, seeing a flash of light pass through him as the boy fell down to his knees in utter shock and confusion. She just stabbed him with her quirk.

A small drop of blood leaked from his mouth as Amari slowly walked over to him, intent in her step and no remorse on her face. If this kept up, she really would kill him.

Heaving out a breath, Bakugo ignored the burning pain in his body and the red liquid across his chest, now watching his sister move even closer to him with her hand raised, fully ready to tear him apart slowly.

He reached a hand out, coughing a couple times before realizing that this may be it. Amari, his sister was going to kill him. Wasn't it just? This kind of seemed like his punishment for letting her suffer, for having her believe that she was alone. If just this once, Bakugo realized he wanted to tell her.

Speaking loudly, Katsuki pleaded for the first time in his life. "Amari, stop this! I'm sorry, I'm sorry okay?! I won't call you a brat anymore, I won't call you useless. Just come back, please! I need you, I need my sister.."

Amari lifted her hand out, unaffected by his words and saw her palm light up in a hot fiery glow. This was it, this was his punishment.

Suddenly, a bright flash entered the space and when it finally cleared, Bakugo couldn't help but widened his eyes, now seeing Todoroki standing between the two. "Amari, that's enough. I know you don't want to do this."

The girl stood still for a moment, not sure how to process the new presence as Todoroki called out to her, soft and loving. "Please, stop this. You are not a villain. Come back to me. I don't want to have to do this Amari. I love you."

Hearing All for One chuckle behind them, the villain coaxed. "Oh, and who is this? Little one, do me a favor and kill him too."

The words processed in her ears for a moment before lifting up her hand and throwing an explosion at the boy that loved her, Todoroki counter acting it with his ice.

Just then, a blinding white light covered the group, causing them to look up and see some kind of film crew recording the entire fight. That wasn't good.

Katsuki watched the fight in concern as a hand touched his shoulder, slapping it away only to hear a very familiar voice. "Kacchan, are you okay? Can you hear me? Oh god, look at you. We have to get you to a hospital."

Refocusing his eyes, Bakugo found his childhood friend, staring at him worriedly. "Deku? What the hell are you doing here?"

Deku couldn't help but smile softly at that, placing a hand to his shoulder once again. "We are saving you."

Although Bakugo didn't seem to like that, as he was already struggling to stand. "Screw you, I don't need your help. Where is that brat? I need to save her."

Turning sad, Deku then turned his head toward his left were Amari and Todoroki were fighting each other aggressively.

Throwing a sheet of ice in her direction, Amari dodged the attack, throwing her hands up as a sharp gold spike flew across his right arm, the boy seething at the sensation.

She growled a bit at the boy before he stomped on the ground and froze her foot so she was stuck to the floor. "I don't want to hurt you. Snap out of it, please."

Fighting back, Amari's feet began to glow before the ice shattered and broke underneath her, causing the girl to race towards him again. This wasn't good. She wasn't going to stop until the order was complete, Todoroki knew he didn't want that.

He put his hands up to block her fists, shouting back to Deku and Shinso roughly. He was desperate and afraid, knowing this couldn't last forever. "It's not working! She's too far gone. I don't know what to do…"

Todoroki's moment of weakness only lasted for a second, but it was enough for Amari to overpower him, slamming her hands into his chest and causing her gold matter to burn and scorch the area around him. The pain was so immediate that he couldn't help but grunt.

Pulling his hands back because of the shock, Amari then let off an explosion only a couple inches from his chest, causing the boy to stubble backwards, now clutching the area and seething at the sting.

If she knew what she was doing right now, he already knew she'd be heartbroken, because of that it was hard to focus on his own injuries.

All for One seemed satisfied though. "She can't hear you boy, it's useless to even try."

Shinso watched the fight with hallowed eyes, wishing he could do something for the girl that helped him so much in the past. All his quirk was good for was brainwashing, it didn't have any physical capabilities...unless..

He then watched Todoroki block another one of her hits before shouting back. "Todoroki, get her to speak! Anything will do, just get her to say something!"

Not fully understanding where he was going with this, Todoroki was willing to try anything for her, nodding his head in compliance before speaking towards her. "Amari, if you can hear me, if you can even recognize my voice, say something! I know you don't want to do this! I know you are fighting yourself right now! Please, show me that you're in there."

The girl froze for a moment, everyone thinking they were getting somewhere when Amari only growled back, raising up her fists in another explosion.

Dodging the attack, Todoroki tried again, a slight crack to his words. "Amari, think about your brother, think about your parents, think about me, and everyone that cares about you! You can't let this thing beat you! You are stronger than this, I already know! That's one of the reasons why I love you!"

Todoroki then watched her stance remained the same as thick and heavy tears leaked from her eyes. Her emotionless facade hadn't changed but it looked like she was trying to break through, if only a little bit.

Feeling a tiny ray of hope in his chest, the boy called back to her, reaching out a hand to her. "Amari? Come back to me beautiful, please, don't cry I'm right here, and I always will be…"

Shinso noticed the tiny crack in her mask as well, now racing forward and shouting towards the girl at once. "Hey short stuff! Think about what you're doing right now! Do you really want to kill your precious brother or your boyfriend? Do you want to hurt him?! Look inside yourself and find the answer!"

The tears fell onto her cheeks as Todoroki watched her lip quiver, like she was trying to say something.

Just then, her voice rang out, small and extremely fragile. It was like it took everything within her to say that one word. "No.."

Suddenly, Amari's body grew still as Shinso brainwashed her, suddenly feeling a rush of emotions and screaming enter his ears. It was so loud that he had to cover his ears in anguish.

Deku noticed him and raced forward, now concerned. "Shinso, what's wrong?"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Shinso hissed back. "Oh god, she's screaming. Her mind is pushing against my quirk. We don't have much time to bring her back. We have to do it, now."

Although just as he said that, another wave of pain and emotion swept through him, finding it even harder to hold onto his mind control. She really was fighting him with everything she had. "Hurry up!"

Todoroki eyed the boy with concern before listening to his command and running up to Amari, placing a loving hand to her cheek. "Amari, It's me. I'm right here. Come back now, please. I need you next to me."

Her face felt cold and clammy, almost like a dead body. Because of that, Todorki felt his voice crack slightly, tears threatening to fall now. "I can't do this without you. I realized I'm not strong enough for that yet. Please, don't leave me again."

Suddenly, Amari's hand twitched, thinking that maybe this was a good sign, although it slowly dissipated when they heard Shinso let out a muffled scream. "It's no use. I can't hold it, I'm not strong enough. She's going to break out!"

Widened his eyes in terror, Todoroki knew he had to come up with something quick, now turning to Bakugo silently. Soon Amari would break out of the mind control and try to kill them again. It was only a matter of time.

That's when Bakugo did something surprising.

In one motion, Todoroki watched as he raced up to his sister before wrapping his arms on top of Todoroki's, now hugging her from the opposite side. "I'm not good at this kind of thing but if it can bring you back, I'll do anything. So, don't you dare even think about leaving me! I know I fucked up, and I know I'm a goddamn idiot most of the time, but regardless you're still my sister, and I love you, you idiot!"

Even Todoroki was surprised at her brother's declaration. He would've never thought Bakugo would have ever said those words, especially to her. He always thought the boy was too prideful for that.

Following in suit, Todoroki then leaned into her ear before squeezing her just how Bakugo had just done. "Do you hear that? That's your brother being proud of you and loving you, just like how I am always. I'm right here, you're safe, so come back to me beautiful.."

Shinso heard her screaming diapate then, the boy now able to uncover his ears as he turned to Amari. Slowly he saw the black veins on her neck begin to disappear as she blinked away the death in her eyes.

Reaching her hand up, Amari shakely touched the boy's arms before brokenly whispering out. "S-Shoto, B-Brother?"

Bakugo and Todoroki lifted their hands then, staring at the girl in utter shock before Todoroki couldn't help but let out a choking sob, pressing her body to his chest for dear life. "Oh thank god, Amari...you're back…"

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari pulled away from him before looking around, obviously not knowing what had happened. "What.."

All for One seemed to notice that she had broken free as well, not liking the result. "Oh little one, you're disobeying again. Listen to my orders. Kill them."

Suddenly Amari's head began to pound, feeling the orders wrap around and suffocate her, forcing her to comply. Although, she began to fight back this time. "No! Stop it, I don't want to.."

Her mind started to become fuzzy again and Todoroki could see the black veins crawling back, slowly as she fought with the voices in her head. All of them were screaming at her, forcing her to comply with his dark desires. DO IT. KILL THEM. DO IT. KILL THEM..

Shaking her head back, Amari screamed, feeling her entire body on fire. "Shoto, I can't! I can't stop it! Please, I don't want to hurt you! You have to kill me!"

Todoroki eyes widened at that, already denying her request and instead forcibly grabbing her arms to stop her from attacking. "Never. I would rather let you kill me."

Gritting her teeth in pain, Amari started to claw her way free, bringing her hand up and scratching Todoroki's face aggressively in a desperate attempt to escape.

Then looking back at the girl, he did the only thing he could think of, he kissed her.

Pressing his lips onto hers, Todoroki felt the girl struggle underneath him, reaching her arms out to attack him although he didn't move an inch, just pressing himself deeper into the girl.

Amari closed her eyes at the contact before that suffocating and terrible voice disappeared into nothing, now only focusing on his touch, his heat and his love. That's right, she knew this voice anywhere. This was Todoroki, the boy she loved.

Letting her hands fall to the sides, he then pulled away, seeing that the black veins had completely disappeared once again. Whatever he had done had worked.

She blinked back in a daze as All for One's voice rang out again. "You are losing my patience little one, I said, kill them!"

But this time, Amari felt nothing, causing the man to frown. "I see, you used all of your energy already. What a shame. I suppose we'll have to work on that."

As he spoke, the girl suddenly lost all feeling in her legs, tumbling to the ground only for Todorki to catch her. "Amari, are you okay?!"

Although she only nodded. "Yeah, I just feel..really dizzy.."

Just then, All Mights voice echoed to their left, now watching him block a hit from the villain. They had almost forgotten that he was in his own fight as well. "You must take young Bakugo and go! Quickly!"

Nodding back, Todoroki quickly scooped Amari up in his arms before running away, now hearing All for One's voice in the back of their head. "Soon you'll realize little one, you can never be strong without me! I gave you the power to become what you always wanted to be, without that you are nothing. Remember that."

Todoroki only glared though as he carried Amari away from the scene, although the girl couldn't help but take in those words, processing them slowly.

* * *

Reaching a small back alleyway, the group stopped to check on Amari who was slowly growing weaker by the moment. It was like whatever All for One gave her was draining her, one step at a time.

Bakugo eyed his sister in fear before doing the only thing he knew best, yelling at her. "You idiot! I have so many things to say to you right now it's not even funny!"

Amari felt another wave of exhaustion wash over her as she replied back. "I'm sorry Katsuki. Looks like I messed up again."

Her words made him immediately regret his choice though, huffing back. "Damn right. I don't know why I'm always chasing after your ass when all you do is get into trouble."

Amari looked down at this, before glancing at Todoroki and gasping. "Wait, Shoto, you're hurt."

Lightly touching the claw marks on his face, her eyes turned into ones of confusion. "What happened to you?"

Then she noticed the red dried blood on Katsuki clothes and leaned forward, now extremely concerned.. "Katsuki, oh my god, you're bleeding too. Did someone do this?"

Shinso and Deku's eyes widened then, taking in her question. It was like she didn't know.

Deku called her out first. "Uhh Amari-chan? Do you remember what happened?"

Thinking for a moment, a sharp flash of pain knocked against her skull, putting a hand to her hand in confusion. "Not really no. I remember that asshole injecting me with some kind of needle, and then everything is kind of a blur. Why?"

Everyone looked between each other then, slightly deciding it was better for her not to know everything that happened right now. It would most likely destroy her.

Even Bakugo decided against it. "Don't worry about that right now. Just be quiet and rest already."

Suddenly, the group heard a muffle of voices to their right. It seemed like a bunch of people were gathering for something.

Being curious, the group moved towards the crowd when they heard a TV reporter's voice echo through a large screen. "Tonight we are live to report an attack involving the symbol of peace All Might and a well known villain. We are live at the scene where we just witnessed an ambush between a new unknown female villain and a couple mystery students…"

Widened their eyes in fear, Todoroki tried to turn Amari away although it was too late, the girl forcing him to drop her onto her shaky feet. "Wait.."

Calling back to her, he replied. "Come on, we really should get you to a hospital.."

Yet Amari didn't listen, now feeling a sense of dread in her stomach and following the voice on the TV to get a better look.

Hearing her bare feet touch the sidewalk, Amari looked up at the screen only for her heart to drop into her chest. They were showing footage from the fight.

She turned her head in confusion watching someone that looked like herself beat and hurt the ones she loved, pounding on Bakugo, scratching Todoroki and mentally torturing Shinso. What was even happening? That wasn't her, right? "No...no..no...I don't remember that...what…"

Suddenly, her head began to pound as every terrible and horrible thing she did flashed into her mind, recalling everything that she had destroyed. She was responsible for their scars, she hurt them. "No no no, oh god, no…"

Amari then felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her into his chest slowly. It was Todoroki. "Amari, calm down. I'm okay, Bakugo's okay. We're all okay.."

Feeling her hands shake, the girl's breathing shallowed, coming in and out far too fast for anyone to handle. She heard herself ramble, muttering out broken words all at once. "What have I done? Oh my god, what did I...I'm so sorry… I didn't...I didn't.. mean to….I..I…"

The voices around her began to talk, replying low and scared. "I hope the hero's put that villain down quickly. We don't need another menace to our society."

Amari took in their words sharply before feeling herself grow dizzy. All she wanted to be was a hero, to help people. But it turned out that she was lying to herself. How could a hero hurt the people she held dear? How could a hero want to kill someone?

Bakugo raced forward then, seeing his sister break down and not exactly knowing what to do. "Hey, what's wrong with her?! What the hell's happening?!"

Todoroki eyes turned brokenly to hers, trying to calm her down but failing miserably. The damage had already been done. "Amari, Amari?! Can you hear me?"

Although his words had no effect, causing the girl to clutch her head, willing the memories away. "No..no...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry.. I don't want to be a villain...I don't want to hurt people..I..I…"

Just then, another wave of dizziness washed over her before the girl grew unconscious, crumbling into Todoroki's arms, the boy himself scared out of his mind. "Amari?!"

Although she made no movement, causing the boy to eye her sadly, now turning towards her brother, Shinso and Deku with only one thought in their minds..

What were they going to do now?

* * *

Happy Valentines Day! Have some pain!

Now the entire city knows about her attacking her friends so they think of her as a villain. That's not good. Poor Amari can't even catch a break. All she wanted to do was help people and support Katsuki and look at what happened. Poor girl's having a panic attack about everything.

But I mean Bakugo told her he loved her so I guess that's good? Progress there I suppose.

Next Chapter: Aftermath


	41. S3 Chapter 11

Amari stared out the hospital window with hollowed eyes, hearing the vague noise of the television behind her. _The notorious villain, All for One has been successfully captured, although heros are still on the lookout for his accomplishes from the attack. We also have visual from the heartbreaking fight with a shocking revelation from the symbol of peace, All Might. _

Glancing back, she saw All Might on the television, using all of his power and turning into a skinny, shriveling man in front of the entire world. It certainly was surprising to say the least, realizing that the symbol of peace was really so weak in actuality. It was the talk of the hospital now, Amari hearing various doctors and nurses speak about it.

She breathed in the familiar and sickening smell of antiseptic and felt herself grow a bit nauseous. Amari always hated that smell, the smell of her childhood. Those terrible memories and flashes of Kastuski's cruel words filling her ears once again.

_You really think I could be related to someone that weak? I can't wait until you fail so I can show you just how pathetic and useless you've always been. You'll never be a hero._

She needed to get out of here quickly, or else she would truly grow insane.

Looking down at her hands that were attached to various wires and needles, Amari recalled the dried blood that once covered the surface. Todoroki's blood, Katsuki's blood, Shinso's blood, even though her body was physically clean, she still felt dirty.

Amari squeezed her eyes shut, willing the terrible sensation away. Everything still felt like a terrible, horrendous nightmare. No, she was a hero, she wasn't a villain.

Just then, the door next to her opened slightly, Amari thinking it was another doctor or nurse checking on her like usual. That was until he heard his voice. "How are you feeling, young Bakugo?"

Widened her eyes slightly, she turned to find the very symbol of peace in front of her. He looked the same as he was on TV, with a skinny bonelike structure and hollowed out eyes. So this is what All Might usually looked like?

Usually she would've been freaking out about this kind of thing, admiring All Might since she and her brother were kids. Although after everything that happened, it seemed wrong to celebrate.

Sitting up in her bed, Amari groaned at the bullet wound in her shoulder before answering. "I'm getting there. Being shot isn't really that fun. I'll have to make a note of that for later."

Her words couldn't help but make the man laugh, happy to see her in high spirits. "From experience I would have to agree. I'm just glad to see you safe and sound now. Your brother and family were very worried about you."

Thinking back to her brother, Amari's smile lessened then, recalling the blood on his clothes. "Is Katsuki, okay?"

All Might just nodded back before answering. "He's alright. Recovery Girl fixed him right up. He should be able to return to class tomorrow."

Amari let out a sigh of relief then, now wondering something else. "Thank you. So, did they say when I could leave? I'm pretty sure my moms probably still freaking out about everything and since I can't have visitors I bet it's not helping…"

She laughed at her own joke but slowly stopped when All Might didn't share the same expression. He seemed, almost sad. "I have to talk to you about that, young Bakugo.."

The girl nodded her head in confusion before listening to All Might's next words and feeling her heart drop in her chest entirely, and all at once.

That's when her world came crashing down around her in one single, solitary moment.

* * *

When Todoroki got a call from the hospital telling him that he could finally Amari, the boy was ecstatic. It had taken everything within him to not grow crazy with worry, having to just sit at home and wait for the okay.

Picking up a bouquet of roses and other various flowers, the boy set off towards the hospital, knowing that Amari would probably be uncomfortable there, given her past. Maybe these would cheer her up a bit.

Somehow, Todoroki could still feel her shaking and terrified body in his arms, it was a memory that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard he tried. That was exactly why he needed to see her, to quell his own mind.

He walked into the hospital before noticing a very familiar outline in front of him. He looked to be yelling at the poor receptionist, demanding her where Amari was. Same old Bakugo. "Bakugo.."

Turning around sharply, Katsuki laid eyes on the boy before groaning. Oh great, now he'd have to deal with him. "What are you doing here icy hot?"

Lifting the flowers up as to prove a point, Todoroki replied. "I'm here to visit Amari. I assume you are going to do the same? If so, we should go together."

Katsuki took one look at the flowers before rolling his eyes. As much as he disliked Todoroki he couldn't deny that Amari probably missed him. "Whatever. Just don't get in my way, bastard."

Then he just shoved past the boy, bumping his shoulder as he moved by. He would deal with that guy for now, but only because his sister liked him.

They reached the room shortly, Todoroki opening the door first while Bakugo stood behind, his hands in his pockets in an irritated fashion.

Moving into the room, he found Amari sitting in bed, staring out the window with an readable expression on her face. But when she noticed his presence, he couldn't help but feel his heart skip as her lips curled up into a small smile. How he missed her. "Shoto, it's nice to see you."

Todoroki took another step closer, showing her the flowers before replying. "These are for you."

Amari's face lit up at the gesture, carefully gathering him in her arms and smiling back. "Oh they are beautiful. Thank you Shoto, but you didn't have to do that."

Although he only nodded back. "Yes I did. I missed you Amari."

Feeling her face flush, she replied shortly and small. "I missed you too."

He saw the red hue on her cheeks and felt his own lips start to curve up when Bakugo's voice cut through the air, the annoyance still apparent in his tone. "Ugh, can you not do that when I'm standing right here? It's still so fucking disgusting."

Blinking in surprise, Amari almost dropped the flowers as Katsuki stomped into the space. "Katsuki, I didn't know you were here too."

Bakugo only scoffed at that. "What, would you prefer it to just be that icy hot bastard then?"

Widened her eyes in concern, Amari shook her head quickly. "What, no of course not. I'm really happy to see you Katsuki. I guess I just thought you wouldn't come."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes in concern at her words. "Why wouldn't I? If you thought I wouldn't check on my dumbass sister then you really have a screw loose in your brain."

Amari took in his words for a moment before smiling under her breath. Yes his words were rather rough but somewhere she knew they came from a place of love. "Well, thank you. I'm so happy to see you two. Hospitals are just as fun as I remember them to be. It's nice to see some familiar faces. Well, besides All Might."

The boy's faces grew surprised then, Todoroki turning his brow in confusion. "All Might was here, why? I thought you couldn't have visitors."

She grew silent for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.. "Apparently when you're the number one hero you can do anything, and it wasn't anything really. He just wanted to see how I was doing."

Just then, her eyes flashed towards the TV screen, zoning out a bit at the words.

_Heros are still on the lookout for the mysterious female villain that revealed herself last night. We pray that they are able to identify and detain her quickly, for the sake of the world. _

Her eyes saddened at the words, causing Bakugo to grab the remote next to him and shut off the lies. Those people didn't even know what they were talking about. "Don't listen to those extras. They aren't worth your time.."

Amari nodded her head once as Todoroki quickly tried to change the subject, knowing that she was still upset by everything. "What did the doctors say? Do you know when you'll be discharged?"

Then two then watched her paused for a moment as her face lost a little bit of life before snapping back to normal a second later. That was odd. "Yeah, they said I should be all ready to go by next week. It's just this stupid bullet wound that's keeping me here. They say it's infected. Guess that's what happens when you don't treat it right away."

Then, she groaned to herself leaning forward and whining. "All I want is to eat normal food again. I'm so over this hospital food. It hasn't gotten any better since I was a kid lemme tell you."

Noticing her childlike nature return, Todoroki felt slightly relieved. "I could bring you something if you'd like?"

Her face lit up then, leaning towards him in excitement. "Wait, really?! Uhh I mean, that's okay. I couldn't ask that of you. Besides, the doctors would probably stop you anyways. I'm supposed to be on a strict diet."

Knowing she was probably right, Todoroki came up with something else. "Alright, how about after you get discharged I can take you out and we can get something then?"

He expected her to jump for joy or be excited about his offer but instead, it seemed he got something else entirely. She looked sad. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Todoroki felt something off about her response, now placing a hand to her upper thigh in concern. "Amari, are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Amari's eyes flashed to the floor then, opening her mouth for a moment as if to say something before locking her gaze with Katsuki and shutting it right after.

Then, she slapped Todoroki on the shoulder before laughing, a smile now plastered on her face. "What, no course not. I'm perfectly okay. You two need to stop worrying so much about everything."

Her stance turned to one of exhaustion then, letting out a loud and heavy yawn. "I'm sorry boys but I'm feeling kind of tired from the medicine they gave me. Do you mind if I take a nap?"

Todoroki still felt an uneasiness in his chest but let it go for now, knowing that they could talk about all of this later. "Of course. Just focus on getting better, okay?"

Standing from the chair, Amari nodded as Bakugo followed in suit. "Don't you dare even think about getting up either. You need to get back to school soon or else that damn Deku will be whining forever."

She couldn't help but smile at that as Todoroki leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss onto her forehead before whispering. "Don't hesitate to call me."

Amari was about to open her mouth when Bakugo grabbed Todoroki by the collar, pulling him outside roughly. "Alright lover boy, get off my damn sister and get out already."

Laughing at their interaction, Todoroki let the boy drag him away, putting a hand up to the girl shortly. "See you."

She mimicked the action and before she could blink, the boys were gone from her sight, only leaving silence.

Then once she realized they were truly gone, Amari's carefree smile began to drop slowly as she let out a shaky breath, now placing her head into her hands roughly.

* * *

Todoroki was walking home when he couldn't help but still have that sickening sensation in the back of his throat. There was something off about their conversation with Amari in the hospital, he just didn't know what it was.

He moved a couple more steps before feeling his body stop on its own. No, he couldn't do this. It seemed like something was really bothering her, and he needed to find out what it was.

Moving quickly back towards the hospital, Todoroki practically ran up the stairs before reaching her door once more and throwing open the object roughly.

Todoroki opened his mouth to greet her when he found something that made his heart hammer in his chest in absolute and complete fear. Amari wasn't there.

Trying to rationalize the situation, the boy began to tear through the room, calling out to her as his voice began to shake. "Amari? Amari please answer me…"

Although it was no use, the room was completely empty.

Todoroki ran a couple fingers through his hair before breathing out a shaky breath. No this couldn't be. She was right there in front of them. He couldn't lose her again.

The room began to spin around him as he caught sight on her phone, laying on her bed silently. He couldn't do this himself, he needed help.

Picking up the surface, Todoroki flipped the object open before going to the contacts and pressing a button. The voice on the other end sounded annoyed. "What do you want now?"

Todoroki's voice answered then, making the boy on the other end of the line freeze with fear. "Bakugo, it's me. She's gone. I don't know what happened but Amari's gone."

A loud rustle should be heard on the other line, sounding like Bakugo was running as he replied. "What..no no...What the fuck does that mean?! We just saw her!"

Shaking his head back, Todoroki answered. "I don't know, just get to the hospital. We need to find her, now."

Bakugo seemed annoyed by that, already heading out the door. "You don't think I know that dumbass?! Screw you, don't move!"

The line went dead then, Todoroki closing the phone before feeling his own breathing shallow. What was even happening? He knew something was wrong with her.

He should've asked her about it again,he should've pushed her to respond. He should've done anything.

* * *

A couple minutes later, Todoroki heard Bakugo burst into the room, now looking more frantic than ever. "Alright bastard, you better tell me what the fuck is going on!"

Shaking his head, the boy replied. "I don't know. I knew there was something off about her today but I should've pushed more. I haven't told anyone yet as we don't want to start a mass panic again. Amari doesn't need anymore news about her right now."

Nodding his head, Bakugo pointed roughly towards the reciepist. "And these extras don't know anything. Hell, they said that she hasn't even spoken to them once since she got here. That's unusual for her, usually I can't get brat to shut up."

The two scanned the room then, Todoroki throwing her sheets off the bed. "There has to be something, something that can help us. She can't just be gone."

That's when Todoroki noticed a single card on her bedside table, now hearing Bakugo shout. "I swear to god, if that bastard took her again I will…"

But the boy just shushed him, picking up the piece of paper. "You're not helping. Look, it's from All Might. Didn't she say that he visited her before? Maybe he would know something."

Katsuki took in an insult for a moment before completely ignoring it, now taking the card out the boys hands. "Well, what the fuck are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Nodding his head, Todoroki agreed, now running with Amari's brother, fear and worry both etched in their stomachs.

* * *

They reached the school in record time, throwing the door to the teachers office open and seeing All Might smile at the boys. "Oh what a lovely surprise. If it isn't young Bakugo and young Todoroki. How are you boys?"

Although the two were not in the mood for small talk, Bakugo slamming his hand on the desk next to him. "What the fuck happened to my sister?!"

Of course, the hero was confused by this. "What do you mean boy? Young Bakugo is still in the hospital, I visited her just a couple hours ago."

This time it was Todoroki who spoke, low and serious. "Did she seem weird to you? Please All Might, this is important. We visited her as well and she seemed different."

All Might took in his words before letting his face fall, now fully realizing why they were here. "Of course she would be rather upset about everything. Seemed she really was just putting on a brave face."

Narrowing their eyes confusion, Bakugo replied. "What the fuck does that mean?! What do you mean everything?!"

The man took a step forward then, seemingly more sullen. "This is something you need to hear from her. It's not something I should be telling you boys."

Suddenly, a loud shout echoed through the room stopping all the teachers in their tracks. Although, it wasn't Bakugo that was yelling, it was Todoroki. "We don't have time for that! Tell me, what did you say to her?!"

All Might blinked in surprise at the boys' aggression before sighing in defeat. "Alright. I understand your concern."

Then, he leaned forward. "I feel partly responsible for the way things played out. If I had noticed just how much young Bakugo was suffering, then maybe I could have stopped those terrible events from occurring. Her pills having Nomu blood in them, I never even realized."

Crossing his hands, the hero continued. "We did some tests and it's just too dangerous to continue using the pills, so I told young Bakugo that we would have to dispose of them immediately.."

The boys supposed that made sense, knowing just how terrible the effects were on her body. But that brought another question up in Todoroki's mind. "What will happen once she stops using them?"

All Might smiled bitterly at that. "You and her asked the same thing. Once she stops using the pills, then the effects of the drug will slowly fade out as well, reverting back to her original body."

The words pounded into the boys all at once, knowing fully well what he was saying. Todoroki's voice coming out small and scared for her. "So, she'll be basically quirkless again?"

The man nodded his head and Bakugo felt like he was going to be sick. Amari was going to go back to being weak and fragile? She was going to be quirkless? No, he couldn't handle that reality.

A hot fiery rage entered Todoroki's stomach then, realizing why she was so strange today. She was probably destroyed. "Do you even realize what you just told her? Her quirk is everything to her…"

Looking away All Might answered. "I know, and it's unfortunate. But that's why I also told her I was dropping her from the hero course."

This time it was Bakugo's turn to shout back. "You did what?! You can't do that! That brat gave everything to be in the hero course! You can't just fucking kick her out like she's nothing!"

Although the man tried to stay level headed. "I understand your devastation but without a quirk, young Bakugo simply can't stay at U.A. anymore. It would be too dangerous for her."

Even though it made sense logically, Todoroki and Bakugo were furious. All Amari wanted to do was help people and be a hero, but they were just kicking her out like that?

Narrowing his eyes in concern, Todoroki whispered to himself "No, it can't be..

Katsuki paced back and forth at the reveal before kicking the desk next to him in utter anger. "This is fucking ridiculous. Amari is way more of a hero than you'll ever be! At least she doesn't fucking give up on people!"

Turning his brow, All Might replied. "I'm not giving up on her. In fact, I'm trying to do everything in my power but the problem is, the world sees Bakugo as a threat now. Whether we like it or not she did aid in the attack so the heros have to decide whether to detain her or not."

Detain? As in, imprison? They were deciding if Amari was a villain or not? The idea itself was utterly ridiculous. First she had to find out she was going to be quirkless, then she found out she was dropped from the hero course, and now she was possibly going to be imprisoned? The reality was too much for anyone to bear. What was she even thinking right now?

Katsuki didn't seem to enjoy this either, instead grabbing All Might by his slim shoulders and lifted him up in the air. "Hold a minute, my sister isn't a god damn villain! She didn't want to hurt us but that asshole made her! You can't treat her like some kind of criminal!"

All Might eyes saddened then, placing his hands on her brothers. "I know, and I don't want that either. I'm fighting with everything I can to get Bakugo freed, but it's not up to me. We just have to wait and then live with the decision that's given."

He didn't seem to like that response though, throwing the man back into his chair. "Fuck you! I'm not letting her be painted as a villain no matter what anyone says!"

Bakugo was on a tangent, which was justified but Todoroki knew that was not where they should be focusing their power on right now. "Bakugo, forget this. We need to find her, now. I can't even imagine what's going on in her mind right now. We need to be there for her."

Widening his eyes, Katsuki realized what he was saying, now stepping away from All Might before nodding. As much as he hated that bastard, he was right. He knew just how proud she was of her quirk.

How devastated was she right now?

* * *

Running around the entire city, Bakugo and Todoroki looked around for Amari everywhere but with no luck. It was really like she just disappeared. They debated telling others but they couldn't risk the news finding out about this. They were already spreading such lies about her, who knows what kind of panic it could cause.

The sun was beginning to set as Todoroki turned frantically towards Bakugo, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. "Where could she be?"

Katsuki scoffed angrily before kicking the nearest street sign. "That brat is good at hiding I'll give you that."

Trying to rack his brain, Todoroki thought of every possible place she could be but it was pointless. Amari wasn't anywhere.

He ran a couple fingers through his hair, ready to give up when a sudden idea popped into his mind. No, she couldn't be..

Then, before Katsuki could process it, he saw Todoroki running down the opposite direction. "Hey, where are you going you bastard! You better not be giving up!"

Although the boy only responded shortly, gesturing to Katsuki. "I know where she is."

Widening his eyes, Bakugo quickly followed the boy a couple minutes down the road until they reached a set of apartments, the boy not understanding. "Why the hell would she be here?"

Todoroki touched the railing before moving towards the steps. It was kind of sad that Bakugo didn't even know this place."This is her old apartment."

He reached her old unit quickly before noticing the door was ajar and slightly cracked, although there was no light seeping from under the door.

The boys shared a look before Todoroki creaked open the door and stepped inside, the thick and sickening scent of alcohol around the area, causing Bakugo to cringe. "What the hell.."

Although they stopped when a small noise in the corner echoed through the darkness, Todoroki now moving closer to it and whispering. "Amari?"

Turning the corner, the boys couldn't help but freeze at the sight before her. Sitting on the floor a couple feet away was Amari, with five or six empty bottles of alcohol around her in the circle. Her body was scrunched together in a tiny ball with her head down, not noticing them.

As his breathing hitched in his throat, Todoroki kneeled down towards her, touching the girl's arm carefully. "Amari, are you okay?"

His voice caused her to look up, dazed. He could see the tear stains on her cheeks as she suddenly leapt into his arms, slurring her speech. "Shoto, you're here…"

Eying her sadly, Todoroki patted her head "Of course I am. What are you doing? I already told you not to drink like this."

She grumbled against his chest as Bakugo took in the boys words, now completely concerned. "Why the hell are you saying that? Amari doesn't drink.."

But Todoroki could only sigh as she lifted her hand up, playing it with the features on his face. "You're so pretty Shoto. It makes me wanna kiss you so that all the bad things can go away.."

Then, he watched as she hoisted herself up, humming happily as the girl leaned forward, fully ready to kiss him. Although, Todoroki pushed her back, knowing fully well that her brother was watching. "Amari stop. We have to take you back."

Her eyes crumbled then, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "But I don't wanna go back, ever. Don't make me Shoto, pleaseeee.I don't wanna be a nobody again. I'm just gonna stay here forever okay?"

Then, she laughed to herself before reaching for another bottle. "It's funny, right? I really was just wasting my time. Katsuki was right after all. I'm a big fucking disappointment, just like I've always been."

Todoroki raced forward and grabbed the bottle before she could take it, causing her to put a sloppy finger to his lips. "But don't tell Katsuki, Mmkay? It will be our little secret…"

His eyes flashed to Bakugo who was just watching all of this in shock. It was obvious Amari didn't know he was here also. Looks like he would have to fix that. "Hey, what are you even saying?"

At the sound of his voice, Amari's eyes widened, dropping the bottle in her head before locking eyes with her brother. "No.."

Then, in a single motion, she covered her face with her hands, backing into the corner to hide herself from Bakugo. "Is he gone? Tell him to go away Shoto, I can't see him…"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes in confusion, stepping forward. "What are you five? I'm still here. You can't just hide from me Amari."

Shaking her head back and forth, Amari replied. "No! I don't wanna.."

Sighing in exhaustion, Bakugo tried to forcibly remove her hands then, much to her protests. "Come here brat! Stop moving so much and look at me already!"

Although she only pulled back. "No! You can't…"

He was able to grasp one hand and force it away as he huffed back. "And why the hell not?!"

Locking eyes with her brother, Amari then shouted back, rough and brokenly. "Because I'm not worth it!"

Freezing for a moment, Katsuki took in his sisters tear stained face as even more tears started to appear. "I don't even have a quirk anymore, so how can I make you proud of me now? I ruined everything…"

Bakugo took his words as a heavy ball rose in his throat. What was she even saying? Just because she didn't have a quirk didn't mean that she wasn't still his sister.

His voice came back small and afraid. "Hey, what are you even saying?"

Slapping his chest, Amari replied. "I was finally strong enough to be your sister, to make it so you weren't ashamed of me to others. But now, what do I have? Nothing. I'm nothing...just like I've always been.."

Amari curled her fingers around his shirt then, crying out broken tears as Bakugo's hand began to shake. Her having a quirk wasn't the only reason he was proud of her. In fact, it was his own fear and shame that caused him to pull away. "Wait, is that what you thought?"

He didn't get an answer though, just crying in his chest, causing the boy's voice to crack as well. "You got it all wrong stupid. All this time, you thought you had to be strong enough for me? How long have you been thinking that?"

Once again, he didn't get a response, causing Bakugo to turn his head to Todoroki. He needed to know just how badly he had hurt her with his own stupid words. "Hey, since when has she been like this?"

Glancing towards the floor for a moment, he replied. "She's always been like this, you just never see it because she tries more then anything to be strong for you. She's afraid you'll reject her."

Widening his eyes in horror, Bakugo looked down at his broken sister, his vision now getting blurry from his own tears. All this time, that bastard had seen every part of her while she felt like she had to be strong for her own brother? "As if I could ever do that."

Then, Katsuki covered his shaking body with hers, letting his arms wrap around her body as he spoke small. He fully understood now, he had broken her. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. I'm sorry, I fucked up so bad. You're not weak, you've never been weak. I just say those things because I get pissed off and so damn scared that you're going to get hurt and I won't be able to stop it."

Clutching onto her brother's shirt for dear life, Amari muttered back. "I'm sorry. I don't deserve to be your sister."

This caused Bakugo's heart to break, holding onto her tighter before shaking his head, the tears pouring on his face now. "No you idiot, you don't get it. All this time, you got it backwards. I don't deserve to be your brother."

They held each other for what seemed like forever before he felt Amari's soft breath on his neck, indicating that she had fallen asleep

Letting out a shaky breath, he turned to Todoroki who had decided to sit on the floor next to them, just watching silently. He knew Amari probably wouldn't remember the words she said tonight but Bakugo sure would.

Moving over towards the girl, Todoroki went to pick her up when Bakugo slapped his hand away. "Don't touch her icy hot. I'll do it."

He moved his hand back as Katsuki carefully gathered his sister in his arms before looking at her sadly. "I don't know how to be the brother she wants, but I'm not going to turn a blind eye anymore. I'll protect her this time, I have to."

Nodding his head in acceptance, Katsuki started to move towards the door before he paused for a moment and turned to Todoroki. "And icy hot…"

Then, locking eyes with Bakugo, the boy made an expression never before seen by Todoroki. He looked devastated, as the dry tear stains glimmered on his cheeks. "Thanks for looking out for her when I wasn't. I suppose that brat was right to trust you."

* * *

Welcome to Amari's lowest point. She's quirkless, kicked out of U.A. and might possibly be imprisoned as a villain. Pretty much as bad as you can get. And let's not forget to mention that Amari will go back to having her weak constitution without the pills.

But at least Bakugo finally got his head out of his ass and realized he needed to support her now. Did you notice that she was going to tell Todoroki everything in the hospital but then decided against it because her brother was there and she didn't wanna seem weak in front of him? Heart breaking stuff right there

Such a sad and heartbreaking brother/sister moment oof.

Next chapter: The heros come to a decision about Amari.


	42. S3 Chapter 12

After an agonizing long week, Amari was finally able to leave the hospital, but where she was going after that was still unknown. Would they come and take her to prison like society wants them to, or would she be sent back to America with her bags packed? It didn't really matter either way, both options were painful.

Hearing the door open next to her, Amari picked up her bag and found All Might staring back at her with sad, pitying eyes. She hated that look more than anything and had tried so hard to avoid that reaction. Seeing it now was kind of comical in its own light. "Young Bakugo, how are you feeling?"

She looked down at the floor before trying to smile, but finding it difficult to for some reason. "Oh you know, still living. So, are you here to put me in handcuffs and drag me away to prison or what? If you're gonna do it then just get on with it already."

All Might took in her expression for a moment before sitting down in the chair next to him. "About that, it seems I was able to come to an agreement with the rest of the school board. We all think it would be the safest for you to stay at U.A."

Amari's head turned to the hero's all at once, hope now in her eyes. "Wait, I can stay in the hero course?"

Although she was met with a dejected look. "I would like to do that but unfortunately without a quirk it would be impossible to stay in the hero course. I tried to reason with the board but they seemed pretty set on that. I'm sorry."

Hearing that news, the girl felt her shoulders sag, the hope gone from her expression. "So where are you going to put me then?"

All Might crossed his hands in front of him before replying. "They've decided to drop you from the hero course into the support class."

The words filtered into her ears all at once, Amari feeling somewhat nauseous. Just the image of still having to attend school with her brother and yet be the weak sibling made her feel terrible. "The support class, are you kidding me? If that's the case then I'll just leave altogether. It's not worth it anymore.."

There was a small pause in the space before All Might spoke again, this time with a sense of apprehension in his voice. "Young Bakugo, even though you were not at fault for the attack, it's no secret that the villains desire your power, and the citizens are so caught up in false rumors right now that letting you walk free would be extremely dangerous.."

Not liking where this was going, Amari frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

Looking down at the floor for a moment, All Might continued. "We all believe that the safest place for you right now is at U.A. It is the most secure facility we have next to the prison. There we can monitor your power and protect you from the villains since you are unable to use your quirk now."

Amari thought about what he was saying and frowned. So their options for her were basically U.A. or a prison? Both seemed the same in one way or another honestly.

Balling her hands into a fist, Amari hissed back. "Oh cut the bullshit already, we all know what this is. They are afraid of me, aren't they? So they want to imprison me, one way or another. The school is just a cover."

Saying it so blatantly like that made the hero frown. "It's only because they don't understand the kind of person you are young Bakugo. Soon they will see that you aren't a threat, but until then, we have to quell their worries, understand?"

Amari scoffed back almost immediately. "Yeah I understand. So you're telling me that it doesn't matter if I wanna stay at the stupid school or not because I really have no choice. I have to live without my quirk and still watch everyone else succeed while I'm sidelined in the support class? Sounds like a dream."

Reaching out to comfort her, All Might sighed. "I'm sorry young Bakugo. I wish I could help you more but the most I can do is this. At least it keeps you out of being detained and you can see your brother. In fact, we designed dorm rooms for you and the rest of the class so you won't be alone."

She knew All Might meant well. Hell, if it wasn't for him she would've been hauled away somewhere by now, locked up and tested on like some kind of lab rat. Another, no matter how good his intentions seemed, Amari still felt imprisoned, one way or another.

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "I know you're only trying to help and it's my own damn fault this happened in the first place. I'm just sorry you have to do so much for me."

Smiling back sadly, he answered. "It's nothing young Bakugo. Regardless of your quirk, there is a hero inside you yet. You just have to find her."

Amari found his words funny though. "Yeah right."

A small echo of silence appeared then before All Might smiled back, a little brighter than before. "It's true young Bakugo, You have the biggest, selfless heart I've ever seen. Now before you leave, I have a surprise for you, since you won't be able to leave the campus once you arrive."

Amari turned her brow in confusion when the door opened again, revealing someone that she knew very well, her mother. "Mom…"

Tears started to appear in her eyes as her mother raced forward, hugging her daughter with everything she had. "Oh my baby, my sweet baby, you're alright. I was so worried sick about you. I'm so happy you're okay."

Then, the air suddenly changed as Mituski then frowned, slapping her daughter roughly on her shoulder. "What is wrong with you! You stupid stupid girl. Why would you do that to yourself?!"

Rubbing the surface, Amari blinked back in surprise. Sure she had seen her mother talk to Katsuki like this but she was always sweet to her. This was certainly a change. "I'm sorry mom."

Although Mitsuki wasn't finished, yelling back. "Sorry's not going to cut it! Bakugo Amariana, do you know how scared I was when I saw you on TV like that?! I thought I was going to lose you again! Do you even understand what that feels like as a mother?! You are so reckless and irresponsible, how could you push yourself like that all this time?!"

Not really keeping up with all her shouting, Amari felt her eyes sadden. "I know, I know mom. But I just wanted to be a hero, like Katsuki."

Yet her mother wasn't pleased. "Don't do that, Katsuki is the worst role model! He's a dumbass! I already have one irresponsible and stupid child, I don't need another. You twins are gonna be the death of me, I swear."

Watching her eyes fall, Amari sighed. "I'm sorry for disappointing you. I just didn't want you to worry about me, you know, after everything."

Mitsuki frowned at her daughter's saddened body language, knowing she meant her sick childhood, and slapped her upside the head. "Bakugo Amariana, you take that back right now!"

Groaning back at the hit, suddenly she felt herself being pulled into her mother's loving embrace, the woman now touching her head lightly. "Did you really think I wouldn't want to hear something like this?! Keeping it all to yourself the entire time, what a foolish child I have."

Amari felt her mother's warmth and slowly moved her arms up to cradle her back. She never wanted to hurt her like this, all Amari ever wanted to do was make her not worry anymore. "If only I was stronger, then you wouldn't have to worry anymore…"

Mistuki took in her words before shaking her head and pulling her daughter back so that they locked eyes. She then ran her fingers through a couple strands of her hair before replying. "Oh sweetie, you got it all wrong. Being strong isn't about keeping everything to yourself and suffering, it's about having the courage to talk about your fears and weaknesses. No one is strong all the time, that's just a part of being human."

Amari took in her mother's words but didn't really understand them. How could she possibly be strong if she showed her weaknesses? It didn't make any sense, well at least at the time it didn't.

Clinging onto Mitsuki for a couple more minutes, Amari then felt her pull away slowly. 'Amari, listen to me. Promise me you won't use your quirk anymore. It's too dangerous."

Her request stung the girl, knowing very well she didn't have a choice. "I know mom, it's not like I can use it anyways. I guess now I'll be known as the only quirkless girl at U.A."

Her mother smiled sadly at that. "I know it's hard right now, and those terrible news stations are telling such lies about my baby, but know that this is only temporary. The world will see what I see soon enough, and that is a strong, beautiful and smart woman, even without a quirk."

Once again, Amari didn't really believe her words, knowing she was nothing without her quirk, but poliety nodded to quell her worry. "Thanks mom, but I guess that means I can't live with you and dad anymore either if I'm staying in the dorms. I'm going to miss you"

Tears started to line the corners of Mitsuki's eyes, knowing that the world has been nothing but cruel to her daughter. "Oh sweetie, we'll miss you too but it's not forever, and you'll have Katsuki. I'll make sure he looks after you. He damn well better or else I'm going to have some words with that boy."

She couldn't help but smile at the empty treat, nodding her head."I'm sorry I messed everything up. If only you had a normal daughter."

Although Mizuki only shook her head. "If I had a normal daughter, then she wouldn't be mine. Us Bakugo's are known to be rather explosive and abnormal. That just means you're really part of the family, flaws and all."

Amari felt her eyes water slightly as well as her mother then leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. Her words were so warm and comforting, saying that she really was a Bakugo, through and through. That was all she ever wanted, well, at least her mother thought so. "Thanks."

Mizuki smiled at that before clapping her hands together. "Alright, well I'll let you finish getting ready. I already went ahead and sent some of your things to the school. Do you have someone to walk you there?"

Nodding her head, Amari smiled. "Yeah, I'll be okay. Shoto is going to meet me outside in a couple minutes anyways. He said we'd go together."

Her mother smiled at that, remembering her past conversation with Todoroki. She was thankful that he was taking his words seriously. "How nice of him. Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure he missed you these past weeks and everything."

Amari face flushed then, slapping her on the shoulder playfully. "Mom stop it. Why do you always have to say such weird things like that?"

Although Mizuki only laughed, enjoying the embarrassment on her daughters face, hoping that Katsuki and that boy would be able to heal her, little by little so that she could finally see her worth.

That was her hope anyways.

* * *

Throwing on a jacket over her tank top, Amari walked down the steps of the hospital, smiling to herself at the idea of seeing Todoroki. He hadn't visited her much which she honestly didn't blame him for. Between his scar and his mother, Amari was sure that the hospital wasn't the most welcoming place for him anymore.

She threw open the door and looked around quickly, hoping to see that familiar two tone hair color only to find nothing. That was strange. Usually he showed up fairly early.

Suddenly the voice to her right caused her to widened her eyes, sharply turning to the stranger. "What took you so long? I swear, you always take forever. What were you even doing, solving world hunger?"

Blinking her eyes in surprise, she found none other than her brother, Katsuki before her. "Katsuki, what are you doing here?"

He grunted in annoyance before replying. "Picking you up, stupid. What do you think I would be doing?"

Amari narrowed her eyes in confusion at that. "Wait, I thought Shoto was picking me up?"

Bakugo was silent for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. He hated that she looked so depressed that icy hot wasn't here. "I told him to meet you at U.A. What, is there something wrong with wanting to pick up my idiot sister? Cause if so I will just go home and say screw it."

Noticing his soft tone, Amari was extremely confused, but went along with it anyways, now slightly suspicious "No, I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

Katsuki then huffed in response before reaching forward and forcefully grabbed her bag before replying. "Good, then let's go. Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

He started off down the road then, causing his sister to chase after him roughly. Seeing her run to meet him suddenly brought a heavy lump in his chest, now slowing down to meet her pace. She shouldn't be running with that injured shoulder.

Amari slowed her pace as well, noticing his speed and frowning. What was up with him today? It's like he was being, nice. That certainly was new.

A small amount of silence echoed through the space then before Katsuki spoke, again low and small. "How are you feeling?"

Turing her brow in confusion, she rubbed her arm once in reply. "Uhh I'm okay. The doctors said the bullet wound is almost healed so I can go back to training and everything."

Bakugo stopped then, sharply turning to his sister. "You are still going to train? Are you actually shitting me Amari? You just got shot, calm down for once and relax."

Although she didn't like his words, shaking her head. "And I already rested plenty in the hospital. I'm already useless without my quirk, I'm not about to lose everything I worked for. I don't expect you to understand but I have to do this.."

Katsuki felt that small wave of anxiety in his stomach, now fully seeing just how broken his sister truly was. Even after being shot and kidnapped, she wouldn't let herself rest, like she had to prove something. Why couldn't she just slow down for once?

Knowing very well how she was now, Bakugo didn't want to argue with her, just sighing roughly. "You're right, I don't goddamn understand, but I also know that even if I say no, you'll just find a way to do it anyways so if you are going to continue to do this, then you better take care of yourself. No more being reckless, you hear me?"

She honestly expected far more of an argument from the boy. Bakugo was never one to give up on an idea of his so quickly. "Yeah, I understand."

Katsuki seemed pleased with that though, turning his head back. "Damn right, you better understand. I swear, you are always such a goddamn handful, and once we get to U.A. you are resting, I don't wanna even hear you whine about it. It wouldn't kill you to slow down sometimes damn it."

Amari remained silent causing Bakugo to tick his brow in annoyance, needing to hear her response. "Promise me."

Blinking in surprise at his rough tone, Amari internally jumped back a bit before answering, not exactly sure what she was going on. Her brother was never this intensive to her.. "I promise?"

Katsuki seemed to be satisfied with that, nodding his head in reply. "Be prepared, I'm going to hold you to that."

He continued on after that but Amari couldn't help but continue to feel confused.

What was up with him?

* * *

Seeing U.A. in the distance, the school was fairly quiet. It was a Sunday after all which meant most, if not all students had gone home, leaving the twins to be met with silence as they entered the gates.

Although that didn't last long as they reached the dorms, hearing Deku shouting towards them roughly. "Amari-chan! You're okay! I was so worried, and Kacchan wouldn't say much about you so I'm so glad to see you're okay!"

He was rambling again, which made Katsuki groan, yet Amari fully welcomed his words, accepting a hug from the boy. "Hey Midoriya. It's good to see you also. I'm sorry I worried you. The hospital didn't really let me have guests."

Smiling back, he only smiled. "That's alright. It's just good to have you back, and now we'll all be living together, isn't that great?"

He was obviously trying to ease the mood. Deku probably knew about her house arrest as well so he was trying to make good of a bad situation. He always seemed to do that.

His words caused her to smile sadly, the boy noticing her slightly sullen eyes. "Yeah, great."

Slightly taken back by that, he opened his mouth to speak only to be pushed aside by Bakugo roughly. "Alright you damn Deku, that's enough. She needs to rest, so get out of here already."

Amari narrowed her eyes in annoyance at that, speaking back equally as rough. "Oh please Katsuki, I'm not eighty years old. What is with you?"

Yet Katsuki wouldn't take no for an answer, already grabbing his sister and pulling her inside the dorms all at once. "I don't give a damn what you want. Let's go."

Deku seemed surprised by the action before accepting it. It seemed like Kacchan was still really worried about Amari. He supposed he couldn't blame him for that. "It's alright Amari-chan. I'll see you later."

Amari moved to speak when Katsuki pulled her around the corner and away from the boy completely. There was something serious off with her brother today. Why was he being so damn protective? He had to know she hated being babied more than anything.

Pushing the door open to her room, Bakugo let Amari inside before she shook off his arm roughly. "You didn't have to do that. Why are you controlling who I talk to?"

Yet Katsuki only ignored her accusation, causing her to narrow her eyes and reach for her suitcase. "Thanks for carrying my bag though, here I can take it."

Touching the handle slightly, Bakugo frowned before pulling the bag back and out of her reach. He didn't want her to reopen her wound by carrying something heavy. "Forget it, just lay down already."

This was making Amari slightly more frustrated. "Katsuki, I can take my suitcase. Why are you treating me like I'm some kind of fragile doll? You know I hate that."

Bakugo knew exactly why, but couldn't speak the words out loud, they were too embarrassing. "Whatever, take your jacket off."

He went to grab her jacket and Amari gasped, pulling back on the fabric. "Seriously, what is with you?! I don't need you to baby me!"

Yet Katsuki, wouldn't give up, trying to force her hands up. "Stop struggling Amari, I'm trying to help you damn it!"

This caused Amari to grumble as she felt her fingers lift up. "I didn't ask for that stupid!"

Just then, the jacket slipped off her shoulders and onto the ground, causing Katsuki gasp at the sight before him. There on her shoulder blades were dozens of ugly scars and burns. It was like she was tortured.

His frozen stance confused the girl for a moment before gasping, and pulling the object back on her shoulders. "I already said stop it. You don't have to stare."

Her words snapped him awake, reaching out to her in concern. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Letting her eyes fall to the floor, Amari sighed roughly. "Training from America. I don't remember some of it but from the looks of it, it doesn't seem pretty. Whatever, I'm already over it."

How could she possibly be over something like that? Bakugo would never know. How hard had she pushed herself just to get into U.A., to see him again? It seemed the further he looked, the deeper her mental and physical scars were. How could he have been so blind before?

Noticing his silence, Amari took the chance to call him out on his odd behavior. "What is wrong with you today? Do you have a fever or something? You've been acting, different."

Bakugo blinked once, still picturing her scarred shoulder in the back of his mind before answering half heartedly. "Why the hell would you think that?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Amari huffed. "You've been acting, nice. Maybe a little too nice. It's really weird. Did you hit your head during that villain attack or something?"

He did notice the change in his attitude but pretended to ignore it. "What, I can't be nice to my sister for once?"

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "I mean, I guess you can. You're just not usually this passionate about it. You do know that I'm fully capable or doing this for myself, right? I mean I know I'm quirkless now and everything but you don't have to make me feel even more useless than I already am."

At her words, Bakugo paused, not realizing that his actions came off like that. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. "I know you're not useless damn it, I just want to make sure you aren't going to do anything stupid anymore, since you never tell me anyways."

Amari's eyes saddened then, causing Katsuki to continue. "What happened when you were kidnapped, I never want to feel that way again. So, if there's something going on, you better damn well tell me next time. I won't think you're weak or anything like that, just tell me what's going on like you do with icy hot all the time.."

She eyed her brother with interest, seeing him so depressed in front of her. Did her disappearance really affect him? She always thought he'd move on fairly quickly.

Because of that, she made a joke."Are you really sure about that? You might hear something you didn't want to in the first place, like some major TMI."

Although Katsuki didn't find her words funny, just reaching forward at grabbing her shoulders. "I don't care damn it. I want to know everything. Even if you think it will burden me or some shit, tell me anyways. I can take it."

Her smile fell then, sensing the atmosphere in the room. She didn't really know how to respond to that. "Katsuki…"

Shaking his head, Bakugo spoke back. "Listen, I know I'm a pretty piss poor excuse of a brother and I get pissed off all the time but if you wanna say something, I'm here, you got that?!"

Blinking in surprise and confusion, Amari muttered back. "Yep, you definitely have a fever or something. Stop being so serious, it doesn't suit you. I get it, okay? Now go back to being the grumpy, explosive brother I know. You're kinda creeping me out."

Bakugo stood silent for a moment before realizing that she wasn't going to understand over night. He did treat her like trash for so long after all. "Shut up nerd. I'm not being creepy you idiot."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, recognizing the familiarity. "Ah, there he is."

He groaned at that, slapping the girl on her side before sighing. "Whatever. You really are hopeless. I'll bring your stuff from down stairs so just relax for once. Maybe it will improve your idiotic behavior."

Frowning back, she saw Bakugo leave before she let out a heavy sigh. What was all of that about talking to him? There was seriously something up with him, it was like he was worried about something.

Whatever it is, Amari wasn't sure how she felt about this new Katsuki.

* * *

Oh wow, Bakugo actually being nice for once? Well, he's trying. It's a step process. I love how Amari's like WTF cause she doesn't remember her drunken confession a week ago.

Next Chapter: Back to school, yet in the support class.


	43. S3 Chapter 13

Bakugo banged on his sisters door five times before waiting to receive only silence. It was almost time for class and she was taking forever getting ready. Well, it was either that or the poor girl was stalling for as long as she could. Katsuki knew better than anyone how heart broken his sister was over changing classes and all.

He grumbled to himself before slamming his fist on the surface again, shouting through the wood angrily. "Come on Amari, get your ass moving already! Why are you always so goddamn slow?"

Just then, the door opened quickly, revealing a very annoyed sister. "Would you cut it out Katsuki, I already said I was coming! Give me a damn break, would you?"

Shaking her head in frustration, Katsuki could now see the bags under her eyes and her very tired stance. She had never really snapped at him before. Usually she would just brush it off and he would call her a push over. That's how he knew she wasn't alright.

Amari closed the door behind her only to find Bakugo trying to take her school bag out of her hands. Was this going to be a normal occurance now? She hoped not. "Don't even think about it. I already told you I can carry my own bag. Cut it out already, would you?"

She stepped away then, causing Katsuki to back off for the moment, now just staring at her in concern. He knew he was probably overdoing it but the boy couldn't help it. There was something up with her. "Listen, if any extras try to mess with you just let me know and I'll take care of them."

Looking down at the floor before a moment, the girl smirked sarcastically. "Thanks but I'm fine. I can handle myself Katsuki."

Narrowing his eyes in frustration, Bakugo said his next words without thinking. "And how are you gonna do that without a quirk, dumbass?"

The minute he said that, Katsuki knew he had misstepped, watching his sister shrink into herself a tiny bit more, her voice sad. "I'll figure it out. Just, stop trying to baby me, okay? I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

Bakugo was silent then, watching her walk away from him slowly. Why did he always have to say the wrong thing? He didn't even know how to be that caring twin brother she always wanted. Everything was so new to him.

But one thing was for sure. He would protect her, even if Amari didn't want it.

* * *

Moving to the front gates without Bakugo, Amari stopped when she noticed a bunch of reporters trying to get into the gates. It was like the All Might incident all over again.

As she passed though, the reporters perked up, shouting through the bars. "Bakugo, Amari! A word please.."

Amari stopped for a moment, clearly confused as they tried to reach their microphones through the bars. "How does it feel to aid All for One in the attack a couple weeks ago? Are you blackmailing any of the heros to let you stay at U.A.?"

Her eyes widened as the reporters fed her such hate and lies, calling her villain and shouting at the girl through the gates. On closer inspection there seemed to also be some protesters with large signs that read _**DON'T LET A VILLAIN INTO U.A. **_among other hateful words. It was honestly overwhelming.

Balling her hands into a fist, Amari spoke back to them roughly. "I'm not a villain and I haven't blackmailed anyone! Why are you even saying that? I'm a hero!"

The reporters took in her words before a male answered, his voice cruel and sharp. "What kind of hero hurts their fellow students and aids a villain?"

She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as Amari answered back. "You're twisting everything around. I didn't aid anything!"

Although the news team was even faster, firing back. "But you do admit you hurt your fellow students?"

Amari remained silent after that, knowing that what they said was true. She did hurt her friends. That was something unforgivable that she would never live down. What kind of person could even do that kind of thing? The answer was simple, a villain. "I..I..."

Feeling her head grow dizzy, the girl shook her head before running off into the school roughly, the couple students looking her direction as she went by. The tears were reaching the surface now but Amari shoved them down until they were no more.

The reporters sighed in disappointment when a new voice could be heard through the space. "What the hell did you say to her, you damn extras?!

They turned to find Bakugo glaring back at them angrily, one of the people recognizing him immediately. "Oh, I know you. You're related to that villain."

At the word villain, Katsuki palms started to light up in a fiery rage, pulling the man's jacket through the bars and hissing. "Listen here, I'm only going to say this one. My sister is not a villain, so get that through your goddamn head already! How much of an idiot could you possibly be to even believe that?! Amari is nothing but a hero, so don't you dare even start with that crap unless you want me to catch you on fire right now!"

The man wiggled under his grasp, clearly afraid as Bakugo grew satisfied, throwing the man back and scoffing in absolute anger. "Bastards, now get out of here before I do something not very heroic."

They seemed to listen to his threat, running back a couple feet so that they were no longer near the gates, that's when he heard another voice. "Kacchan, you didn't have to be so violent. I get you're upset over Amari-chan but what if they start assuming things about you too?"

Turning back to find Deku, Katsuki only frowned, surprisingly keeping his voice rather level. "Those bastards can say what about me, I can take it. But, no way in hell am I going to let them say that kind of shit about my sister."

Deku blinked in surprise at that. "Wow, Kacchan, you've really changed."

Bakugo scoffed back though, his voice already escalating. "What the hell does that mean?"

Putting his hands out in defense, the boy cried back. "I didn't mean anything bad by it! I just think it's really sweet that you're looking for Amari-chan like that. By the way, is she doing okay? I'm really worried about her."

Amari's brother looked off in the direction of the school before letting his eyes fall. "I think it'd be pretty damn stupid to say she's alright. Although, it's not like she'd tell me anyways."

Deku took in his friends face and couldn't help but be kind of shocked. At this moment, Kacchan looked soft and more human, like he really was worried about his sister. "You're right. I don't think I'd be alright if someone told me I had to be quirkless again. But Amari-chan is so smart and amazing, even without a quirk. I guess we'll just have to look out for her, right Kacchan?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, Bakugo only gave a slow, silent nod before turning on his heels aways from the boy. The last thing he wanted was for Deku to get involved with this but if it meant her improving then he would suffer through, same with that icy hot bastard.

At this point he would do anything to get her smile back

* * *

Running down the hallways, Amari didn't really know where she was going but somehow her legs wouldn't listen to her, just continuing to dash with no sign of stopping. All she wanted was for those terrible words in her mind to disappear.

She closed her eyes for a moment, willing them away when suddenly she ran directly into someone, causing all of their books to fall to the floor in a single, heavy thud.

Groaning from the ground, Amari rubbed her backside carefully before bowing her head in a hard apology. "I'm so sorry. That was completely my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going and…"

Although she paused when the strangers voice called out to her. "Amari, what are you doing running down the hallway like that? Are you alright?"

She blinked twice only to find Todoroki staring back at her, visibly confused. "Shoto? I'm sorry, I didn't know that was you. I wasn't doing anything important…"

Brushing himself off, Todoroki reached out his hand for her to grasp, hoisting her back up. "You already apologized, and something is telling me you're not telling me the full truth."

Once she was back on her feet, Amari sighed heavily. "It's just, I ran into a couple reporters on the way to the gates and they said some rude things. That's all, nothing I can't handle."

Yet Todoroki wasn't so sure about that. That girl clearly looked upset a minute ago. This brought another question in his mind though. "What about Bakugo, wasn't he supposed to be with you?"

Rubbing the back of her neck once, the girl shook her head in exasperation. "Yeah I went on ahead. He's been really weird since I came back and I don't really know why. It's like he thinks I can't do anything for myself. I hate it."

Todoroki knew very well why Bakugo had changed so suddenly, but didn't want to bring it up to her yet. If she knew that her brother saw her in her weakest moment, then she wouldn't be able to talk to him normally again.

Touching her arms slightly, the boy replied. "Have you thought of the possibility that he's trying to show that he cares about you? Maybe he's just worried after everything that happened. I know I still am.."

Amari eyes saddened then, placing her hand on top of his. "I guess, it's just weird. He's never been this nice before. I don't really know how I should take it."

Todoroki couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "I'm sure Bakugo isn't very well versed on showing his feelings so it will take a little time to get used to it. But isn't this what you wanted?"

She thought before that for a moment before lowering her eyes in sadness. "Yeah, I guess. It's just, complicated. I don't even really understand why he would care so much now that I'm basically useless and the weak twin."

The boy's smile disappeared then, leaning closer to her in concern. "Amari, you are not useless. I've said it before, you are more than just your quirk. You'll see that soon. Someday you'll see what I see."

Shaking her head at his words, Amari scoffed. "What, an annoying, quirkless brat?"

Although Todoroki only frowned, brushing a couple strands of hair from her face. "No, a beautiful, intelligent, amazing girl, and the one that I love. I didn't fall in love with your quirk Amari, I fell in love with every part of you."

Amari felt her face flush in embarrassment as the first bell rang, signifying that their conversation had to be over, Todoroki speaking first. "You should hurry to your class before you're late. I'll see you after, alright?"

She nodded back in a daze which caused him to smile, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss onto her forehead. "You can do this. I know you can. If you can handle my father and his agency, then you can handle anything."

Pulling away, Todoroki lifted up his hand in a goodbye as Amari mimicked the action, her fingers touching the place where his lips were lightly. Why was he still being so sweet to her when she had nothing to offer back? She honestly didn't deserve him.

Amari felt her lips curve into a small smile before her eye caught something on the ground the couple feet away. It looked to be a letter of some sort.

Picking in up in confusion, she turned it around only to find that it was addressed to Todoroki. He must have dropped it when they bumped into each other.

She flipped it over again only to see that the seal was torn and broken, the letter peeking out the top and coaxing her to touch it. No that would be wrong. She couldn't just read his mail like that.

Although with the letter already open, Amari couldn't resist, taking the paper out before opening it and laying her eyes on the first couple words. She told herself that once she knew what it was, that she would put the contents back.

Yet, that's not what happened at all, the girl losing feeling in her hands all at once and dropping her bag onto the floor. That paper wasn't just any old boring old letter.

No, it was for a marriage interview.

* * *

With wandering thoughts, Amari made her way with the instructions that All Might had given her before she returned back to the academy. She supposed this was her life now so she had to get used to it.

Reaching the doorway of the class listed, she sighed heavily before pushing the door open and walking inside. This immediately caught the attention of the other classmates.

One of the boys narrowed his eyes in confusion as he pointed. "Hey, I know you. Aren't you that Bakugo girl from Class 1-A?"

Ignoring his words though, she walked past the boy as another spoke. "Wait, she's the one on the news right now. Aw, don't tell me we got stuck with the villain in our class."

Amari lowered her eyes in annoyance as another voice spoke up, except this time it was a bit more familiar. "Took you long enough short stuff. I was beginning to think you got lost."

She turned around in confusion, only to find Shinso staring in front of her, bag in hand. "Shinso, what are you doing here?"

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, the boy leaned down and pointed to her slip of paper. "This my class dummy, can't you read? All Might asked me to keep an eye on you so he transferred you into this class instead. Welcome to class 1C."

At his words, Amari frowned. "Oh, so he asked you to babysit me, is that it? What, is he afraid I'm going to go berserk and kill someone also?"

This caused Shinso to become rather surprised, noticing her rough tone. "What, no. I just heard about everything and thought it might be better for you to be in a class where you knew someone. Don't treat me like I'm some little lap dog for All Might. Sorry for assuming wrong."

Amari stopped then, realizing what he just said. He asked for her to be transferred,just so she wouldn't be lonely? She had to admit but that was a really sweet thing to do.

Feeling bad for yelling at him, she sighed. "No, I'm sorry. You were just trying to help, right? Sorry, I've just been a little off lately."

Shinso frowned back, pointing to the girl in question. "I've noticed. Be careful, you are starting to get dangerously close to Bakugo territory with that attitude. Well, it's not like it matters. Go ahead and say what you want, I'm not that fragile."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, ruffling his purple hair like a child. "Thanks Shih Tzu. But hey, now that I'm out of the hero course, there's a spot open now. You should take your chance."

At the close contact, Shinso felt his face grow warm, not liking her words and slapping her hand away. "Are you serious? I already told you that's not how I want to earn my spot. I want both of us in the hero course. You deserve it too."

Her eyes grew sad then, shaking her head. "I don't know, maybe I was just kidding myself. It seems like the world doesn't want me to be a hero so maybe I should just give up."

Shinso narrowed his eyes in concern then, slapping her on the backside of her head to wake her up. She seemed really depressed right now and he didn't like it.

Blinking in surprise, Amari gasped. "Ow! Hey, what are you…!"

Although she stopped when she saw Shinso's face. "Since when has Bakugo Amari ever given up? Since when has she taken the easy way out? That answer is never, you've never done that, so don't start now."

Rubbing the back of her head, Amari groaned back. "Okay okay I get it. Could you maybe not hit me next time?"

Yet, he wasn't sure she did get it, as she just brushed off his comment like it was nothing. Somehow, he knew that Amari needed more than just a few words to motivate her. He couldn't do that alone.

Suddenly, the teacher walked into the class, speaking out loudly so everyone could hear. "Alright everyone. I see you've already welcomed Bakugo Amari into our class. I expect everyone makes her feel comfortable. Now everyone, meet me at the training building in ten minutes. We are going to work on some training."

Looking towards each other, Shinso shrugged before heading outside and gesturing Amari to do the same, not really knowing what was in store.

* * *

The class walked into the training ring quietly, Amari noticing that it was the same ring as that time she fought Todoroki before they became friends. The memory had a slightly nostalgia to it.

Because she was zoning out, she didn't even notice a couple classmates bump into her, clearly on purpose before snickering back. It seemed they didn't like that she was there. Well, she was from the hero course after all.

She rubbed her shoulder in a frown before the teacher spoke again. "Alright, today we are going to work on our agility and strength which will help in evacuating civilians while the hero's defeat the villain. The citizens are just as equally counting on us so we must be in our best shape for them. Everyone, partner up and show me what you got!"

Almost immediately, Amari felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to find one of the students who pushed her a couple minutes ago. "I challenge you, 1A reject."

Frowning back, she nodded her head, already wanting this boy to eat his words. "Fine, but don't cry when you lose."

This got the boy furious, already running towards her with his fists outstretched. Luckily this exercise didn't involve quirks so she felt pretty confident about this. The teacher must have done that on purpose.

Amari dodged his blind fist easily before stepping to the side and raising her own fists up in a punch, the boy easily blocking as well. He grew cocky because of that though so she was able to swing another fist unnoticed, this time lower.

The boy groaned as her first made contact, doubling over in pain as Amari kicked his legs out from under him, causing him to tumble to the ground in a heavy thud. And just like that, it was over.

Narrowing her eyes in disgust, she then leaned down towards him. "Did you really think just because I dropped out of the hero course that I would be easy? Rule one, never underestimate me, you got that?"

He groaned back in response as Amari raised her head, now turning back to her other bullies sharply. "Anyone else wants to try, cause I have a lot of pent up rage I would like to get out."

The students looked between each other in disgust before one of them replied, speaking for the group. "You really shouldn't act so cocky Bakugo. Don't act like you're better than us just because you were in the hero course!"

Although Amari was too annoyed to care, only shrugging. "I'm not being cocky, I'm being reasonable. If you want a fight then I'm not going to run away. So what will it be?"

They all grumbled at that, Shinso watching nervously as she picked a fight with the entire class. She was really going to take all of these kids with no quirk? That was insane.

Then he couldn't help but stare as a group of seven students all barreled towards her at once, determined to knock the girl down a couple pegs.

Amari seemed to welcome the challenge though, dodging one of their attacks and ducking under another. It's not like she wanted to fight them but if she was going to be in this class, then she needed to show them that she was just a serious, that she wasn't a hero course reject. It was the same determination and drive she had from Endeavors agency.

Feeling her heart rate increase, she went to dodge another attack when the girl noticed that her reaction time was a tiny bit slower than before. So much so, that one of the students was able to get a strong punch in, swiping her across her jaw.

She groaned back, whipping a small bit of blood from her mouth as she threw down another student, then falling to the ground in a heavy thud. That was three, there were only four more.

Turning around, Amari ducked as her head suddenly grew even more dizzy than before. What the hell was even happening? She couldn't be this tired already. They weren't even using their quirks.

Amari misstepped again, causing another punch to her chest and knocking the life out of her. Her breathing had picked up now, almost at an irregular rate. The sweat pooled on her brow as she heard someone call out to her, clearly worried. She just wished she knew who it was.

She felt her legs give out for a moment as she flopped down onto the ground, clutching her chest as her heart pounded in her ear. It was like that was all she could hear anymore.

Willing herself to get back up, Amari found her strength and stood back up, the room beginning to spin all at once. What the hell was even happening? She couldn't let those students beat her. She needed to prove to them that she wasn't useless, that she was worth something.

Thinking back to the letter in her bag, she also knew she had to push through for Todoroki. She had to be strong enough for him so that she wasn't a burden. If only her body would listen to her.

Shinso felt his heart drop in his chest, as Amari clutched her chest, now shouting at the other students to stop and pulling them away from the girl. "Amari! Get away from her, there's something wrong..."

The kids listened, backing away as Shinso leaned over towards the girl, noticing a heavy shake in her body, like she was forcing herself to even stand. "Amari! Hey, can you hear me?! What's wrong?"

Her eyes looked hollow, like she was mentally in pain as she spoke, her breathing turning erratic. "It's not over. I can do this..I can do this…"

Shinso's eyes saddened as he grabbed onto her shoulders before replying. "It's okay, just relax. They called the fight off. Just breathe.."

Although Amari only shook her head, tears rose to the surface as black spots pooled in her vision, now gasping out in short breaths. "No..I can't...I have to keep going...or else I'll lose everything. I don't know why my body isn't...please...I can't…"

She fell to her knees then, Shinso catching the girl so she wouldn't fall as he just stared at her in utter anxiety and fear. She was trying so hard to fight, even though her body was rejecting her.

Weakly grabbing onto his shirt, Amari stared at him with a devastating, tearful expression before she lost consciousness all together, causing Shinso to gasp. "Amari, Hey Amari! Amari wake up!"

Yet, the girl wouldn't move, Shinso knowing fully well that she had pushed herself to her own breaking point.

* * *

Groaning, Amari flopped open her eyes, now feeling the sensation of her body weighing her down. It was like her limbs were like lead bricks. Everything was still extremely hazy and she had no idea how she even got there in the first place.

She sat up maybe a little too quickly, feeling a wave of dizziness overtake her as a voice echoed to her right. "You poor dear, you like to overdo yourself don't you?"

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she turned only to find Recovery Girl staring back at her. "Where am I?"

The woman moved up to her before feeling her forehead lightly. "The infirmary. That boy Shinso brought you here after you passed out during class. He seemed very worried as well. I had to make him go back to class."

Pulling her hand away, Amari replied. "Do you know what happened? I wasn't even using my quirk and yet I felt so drained and exhausted. That's never happened before."

Recovery Girl was quiet for a moment before answering back sadly. "That's because before you were using those dangerous pills to sustain your body. Didn't All Might already tell you? Once the drug is fully out of your system then you'll return back to your original body. It seems that process has already started."

The words hit Amari like a ton of bricks, causing her to look down at her hands. Did losing her quirk also mean losing her strength and her power? No it couldn't be. She remembered herself as a child, collapsing from just a small run. Was that how her life was going to be now?

Whispering back, she replied. "No, that can't be. I worked so hard to be strong. I can't even have that anymore?"

The woman casted her eyes down at that, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry dear, unfortunately so. That means you have to stop pushing yourself like before. As you can see, your body isn't able to take it anymore."

Amari felt a sob build up in her throat, putting a shaking head to a mouth to suppress it when the door next to her slammed open aggressively. "Where is Amari?! I heard she collapsed! Where is she damn it!?"

She looked eyes onto her brother as the sweat pooled down his face. It was like he ran here as quickly as possible. They stared at each other for a moment before whispering out. "Amari.."

Opening her mouth to reply, suddenly the girl was surprised as Katsuki's rough hands wrapped around her slender frame, pulling her into a tight and suffocating embrace.

She was about to question what was happening when Amari noticed the slight shake to his body. Was he, scared? It couldn't be. "Katsuki?"

Her words seemed to wake him up, pulling the girl away and shouting. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! You were being god damn reckless again, weren't you?! You idiot!"

Bakugo shook his sister back and forth causing her to groan, placing a hand to forehead in an oncoming headache. "You're overreacting Katsuki, I'm fine."

Although he noticed her headache and pulled away, giving her a tiny bit of space. "Don't give me that crap. If you were really alright you wouldn't have passed out in front of the entire damn class. What happened?"

Amari paused for a moment before looking down at her hands once again and sighing only for Recovery Girl to reply for her. "Bakugo's pills are leaving her system so soon she'll be back to her original body. She just overexerted herself during class. A little rest and she'll be fine."

Bakugo took in her words before sharply turning back to Amari who looked devastated. Did that mean she was going to have to go back to how she was before america, would she even have to be hospitalized?

He then noticed a slight cut on her cheek and reached out to touch it, only for her to slap his hand away. She hated his pitying look more than anything. "Would you stop it already?! Don't look at me like that."

Frowning back, Bakugo replied. "Like what? I haven't even said anything damn it."

Shaking her head, Amari touched her bruised cheek before answering. "I know what you're thinking, and I know exactly why you're being so nice all of a sudden."

Not really fully understanding, he watched as she continued. "Do you think I'm stupid? The only reason you like this is because you pity me, because you take one look at me and see your poor little quirkless sister that can't do anything. Well, that's not how I wanted your love Katsuki. I never wanted you to look down on me like that."

Katsuki felt his stomach tighten, denying her claim all together. "What are you even saying? I'm not…"

Yet Amari only cut him off. "Oh please, that's exactly what you're doing. The last year we were at U.A. I've done everything to get you to look at me and only now do you decide to be my overprotective brother. Where were you all those times before? Nowhere, and that's because I wasn't quirkless and a nobody back then. Tell me I'm wrong Katsuki...tell me…"

As much as he hated to admit it, his sister was partly right. The only time he truly changed was after finding out about her hardships and struggles. Before that he had no clue, just pretending that she didn't exist when it actuality, she was hurting far more than he ever knew. He needed to be there for her and he just wasn't.

Shaking his head, Bakugo replied small and low. "I made a mistake, okay? But I'm trying my best damn it. Is it so bad that I want to help you now, that I want to be your brother?"

Amari took in his words for a moment before staring at the floor sadly. "All my life, I've only wanted one thing. If all you're going to do is pity me then that's just the same as you ignoring me. If I don't earn it, it doesn't mean anything."

Her voice dropped lower than as she locked eyes with her brother, really truly meaning her next words. "I want to stand next to you, not behind you."

Bakugo eyes widened then as he took in his sister pure determination. It wasn't about just being nice to her. No, she felt like she had to earn her spot next to him.

He then maybe realized that his approach wasn't the best. He needed to make her see that he wasn't just doing this out of pity. The poor girl just couldn't believe his words yet. He had broken her that much.

Katsuki paused for a moment before replying. "It's not about that, you idiot. I get it though, so I'm just going to have to make you see that I'm not going anywhere, no matter what you may believe in that screwed up head of yours."

Amari blinked in surprise, not fully understanding his words when the door next to them slammed open again, this time revealing Todoroki. "Amari, are you alright?! I got here as fast as I could.."

He ran up to her but slowly stopped when he locked eyes with Bakugo. They stared at each other for a moment before Amari's brother sighed, standing up from his spot on her bed. "Alright you icy hot bastard, you have five minutes. Make it count."

Then he watched as Bakugo took only to look at Amari before speaking back. "I'll be outside. Hurry up."

Slamming the door to the infirmary behind the boy, Todoroki then turned back to Amari. It was almost like Bakugo finally approved of them. "Does he seem a bit softer to you?"

Amari only shrugged her shoulders though. "I don't know. Something's been up with him."

Walking over to the girl in question, Todoroki then placed a warm hand on her cheek before sighing. "Thank goodness you're okay. I was worried, it was hard to focus in class knowing you might be hurt."

She eyed his worry before running her fingers through his hair lightly. "Hey, I'm okay. Sorry, I may have overdid it again in class."

Yet Todoroki wasn't surprised by that. "Of course you did. Amari, what have I told you about that?"

Smiling back sheepishly, she replied. "I don't remember?"

He frowned at that, causing her to sigh. "I know I know, but they started it, and I wasn't going to let them walk all over me just because I was dropped from the hero course. Yet, it seems I'm reverting back already. Soon I won't be able to fight at all. How funny is that?"

Todoroki knew what she meant by that, remembering All Mights painful words. The look in her eyes was one of utter heartbreak. "Is that really true?"

She nodded her head and the boy gasped, wanting to erase her sorrow right away. So, he did the only thing he knew how to do, he pulled her into an embrace.

Amari gasped at the impact, feeling his heart beat hammer in his chest as the boy spoke. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I'm here."

Suddenly, she felt the desire to cry but resisted, instead choosing to tightly grasp his shirt for comfort. He knew that she didn't want to talk about it. What was there even to talk about? The reality either way was terrible.

She closed her eyes at his warmth, now hearing herself speak with a slight crack to her words. "It's not fair. I worked so hard.."

Nodding his head back, Todoroki replied. "I know, it's completely unfair. But you know, I'm kind of happy you stopped using those pills."

At his words, Amari pulled away from him, staring at him with a look of utter betrayal. Those pills were everything to her. How could he even say that? "What.."

Putting a hand up to stop her, the boy continued. "I'm glad because now that means you won't die so suddenly and leave me anymore. When you disappeared, I think I truly realized how important you are to my life Amari."

His explanation was sweet, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness to it. "It seems to me like nothing has changed. At least with my pills I could die doing what I loved. But now, I'll slowly die with nothing."

Todoroki turned his brow in concern then, cupping her face lightly but firm. "Don't speak like that, please. Yes this is difficult but I already said we'd face it together. You won't be alone, I won't allow it."

Just then, Amari thought back to the letter in her bag, shoving his hand off of her lightly and turning away. "Is there something you want to tell me Shoto?"

Turning his brow in confusion, Todoroki replied. "No, I don't believe so.."

Amari shook her head in response, trying again. "Are you sure? There isn't anything of importance you want to tell me about?"

Yet once again, he only shook his head. "Amari, what's wrong?"

She was silent for a moment before reaching into her bag and pulling out the letter, now watching Todoroki's eyes grow wide. "Here, I'm sorry but I read it."

Taking the letter from her hands he replied. "Amari.."

Although she only shook her head, her eyes now casting to the floor. "Since when have you been getting marriage interview offers?"

Todoroki paused for a couple seconds before answering. "Since after you returned from being kidnapped. But I can explain, it's my father doing, not mine. I never asked for them."

Thinking back to Endeavor, Amari frowned, uttering to herself. "He must really not want me then.."

The boy looked at the letter for a couple more seconds before throwing it in the trash can next to him. "I believe he's getting pressured by the news. That's why he's grown a bit more aggressive than usual."

Hugging her arms across her chest, Amari then asked the question that she had been wondering since she picked up that terrible letter. "So, are you going to go?"

Todoroki listened to her words before widening his eyes and looking at her like she was crazy. "What, of course not. I've turned down all the offers. How could you even ask that? As if I would let my old man control my life like that.."

Amari rubbed the back of her neck in anxiety as she replied. "I don't know, maybe you'd want to see your options or something like that. I wouldn't judge you for it if you did. Now that I'm quirkless and everything…"

Yet before she could even finish, Todoroki cut her off. "Are you serious right now? Why would I go to a marriage interview when I already found what makes me happy, and she's sitting right here."

Her face began to rise in heat as Todoroki touched her cheek lightly. "Don't even doubt yourself like that Amari. You're the one I fell in love with, remember that."

Feeling her chest pound rapidly, he then leaned in and pressed the soft kiss on her lips, snaking his hand on her waist for support.

When they pulled away, he then rested his forehead on hers, breathing out a heavy sigh. Todoroki already knew that there was only one person for him.

His father could go screw himself because he wasn't about to give this up.

* * *

AHHHH so much cute flush and angst. Amari's in a pickle but as you see she's got a really strong support system with Deku, Todoroki, Shinso and Bakugo all helping her out and taking her side.

I'm so excited I get to do soft Bakugo now. I feel like he needs a reason to be this soft in order for his character to be canon to his anime personality. And what a better reason then all the crap he's seen and been through.

I also really love Amari's phrase. "I want to stand next to you, not behind you" because it really captures who the character is. She wants her brother to love her but she doesn't want to be seen as a burden or a third wheel. She wants to be equal to him.

Next Chapter: Worst father award, Endeavor comes back and makes Amari an offer.


	44. S3 Chapter 14

Groaning in her sleep, Amari groggily opened her eyes to the sound of her phone going off on the bedside table. What time even was it? She hardly remembered going to bed at all.

She rolled over to the side and slammed her hand on the table, picking up the object in slight irritation. Who the hell calls this early? It was obviously someone that didn't know Amari wasn't really a morning person half the time.

Flipping open the surface, she answered into the phone, a slight roughness in her voice. "Hello, who is this?"

The line was silent for a couple moments before a small chuckle was heard on the other end, and a voice that made her heart drop in her chest. "It sounds like I interrupted your beauty sleep."

Widening her eyes in confusion and fear, Amari sprang out of bed, now realizing who it was. "Purple skinned zombie man? What the hell..how did you even get my number?!"

The villain seemed to frown at that. "The name's Dabi. Would it kill you to use it once in awhile?"

Amari shook her head in response. "Whatever, leave me alone. I don't want to have a sharing circle with you again."

Dabi raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, that's not very nice. After I took the time to call you and everything.."

Yet the girl wasn't amused. "Yeah, sorry but I don't take kindly to people who tortured me. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't go give this phone to All Might right now?"

Standing up from the bed, Amari began to do just that, putting on her shoes when Dabi replied. "Alright, it would be a shame his something happened to your dearest brother."

Amari froze at that. "Oh, so you're black mailing me, is that it?"

He couldn't help but laugh at her choice of words though. "I'm a villain sweetheart, it's kind of what I do."

She felt her skin crawl at her pet name, shivering a tiny bit. "I'd like to see you try to get to Katsuki, I'll kill you before that happens.."

Once again though, Dabi was only amused. "With what quirk? I'm pretty sure we both know you are as useless as a pomeranian right now, so let's not start with the threats. I just called to see if you thought about the things I told you before?"

Amari felt her heart drop in her chest, knowing that he was right, With no quirk, she couldn't really do much. But it's not like she would let him know that. "Do you really think I spend all day thinking about you? Cause if so then you will be sorely disappointed. I've already forgotten every useless thing you said back then.."

This seemed to make Dabi frown, his voice dropping an octave lower to show he was serious. "I wonder about that. I bet you can't help but think about it, knowing that I'm right. I mean look at you, shunned from society, painted as a villain, rejected by your loved ones just like I was. It's like looking in a mirror."

Scoffing back, Amari replied. "Oh please, I already said I don't want to hear about your depressing childhood. We are nothing alike so don't even start with that. Also you don't know anything, Katsuki hasn't rejected me. I just haven't proved myself yet."

Her heard a loud sigh through the line then, Dabi obviously not impressed by her words. "I've heard that one before. You try again and again to win the approval of your family but time and time again you are only left with disappointment, right? What will you do when you finally figure out that it doesn't matter what you try, or how hard you push yourself, you will always be seen as a villain and rejected by them."

She really hated to admit it, but his words did hit kind of close to her, recounting all the times that Katsuki rejected her. "Shut up. You don't know anything. I am not a villain you asshole, so don't assume you know everything about me. I literally just met you creep."

Although Dabi wasn't done coaxing her, speaking lower and smooth. "And what about Todoroki Shoto? All he wants to be is the number one hero, right? What will you do when you realize that you are only an obstacle in his way. That in order for him to achieve his goal, he can't be in a relationship with a villain. What will you do then? How strong is your love Bakugo? Would you let him go for the sake of his goal?"

Amari eyes widened at this, already having enough of his man. What was he even saying? That was impossible, she wasn't a villain. "You know what, screw you! Why are you so obsessed with Shoto and me anyways?"

She was surprised when the villain was silent then, taking a couple moments before replying. "No reason. I just want to make you realize where your place is in all this. You remind me of myself so I want to help you, teach you the things I wish I knew back then."

Listening to his insane words, Amari couldn't help but be curious about what he meant by that. "And what would that be? What is my place then, since you seem to know everything.."

Amari leaned against her wall only for his voice to cut through her like a knife. "It's with me. Come with me and I can show you just how freeing it is to not be tied down by expectations and rejection. The world already thinks of you as a villain, might as well give them what they want and raise some hell."

Taking in his words, Amari blinked a few times in utter shock before shaking her head in disbelief. "Are you actually kidding me right now? You think I would just screw being a hero and join you as a villain? Yeah I don't think so buddy. I already told you, I'm not a villain!"

Although Dabi replied back smoothly. "You say that now, but just wait until the world throws you away because you have no quirk and no use. Once they label you as a villain, it's over. There's no going back from that. All you'll ever do now is bring down the people around you. Do you really want to do that?"

Narrowing her eyes in anger, Amari hissed back angrily. "You know what, this conversation is over. Don't ever call me again unless you want me to kick your ass. I know I don't have a quirk right now but I will damn well find a way if I ever see you. Mark my words you purple skinned zombie man, I will be a hero, regardless of whatever you think you know."

Then, she pulled her phone away from her ear before reaching her finger towards the end call button, but not before hearing his voice one final time. "We'll see."

Pushing the button aggressively, Amari then threw her phone onto her bed before letting out a frustrated growl. What was that guy even saying?! He didn't know anything about her, that jerk. She hoped she never had to talk to him again.

Suddenly, a loud sound pounded on her door as Katsuki's voice rang out. "Come on Amari, it's time to go. Get your ass up already! You have five seconds before I come in and drag you out over my shoulder."

She frowned at his words, quickly grabbing her bag and trying to forget about that guy's words as fast as possible.

There was no way he was telling the truth. None of those things were going to happen to her, right?

* * *

Walking down the hallways, Amari heard the vague whispers around her in a clear echo. They seemed to be constant now that her name had been leaked to the press. She supposed it did seem weird for a supposed villain to be at a hero school.

She tried to block them out though. After being at school for a couple weeks, they just started to become normal to her, as sad as that may have seemed.

Amari was then suddenly bumped into by a random student from another class, causing her to lose her footing slightly, the boys voice echoing through her chest. "Villain."

She frowned at that, trying to fix herself when Katsuki walked past her, grabbing the poor boy by the collar and shouting. "Hold on a minute, what the hell did you just say?! You better fucking apologize for bumping into her, bastard."

The boy shook in fear as Amari's eyes widened, already reaching forward to her brother to stop his rage. "Katsuki, stop it's okay."

Although Bakugo didn't take those words kindly at all. "Of course it's not okay. This extra pushed you over on purpose. Obviously he has a death wish."

The student wiggled under his grasp, gasping for words all at once, now trying to quell the boy. "I'm sorry I'm sorry okay? Please don't hurt me!"

Amari's brother stared at the boy for a couple more seconds before letting go and having him fall to the ground in a heavy thud. "Damn right you're sorry. If I ever catch you doing that again then you are dealing with me, understand?"

Nodding his head, the boy bowed once before hurrying away, Bakugo now satisfied with his work. That was, until he saw Amari's face. "You really didn't have to do that."

Matching her frown, Katsuki scoffed. "Of course I did. All these damn bastards that think they can mess with you have another thing coming!"

She sighed heavily at that, never really liking his violent nature from the beginning but putting up with it. She just wished he could be nicer sometimes.

Just then, a voice from their right stopped him, now hearing Denki in the corner snickering. "Since when did you get a sister complex Bakugo?"

Feeling his palms rise in heat, Katsuki sharply turned to the boy in anger. "What did you just say?! I don't have a sister complex you bastard! Say that again and see what happens.."

Although Denki was feeling brave today for some reason, choosing to egg him on a little more. "Come on, everyone's talking about it. You never used to care about anything and now you punch anyone that even looks at Amari wrong. Sounds like a sister complex to me."

Twitching his eye in rage, Katsuki's palms began to spark, already racing forward to fight Denki. "That's it, come here you bastard!"

The boy flinched at that, pulling his hands back in defense. A couple months back he knew Bakugo would've just blown off the comment but now, he looked like he was going to kill him. "Hey, take it easy. It was only a joke.."

Raising his arm up to let off an explosion, he suddenly felt a soft weight to them, turning slightly to see Amari holding him back. "Katsuki, seriously. Cut it out! It's not that big of a deal.."

Yet Bakugo wasn't done, trying to pull his arm away from her roughly. "Anyone that thinks they can insult me has another thing coming to them. Let me go!"

Denki took another step back, only for Bakugo to pull his arm back harder, focusing on his explosions when his elbow connected with something, now hearing a muffled groan behind him.

Turning back in confusion, Katsuki gasped when he saw Amari clutched over in pain, holding her cheek as she seethed. Oh crap, had he accidentally hit her in his own careless rage? "Amari! Shit, I'm sorry. Let me see.."

He reached forward to touch her cheek when the girl just slapped it away, staring at him angrily. "What the hell is your problem Katsuki?! You need to calm the hell down and stop trying to punch everyone that looks at me wrong! I get you're trying to help but it's only making everything worse damn it! I swear, you're so frustrating sometimes…"

Staring at her absolute shock, the room became quiet as Amari brushed off her uniform before sighing and immediately feeling bad. She knew that Bakugo was trying his best but she couldn't help but hate his high strung nature. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you mean well, it's just, can you maybe try not to kill everyone you see?"

Katsuki still remained silent at her words, knowing she wasn't gonna get a response. "Sorry again. I'm just gonna head to class early. I'll see around Katsuki."

Then, she turned on her heels and walked away from the scene, causing her brother to frown. He meant well but maybe his actions were a bit too high strung. He just wanted to show his sister that he was serious about sticking next to her.

Perhaps he was still going about this wrong.

* * *

When Amari walked into class, the first thing she did was drop her bag on the table before slamming her face head first into the surface of her desk, like she usually did when she was depressed.

She then let out a loud groan before feeling a hand plop onto her hand. "Rough morning?"

Turning to the side, she found Shinso staring at her in question. "Don't ask. My stupid Bakugo side came out again when I didn't want it to.."

He nodded his head at that, seemingly understanding. "Ah that. So, what happened this time? Did you snap at your dear brother or your loving boyfriend?"

Frowning back, Amari hated how much he knew her. "Brother. He's just so freakin frustrating sometimes! I mean, all I've wanted was for him to look at me but now he won't let me do anything for myself! He's treating me like I'm a baby, like I'm gonna drop dead at any second."

Shinso listened back, waiting a moment before replying. "Honestly I don't understand how you can deal with him on a daily basis. I was only with him for a couple days and I couldn't take it so I admire you for that. At least he's trying to be nice?"

Groaning back, Amari sighed. "Yeah, and I love that he's finally paying attention to me. I just wish it was for the right reasons…"

This made the boy slightly confused. "Right reasons?"

Nodding back, she began to play with a couple strands of her hair. "Remember what I told you back when you found out about my health? I told you that I never wanted Katsuki to know because I already knew how he would react, and it seems I was right all along. He cares for me now just because I'm sick, not because I'm his sister. I never wanted that."

Shinso took in her words and felt his eyes sadden all at once. She never wanted her brother to know because she didn't want to use her illness as an excuse for love. It was rather heartbreaking to know she couldn't tell him for so long because of that.

Placing his hand on top of her head, the boy replied, smooth and understanding, all while ignoring the heat rise in his face.. "How do you know that though? Maybe Bakugo doesn't think about you that way and you're just building this idea up in your head, thinking he doesn't recognize you for your strengths. I mean, it's hard to ignore how fearless you are, even I can't deny that. I'm sure he's seen it too."

At his words, Amari lifted her head up, a slight smirk now on her face. "Oh really, you think I'm fearless? Well, I recall something a bit different when a certain someone told me they were going to crush me at the sports festival.."

Knowing exactly what she meant, Shinso smirked back before pushing her down playfully. "Shut up. It's different now. Even I realized how amazing you are Amari."

Widening her eyes in surprise, Amari somehow felt slightly embarrassed at her first name through his lips. "Whoa, look at you laying on the moves. I'm impressed. Just wait until you can use them on that lucky girl, or guy. Whatever you're into is cool, I'm not judging."

She patted him on the shoulder and Shinso didn't have the heart to tell her that the one he had feelings for was her. Yes he liked her, but he was also smarter than that, knowing that she loved Todoroki and that Amari was already dealing with so much. She didn't need another thing to worry about right now. "Yeah, wouldn't that be nice."

Smirking back, Amari stretched out her arms before thinking for a moment. "You know what, maybe you're right. Katsuki is brash but I should be happy he's noticing me. I just wish we could get along with each other better and not just see me as a charity case anymore."

Shinso nodded his head in response and replying. "You'll get there. You can do anything you set your mind to after all. That's one of the things I admire about you I guess."

Amari turned her head in confusion then before leaning forward and touching the boy's forehead. "Are you feeling okay? You aren't usually this nice. I already have Katsuki acting creepy, I don't need you too."

At the contact of her hand on his skin, Shinso pulled away, hoping that she couldn't see the light blush on his cheeks. "Would you stop it?! It wouldn't kill you to take a compliment once and awhile. You know what, fine, I won't ever say anything nice about you ever again if that's what you want.."

She stared at him for a couple more seconds before slumping back in her seat, smiling to herself while teasing. "Well, I suppose it's not that bad. I guess I should take a picture then, this is such a rare moment after all."

Frowning back, Shinso pushed the girl playfully in response, a smirk hidden beneath the fake annoyance. "Shut up short stuff."

Winking back just as playful, Amari replied. "Never, Shih Tzu."

Just then, the bell rang next to them, signifying the start of class. Amari still wasn't overly thrilled about being dropped from the hero course but with people like Shinso here, maybe this wasn't all that bad after all.

* * *

After the bell rang, Shinso and Amari were on their way to lunch when she caught Todoroki a couple feet away talking to some Class B students about something in particular. He didn't really look all that interested to be honest.

Raising her hand up to greet him, she paused when a couple voices to her left caught her attention. They seemed to be focused on Todoroki as well. "Isn't that Todoroki from the hero course?"

Her friend nodded her head in agreement before pointing in his direction. "Yeah. Hey, did you hear the rumor? Apparently he's dating a villain."

Gasping in response, the other girl replied. "Whoa, no way? That's him? I can't believe he would do something like that. Doesn't he want to be number one? It's gotta be hard with a villain following him."

At the girls words, Amari lowered the hand down slowly, now taking in their thoughtless words all at once. Were all these terrible rumors affecting Todoroki also? She really hoped not. That's not what she wanted for him.

Shinso noticed her sullen stance at leaned down, whispering to her. "Are you going to call out to him or just stand there? You better hurry or those Class B girls are gonna think they have a chance."

Looking down at her hand, Amari sighed. "It's okay, he seems busy. I don't want to disturb."

The boy raised an eye at that. "I think you and I both know that's not it at all so stop lying and tell me the real reason. Usually you are all giddy to go over there."

Closing her eyes for a minute, she answered. "I don't know, you heard those girls. The last thing I want is for him to have to deal with these rumors also."

Shinso turned back to Todoroki then, who still hadn't noticed them and sighed. He already knew that her boyfriend wouldn't care about that kind of thing but he could also see her worry. "You don't think he can take it?"

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "No, I know he probably can, I just don't want him to. It's okay, I'll talk to him later, when there aren't so many people around. I don't want to hinder his progress of being number one with these stupid rumors."

Then, she turned on her heel and lifted her hand out. "Come on, let's go."

As she turned around though, Todoroki noticed her presence and the two locked eyes, staring at each other for a moment.

He started to walk towards her and the whispers started immediately, causing Amari to slowly take one step back, concern and slight fear in her eyes.

Todoroki stopped, noticing her withdrawn nature and opened his mouth, only to have Amari turn her back on him. She couldn't talk to him with so many people, they might assume terrible things about him, just like they did with her.

Closing her eyes in pain, Amari then walked away from the boy she loved with Shinso trailing behind, the whispers now dissipating as she left.

It worked, they stopped talking about him. That was supposed to be a good thing.

Yet, why did her heart feel so broken because of it?

* * *

After lunch, Amari was walking back to class when a voice spoke over the hallways, calling out into the large space. _Bakugo Amari, please make your way to the principal's office immediately. _

Turning her brow in confusion, she turned on her heels towards the location, not really sure why she got called over in the first place. She thought everything was settled between the heros' and herself.

She found the door soon enough, knocking on the surface before entering slowly. "Hello, you wanted to see me?"

Although when she turned that corner, Amari never expected to see Endeavor seated to her left hand side. Just seeing his face made her frown. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were done with me."

He only stared though, pointed to the seat across from him. "Sit Bakugo, we have much to discuss."

Scoffing back, Amari replied. "I don't have anything to discuss with you so if you would excuse me.."

She then tried to turn to the door only for him to speak again. "Your manners are just as tasteless as always."

This caused her to pause, turning back around to answer sarcastically. "Yeah, and your attitude is just as disgusting as always, your point?"

Frowning back, he pointed to the seat once more. "Sit down Bakugo. It's about Shoto."

She really wanted nothing more than to walk out of that room right now but hearing that he wanted to talk about Todoroki made her pause. What could that bastard possibly want to say to her? She was honestly curious.

Amari rolled her eyes once before flopping down on the sofa, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Fine, I'll bite. What is it that's so important you had to call me here from class?"

Once he knew she wasn't going to move, Endeavor took out a small envelope from his back pocket and placed it on the table. "I'm sure you're aware of the mess you are causing the hero agencies right now with your unruly behavior. Many of the citizens aren't pleased with you roaming free."

Nodding her head, Amari replied. "Yeah, tell me something I don't know. But like I already said, I'm not a villain. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Endeavor seemed to understand that though. "Even if that was the case, the citizens have only ever seen the after effects, which means they see you as a villain."

Choosing not the answer that statement, Todoroki's father then pulled out five magazines from his back pocket and placed them on the table as well. "I'm also sure you're aware of Shoto's dream to become the number one hero?"

Raising her brow, Amari answered back sharply. "Was that his dream or your dream?"

Frowning back, the man ignored her jab. "Regardless, that is the sole reason he decided to attend U.A. Whether it was to spite me or not, his goal has still remained the same."

Amari knew very well what Todoroki's goal was, recalling him being harsh with her when they first met. Heck, the only reason they became friends was when Amari proved she wasn't an enemy. "Okay, so why are you telling me this?"

Endeavor seemed to be waiting for that question though, sliding the magazines towards her side of the table. "Read them."

Raising her eyes in question, Amari carefully picked up one of the magazines before flipping open the tabbed page and reading. It seemed to be an article about Todoroki and his family.

Although as she read further, the girl couldn't help but widen her eyes. The things they were saying about him were absolutely terrible, and all of them were because they were dating. Apparently because Amari was suspected to be a villain, it also brought up suspicion with Todoroki, calling him not worthy to be a hero. What even was this?

Feeling her hands shake, she picked up the other magazines before reading similar articles, now hearing Endeavor in her ear. "As you can see, because of your little stunt, the public have decided to condemn anyone associated to you, and that includes Shoto."

Amari slammed the pages shut then, not fully understanding everything. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Why are they criticizing him? He tried to stop me from hurting everyone."

Nodding his head, Endeavor replied. "Yes but with your close relations, the media can't help but think you corrupted him in some way."

A sharp feeling of anger appeared in her stomach then as she rose out of her seat. "That's bullshit! I didn't do anything like that! Shoto is completely innocent!"

The man didn't seem bothered by her anger though, just reacting calmly. "You and I both know that but the media have no other choice but to believe their own story."

Shaking her head in utter anxiety, Amari felt her breathing pick up slightly. What was even happening? She never wanted him to face this much pain because of her. All of this was her fault. "No, no it can't be. There's gotta be something I can do to fix this…"

Endeavor was silent for a moment before speaking back. "There is actually.."

Hope appeared in her eyes then, ready to do whatever it took to clear his name. "Really?! What is it?"

Looking down at the table, the man then placed his hand on the white letter before handing it to her.

Seeming confused, Amari carefully touched the letter before opening the seal and reading contents that were very familiar to her. That girl's stomach dropped into her chest when she realized what it was. It was the marriage interview request.

Gripping onto the paper for dear life, she whispered out. "No.."

Endeavors voice cut through her then, pointing to the letter in question. "The only way to change the reporters minds is to detach yourself from the situation. Right now, the reason Shoto is being criticized is because of you."

Feeling her mind jump around in a hundred different directions, Amari threw the paper down, shouting back angrily. "Screw you! You're telling me to go along with something he's against?! Fuck that, you know how much he hates quirk marriages, and besides that, there has to be another way."

Sighing in frustration, the man stopped her. "The only way Shoto can regain his status and approval of the crowds is to show the world that he is considering other options, besides a possible villain. I'm not insinuating he gets married now, the boy is still in high school after all. This is all just for public relations, to quell the people's worries. If Shoto wants to become the new symbol of peace that desperately, then he can't have a villain attached to him, the people will reject it..

Amari shook her head in disbelief at that as Endeavor continued. "Bakugo, I understand you have feelings for my son but you need to realize that you are getting in the way of his goal, of the sole reason he came to U.A. Do you really want to hinder him anymore than you already have?"

Hinder? The word felt funny on her tongue. Was that really what she was doing this entire time? Had Todoroki read these terrible articles that she caused? She couldn't even begin to think of the unknown hardships she might have been reasonable for.

Lowering her head down to the floor, Amari muttered back. "What do you want me to do?"

The man pointed to the letter in response. "I can't fix this problem unless Shoto agrees to go to the interview, and there's only one person who is holding him back from saying yes."

Amari understood what he meant right away, he meant her. She was the reason he kept turning down those interviews. He wanted her to convince him to go, although that wasn't something she could do.

She couldn't even imagine a life without Todoroki, never mind letting him go. The idea seemed almost heart breaking. But, she had to if she wanted to maintain his dream.

Not giving a response, Amari just stood up from her chair before moving back to the door and slamming it behind her, now utterly numb from what she had heard.

* * *

Later that night Katsuki was walking down to get a drink from the venting machine when a light from the back of the dorms caused him to stop. Who could possibly be out this late?

After getting his drink, Bakugo popped the top open and walked outside only to find his sister, training by herself.

She looked to be running around the track a couple feet away, pools of sweat building up onto her body at a rapid rate. He told her to stop pushing herself. What was she even doing?

He thought about calling out to her when Amari stopped running, collapsing onto the ground and breathing heavily. She was now clutching her chest, as in physical pain, gasping out short breaths. "Fuck...it's not good enough...god damn it...why...why can't I…!?"

Katsuki's eyes widened at that, putting his foot out to run to her when she started slamming her fists into the ground in utter anger and devastation. His sister, she was breaking apart right before him.

Balling her fists on the track, Amari closed her eyes in pain as a loud and heartbreaking sob echoed from her throat. All of those weeks of keeping in her anguish came pouring out in waves as she cried into the ground.

Her brother could only watch in horror at the girl who thought no one was watching, now cradling herself on the floor as she grew herself horse.

So this was the Amari she never wanted him to see.

* * *

I may have stayed up until 4am writing this oops. I was just really into it. So *breathes* Endeavor. I know he sucks but in the eyes of the public he has a point, he's just the worst though.

Poor Amari has to decide to either let go of Shoto so he can continue his dream of beating his dad, or staying and being responsible for him not becoming a hero.

Also Dabi is really Mr. Steal Your Girl. Oop

Next Chapter: Amari's decision and Bakugo finally tells Amari "His Reasons" for ignoring me all those years ago…


	45. S3 Chapter 15

Hello! Ashley here! I decided to save Katsuki's confession for the next chapter since I really want it to get its own spotlight and be special. I hope you don't mind but in the meantime, enjoy this pain!

* * *

The next day, Amari stared at herself in the mirror while straightening her tie and trying to force a smile onto her face. Well she tried, but unfortunately the girl just couldn't muster anything right now. She had barely even slept last night after her conversation with Endeavor.

Ignoring the heavy bags under his eyelids, she heard the loud knock on her door and sighed. It was ritual for Katsuki to come get her every morning now so that must have been him.

Amari grabbed her bag before meeting her brother without a word. Bakugo could clearly see her tired expression and sullen stance, calling her out on it right away. "Geez Amari, you look like shit."

Usually she would've been annoyed with that but the girl could only lower her eyes, muttering back. "Great, thanks."

Her voice sounded so defeated and drained, like the spark inside her blew out and now she was just a hollow shell. Bakugo couldn't help but think about what he saw last night, wanting to call her out on that as well but held back somehow. Now wasn't the time.

Amari turned her head towards him then, a small amount of interest in her tone along with confusion. "Why are you staring at me?"

Blinking in surprise, Katsuki broke his gaze, not realizing he had been staring in the first place. "No reason. Come on, get your ass moving already, will you?"

Then he grabbed both of her shoulders before dragging his sister out of the dorms and towards their classes. Amari just let him do as he pleased though, not really seeing the point in stopping him anyways which concerned him even more. She wasn't usually this passive.

Seeing the gates in the distance, the twins started to hear the other students talk about them, the rumors just as fresh as ever. Katsuki balled his fists at this, wanting nothing more than to put them in their place. "Why you…!"

But before he could yell at them, Amari placed a hand on his arm, lowering his fists with a defeated sigh. "It's not worth it Katsuki. No matter what you do it's not going to stop them."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Bakugo ripped his arm away from her, not liking what he was hearing. It was like she was giving up and beleving those stupid rumors. "Okay, just what the hell is wrong with you today? Why are you letting them say that crap?! They need to know that no one makes fun of my sister and lives.."

Although all he got was a half hearted shrug. "As much as I appreciate the support, it's a lost cause. There's no point in arguing with them."

Katsuki was stunned by her response. Was this really the same girl that threatened the number two hero and fought her way into the hero course? It was like she was a completely different person. "Who the fuck even are you right now, cause you're certainly not my sister. When did you become such a pussy? Don't let them say that crap to you."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari spoke back, this time with a small bit of malice. "I'm just trying to face the facts. Why even try to change their minds if all they are going to see is a villain?"

He opened his mouth to reply when another voice beat him to it. "Amari-chan, Kacchan!"

They turned to find Deku running up to them, laying eyes on Amari first. "Hey Amari-chan, how are you doing with everything? I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you and I know it can't be easy."

All he got in response though was a heavy sigh followed by a reply. "I'm still living, aren't I?"

Deku didn't expect that response though. "Uh, yeah that's always good I guess. Well at least you got Kacchan and Todoroki to help you, Oh! And me of course, I'm always here if you need to talk to someone."

Giving a half hearted nod, she muttered back. "Thanks…"

He noticed her disinterest and tried a new approach, giving a reassuring smile. "I can kind of understand a little about what you're going through. I was quirkless before and remember how hard it was. You're really strong for pushing through all this, I know it must be really hard."

Feeling a slight irritation in the back of her throat, Amari willed the conversation to be over. What he went through and what she had to deal with were totally different things. With everything going on, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about her feelings now. "Midoryia, please stop...I don't want to talk about this now..."

Yet Deku didn't stop, too muffled in his own words. "But I think even without a quirk you're amazing Amari-chan! Everyone thinks that, especially Kacchan and Todoroki."

Shaking her head, Amari gritted her teeth at that, not wanting to hear anymore, answering back a bit more firm. She was just tired of everything, and hearing Todoroki's name right now felt like a knife in her chest. "Midoryia, stop it."

Although in his rambling, Deku didn't hear her annoyance and only continued.. "And I mean, maybe this isn't all that bad. You just gotta think of the positives!"

This caused the girl to stop in her tracks. "Positives?"

Feeling slightly put off by her response, he began to ramble, not really controlling what he was saying. "Yeah, I mean there's gotta be something good to come out of this, right? You just have to find it."

Amari stared at the ground for a second before letting her lips curve into a cruel, sickening smile. Something within her snapped then, the frustration starting to seep out little by little. She saw nothing good in this state, she was losing everything. "Alright then, you wanna do me a favor and tell me just what these positives are then?"

Then, she stepped towards the boy, her voice raising with each word. The girls' careless and monotone behavior turned into anger and rage in a single second. "I was promised the hope of becoming a hero only for it to be ripped away from me, I'm loosing everything I've ever held close in my life and I can't even leave this stupid ass school because the world thinks I'm a villain, hurting the people around me just by fucking existing. So, yes, please go on and tell me what the good side is in all this Deku!"

At her words, Deku's face fell, realizing he had been careless with his words. Then he realized that she had just called him by the name Kacchan gave him as an insult, the one that meant useless.

Amari seemed to realize it as well, shaking her head as her voice lowered, now panicked. She really was just like her brother, huh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that. I'm sorry I…"

Then her eyes caught a very familiar flash of red and white, turning to find Todoroki staring at them. No, he couldn't watch her fall apart like this, and she couldn't talk to him yet. She wasn't ready.

Feeling the need to disappear, the girl then took a step back, bowing apologetically. "I'm sorry Midoryia. I have to go..."

Then, she ran away from the boy, Todoroki and the crowds, just as Deku reached out towards her, confusion and shock in his features. "Amari-chan, wait, it's okay! Don't leave.."

But it was too late, the girl was gone just as Todoroki approached him, confusion in his features. "What happened?"

Watching his hand fall, Deku's eyes saddened. "I think I hurt Amari-chan. I shouldn't have said those things, obviously all this is really hard for her."

Todoroki starred in the direction of where she went and felt a sharp pain in his chest. That was twice that she ignored him. There was something going on, something he didn't know about. "She's just dealing with a lot, I wouldn't take it to heart Midoryia."

Deku nodded his head sadly before staring with Todoroki. "Yeah, I just wish I could help her."

Looking down at the floor for a moment, the boy couldn't help but agree. What could he even do to make all this go away? "Me too."

* * *

After class, Amari was looking out the window when she felt a tap on her shoulder. At first she thought it was Shinso, who had just left to get a drink from the vending machine, turning her voice into something sarcastic. "That was fast, are you sure you don't have a running quirk Shinso?"

Cracking a smile, she turned around only for her face to drop. It wasn't Shinso but rather the boy she had been avoiding the past couple days, Todoroki. "Amari.."

At his touch, Amari jumped away, stepping back a couple inches before stuttering back, now clearly nervous. Who knows who could see them like this. She had to leave as soon as possible. "Oh hey Shoto, sorry but I can't talk now, I really gotta go.."

Frowning at her words, he watched her try to run away only for the boy to clamp down on her arm firmly, stopping her movements all together. "Amari please, we need to talk. Why are you avoiding me?"

She shook her head at that, laughing nervously. "Avoiding? Pfft what, never. I just really have this thing to do and.."

Although once again he wasn't convinced. "I know when you're lying to me. Did I do something wrong? Please tell me what's happening with you."

He was so sweet, so much so that it made Amari stop, reaching to touch his face lightly. "Of course not, you are just as wonderful as always. It's just.."

She paused when a couple students walked by, whispering as they went, causing Amari to drop her hand back to her side. She knew she had to tell him about Endeavors conversation, but didn't have the heart or courage yet.

Todoroki seemed confused at this before gaining an idea, now reaching forward and relinking his hand with hers. "Come on.."

Not fully understanding, the boy then started to drag Amari out of the school and lead her towards the main gates of the academy.

What was he even doing?

As they reached the front though, Amari stopped him. What was he even thinking? She couldn't go out there. "Todoroki wait. I can't leave, remember? I'm still on house arrest."

But just as she said that, the boy reached into his bag and pulled out a blue sweatshirt. Then he threw the object in her direction before replying. "It's alright. I got All Mights permission during lunch. Here, put this on."

Still not really understanding, Amari touched the fabric before putting on the jacket and lifting the hood above her eyes while letting Todoroki drag her past the gates, still not really knowing what he was planning.

* * *

They walked down the street for a while, Todoroki staring at Amari the entire time as they went. There was something about her, something off. He supposed it was from all the stress and pressure she had been through lately though. Maybe this would be able to help her.

He stopped then, pointing to a small coffee shop in the corner and going inside. Soon they found themselves sitting at the small table with two slices of chocolate cake in front of them. "Shoto, what are we doing here?"

Pushing the plate towards her, he replied. "I thought you could use a change of scenery. That school can be rather suffocating from time to time."

She stared down at the dessert before fearing a strong wave of emotion crashed into her, although trying to shove it down all at once. Why was he so sweet? He must have been worried about her behavior. "You didn't have to do this."

Although the boy just shook his head. "Of course I did. Now go on. Let's not talk about everything right now, just enjoy your dessert."

He handed her a fork and Amari slowly took it, thanking him slightly for not bringing up her situation right now. Todoroki knew that she didn't want to talk about it and he also knew that she had probably heard enough about all this villain talk. They just wanted to go back to something normal for once.

Taking a bite of the cake, her taste buds jumped in excitement, although the girl could only let out a half hearted smile. "It's good."

Todoroki nodded his head and let her eat in silence, although he couldn't help grow even more concerned by the way she was acting. It was like she was defeated somehow, like her words could only muster out a small bit of excitement anymore.

That same fierly and outspoken girl he came to love was now nowhere to be seen, only left with a hollow shell of herself. Just how much was she hurting right now? What wasn't she telling him? The questions crashed into his mind all at once.

Amari on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the conversation they were going to have to have after this tiny moment of bliss.

She felt so safe in his presence, it was devastating to know that all of that would have to go away soon.

* * *

After that exited the coffee shop, the two walked side by side for awhile before seeing the sun setting on the horizon. Had they really been out this long without speaking more than five words to each other?

Amari realized that he must have thought she was crazy for not speaking that long, although he somehow didn't seem to mind. It was like he just enjoyed being with her.

Soon they found themselves overlooking the city, in the same place that she poured her heart to him and took him about her condition. It seemed only just that this would also be the place to end everything.

Grasping his hand onto the railing in front of them, Amari took in a breath of courage before forcing his other hand off of her and putting on her best brave face. She could do this, for his happiness, for his dream.

Todoroki was understandably confused by her action, now watching a girl take a step away from him, almost like she did in school. "Amari, what's wrong?"

Choosing to stare down at the floor for a couple moments, the girl shook her head. "I can't do this anymore."

Still not understanding, he tried to approach her, only for Amari to step back even more. "What are you saying, can't do what?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari threw her hands out in exasperation. "This! I can't do this anymore Todoroki. I'm..I'm..sick of you!"

The words crashed into him all at once, feeling a mix of confusion and heart break enter his body. She was sick of him? No, it couldn't be. "Did something happen? Why are you even saying that, you told me you loved me."

His voice grew even more swollen, causing Amari to crack a tiny bit, stuttering on her words all at once. "Yeah, I-I don't love you anymore, so you should just go. I-I don't want to see your face again."

She turned away from him then and started to leave but Todoroki wasn't satisfied with that. He needed answers, he needed to know what was going on.

Grabbing onto her arm, he cried out. "Wait, don't just leave after saying that. I don't understand. Is there something I did, did I hurt you somehow? Amari please, I want to understand. Don't just shut me out…"

His words cut into her all at once, now finding it even more impossible to continue with the script she rehearsed, although she still had to try. "There is nothing to understand, what is there to not understand?! I don't love you anymore Shoto, so just leave me alone, don't talk to me anymore, don't look in my direction, don't even come near me. I hate everything about you. I hate how sweet and caring you are and how clueless you are at the littlest things, when will you understand that I can't...I can't…"

Feeling her hands grip her arms, Amari's words caught in her throat, a sob threatening to escape her all at once as she crumbled to the ground. "I can't do this. Why can't I do this?! I practiced so much last night and I just can't…"

Todoroki eyes widened at this, running over to her in panic. "Amari?! What's going on? Please tell me what's happening, why did you say those things?"

Shaking her head back and forth, she replied. "I'm sorry Shoto, this was supposed to be easy, but look at me. I'm such a coward. I just can't say those things to you, I can never say them."

He touched her shoulder and felt his heart drop when her body shook underneath the surface of his palm. "Then, all of those things were lies, you're not sick of me?"

Amari turned her brow into one of desperation then, turning around and locking eyes with Todoroki desperately. "No, of course not! How could I ever be sick of you? I wish I could've been, it would've made all of this easier, but I just can't. I'm sorry."

Was she really apologizing for not being sick of him? What was even happening? "Amari, please tell me what's going on. Something's changed with you and there is something you're not telling me. Did you think I haven't noticed you ignoring me the last couple days? You're starting to worry me."

Grabbing onto his shirt, Amari looked at the floor for a moment before muttering back. "Do you remember back at the sports festival when I told you that the last thing I wanted was to ruin you with our relationship?"

Todoroki still didn't really understand but remembered that conversation very clearly, just letting her continue, now watching her tear away from his eyes. "Well, your dad came to see me yesterday and.."

At the mention of his father, a thousand warning bells rang off in his head, now feeling extremely anxious and gripping her shoulders roughly. "What, what did that scumbag say to you?! Did he hurt you? Let me see…"

Amari watched him trail his fingers down her arms, checking for any sign of injury but finding none. "What, no. He didn't do anything. We just talked."

A long sigh echoed out then, still feeling on edge but happy to know his father hadn't done anything to her in a physical sense. But that all changed when he heard her next words. "Shoto, I think you should go to the marriage interview."

The rejection crashed into him all at once, feeling his hands fall from her shoulders, a slight anger building up in his throat. "What, what are you saying?! That scumbag did say something to you, didn't he? Tell me Amari. Did he threaten you or something?"

Although her eyes could only crumble, feeling a sense of frustration in her own voice. "Do you really think I'd let that asshole threaten me? No, of course not. He only told me the truth, the truth I never wanted to face."

He eyed her with anxiety as Amari touched his face sadly. "I know you've noticed how people treat me now because of everything. The world thinks I'm a villain no matter how I try to deny it. "

Hearing about the harassment she's been through, Todoroki reached up his hand to her cheek, trying to reassure her. "All of those people are blind, choosing to believe some story rather than who you actually are. You are not a villain, and I would never see you as that. Don't start to believe those lies."

His words were sweet, but Amari knew better, touching his hand lightly. "Thank you, but it doesn't matter what we think, the public have already condemned me, and now it's hurting the people I love. You are suffering for my mistakes and I can't stand it."

Leaning closer to her, Todoroki intertwined his fingers with hers. "Amari, I don't care about what anyone else says. Yes I've heard the rumors but neither they nor my father decide how I should live my life."

The girl shook her head though, now reaching behind her back and pulling out the same magazines that Endeavor showed her. "Did you know about this though?"

Todoroki carefully took the papers before flipping open the first one and reading the contents. His eyes grew wide and the words one the page. All of these reporters were saying such terrible things about Amari and himself, calling him not worthy enough to be a hero. "Why would they do this kind of thing?"

Tightening his hold on the stacks of paper, he narrowed his eyes in anger before pulling out his cell phone and typing a few buttons, confusing Amari. "What are you doing?"

Shaking his head, he replied. "I'm going to call the company and force them to take these articles down. Enough is enough."

Although the offer was sweet, Amari knew better, placing a hand on his arm and pushing it down. "Hey come on, you know that's not going to do anything. Other outlets will just find out and accuse you of covering it up. That's the same as saying those rumors are true. Plus, that sounds like something your father would do."

At his father's name, Todoroki dropped his phone, not wanting to become like that scumbag yet still seething. "I hate that you're right, but why must they continue to spread such lies like this? It's so obvious that they are twisting the narrative and yet no one believes us."

Nodding her head sadly, Amari agreed. "That's what your father and I talked about, and he came up with a plan so you can earn back the public's trust and still become a hero."

Yet, it seemed Todoroki wasn't convinced, ripping his hand away from her. "I want nothing to do with my old man. If he suggested something then I want no part in it. Is that why you said that ridiculous statement about the marriage interview?

Amari's eyes saddened though, now feeling her hand grow colder without this warmth. "Do you think I like this either? Because I don't, and I don't want to listen to that asshole but he has a point. The only reason you are getting criticized right now is because of me."

Standing up from his spot on the grass, Todoroki turned away from her, clearly angry. "Can you see he's trying to use you in some way to break us apart? I can't believe you would just go along with something like this Amari."

She turned her brow in frustration, then chose to stand as well. "You're not listening to me! Don't you understand what's going on here? Without the public's approval, you'll never be a hero and you'll never complete your goal."

He knew she was right, but still chose to deny it, knowing that he couldn't live without her anymore. "I don't care. If that means that we have to separate then I'm fine with not being a hero."

Widening her eyes in disbelief, Amari gasped, racing forward and slapping the boy roughly on the shoulder, much to his dismay. "Ow, Amari, what are you…!"

But as he turned around, the boy saw her tear filled expression, looking at him will utter heartbreak as she cried back. "Don't you dare say that! You and I both know that being a hero is everything to you. Don't just say you're going to give that up for something stupid. You actually have the chance to complete your goal!"

Todoroki could only stare dumbfounded as Amari shook her head, her voice cracking on each terrible word. "When will you understand?! I can't live the rest of my life knowing that I was the reason you had to give up your dream. I know it sucks and I don't want to have to listen to your dad but we are kind of out of options Shoto!"

Her voice lowered then, continuing. "Listen, I hate this just as much as you do but for now, you have to at least make the public think you aren't associated with me. I'm not saying you have to get married or engaged or anything like that but if you at least go to the marriage interview it will prove to them that you're not corrupted by me."

Shaking his head Todoroki didn't like this plan at all, reaching forward to comfort the girl that was falling apart before him. If only he was normal, if only he wasn't a Todoroki, then she wouldn't have to go through this right now.

Pulling her into a tight embrace, he replied. "But what if I don't want to live without you?"

He heard her whimper then, resting her shaking hands on his back. "You have to, if only for a little while. I already said I refuse to get in the way of your future. Go be a hero for the both of us Shoto."

The boy knew what she meant by those words, realizing that giving up his goal must have seemed like a slap in the face for her. It was nearly impossible for her to become the hero she wanted without her quirk and yet he was just going to give it up even though he still had the potential. It seemed almost selfish to walk away when Amari didn't even have the choice to quit.

He was silent for a moment before replying. "If I agree to attend the interview, know that it doesn't mean I stopped my feelings for you. I've said it once and I will say it over and over again, you are the one I love, no matter what happens."

Nodding her head under his chest, she lifted her chin up to meet his eyes, tears pouring down the corner of her face. " I know."

Then, she closed her eyes as Todoroki leaned down and kissed her sadly, his arm pushing her closer to him in one last moment of adoration. They both knew after this they had to pretend like they were complete strangers which wasn't reality either of them wanted to face.

Pulling away, Amari rested her head on Todoroki's forehead, breathing out a shaky breath as she spoke. "Shoto, I love you, more than words can describe. You saved my life, so now it's time I saved yours."

Shaking his head, the boy replied. "You've got it all wrong Amari. You already have."

She felt her chest flip with a mix of sadness and overwhelming joy as she leaned down and kissed him again before whispering back. "You should head on back first. It would look bad if we were seen together after this."

Todoroki paused for a moment before detaching himself from her, his fingers still tracing her face in a single line, not wanting to let go fully. "Will you be alright?"

His question had so many meanings attached to it but Amari knew she had to stay strong. If she fully broke down now then that might change his decision about the interview, and that was something she knew couldn't happen, as much as she hated it. "Yeah."

At her confirmation, Todoroki fully let go, the girl feeling the sharp, cold breeze tear through her all at once, now watching him leave slowly.

Once he was completely gone though, Amari's control snapped, covering her mouth to stop a heart wrenching sob as she fell to her knees in devastation at the realization.

It was over, they were over.

* * *

*cries in weeb*

Next Chapter: Katsuki's confession to Amari.


	46. S3 Chapter 16

News of the interview traveled quickly, and before they knew it, the topic was the talk of the town and the school. Following the plan, Endeavor personally informed the outlets so that his son's name would be clear as fast as possible. To the world, Amari and Todoroki were now no longer associated.

Walking into the hallway without her brother, Amari heard the gossip swirling through the halls, all eyes on her more than ever. At least they weren't saying anything bad about Todoroki anymore. That's all she wanted.

She slightly felt bad for ditching Katsuki this morning but honestly she didn't have the heart nor the energy to talk to him about this now. He would surely freak when he finds out about the interview.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder only to turn around and find Shinso staring back at her. "Hey, did you hear what they are saying now? Get a look at this.."

Then he took out a news article before showing the girl. "The lies don't stop, huh. I can't believe they are saying that Todoroki is going to a marriage interview. What kind of nonsense is that? Honestly I think they are running out of ideas."

He began to laugh at his joke but stopped when Amari wasn't joining along. Instead, she only sighed sadly. "It's the truth."

Blinking back in surprise, Shinso couldn't believe what he was hearing. As far as he knew, Amari loved Todoroki. Had something changed? "Wait, what? What do you mean it's the truth? That guy is dating you but is also going to a marriage interview? Isn't that kind of wrong?"

Although she only shook her head. "No, it's not like that. We aren't together anymore. Shot- I mean, Todoroki can do what he wants now."

This brought an even bigger surprise. "What..you broke up?"

Narrowing her eyes in frustration though, the girl muttered back half heartedly. "Can we not talk about it please? I just want to forget it."

Yet Shinso didn't get the message, pushing further. "I don't understand. You were like obsessed with him. What happened?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari's voice returned colder and more cruel than she probably meant it to be, stopping the boy in his tracks. "Would you just drop it Shinso. I already said I don't want to talk about it, can't you respect my god damn wishes for once?"

The boy was stunned at that though. He hadn't heard her talk like that since the sports festival when he made her confess. He could tell she was hurting somehow, and that one word could cause her to break down altogether. "Sorry."

At his apology, Amari immediately felt bad, putting a hand to her head in an oncoming headache. Why was everything so complicated? "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I just have a lot to worry about right now. I shouldn't have taken it out on you though. God, I'm the worst."

Shaking her head, Shinso eyed the girl before rustling her hair with an understanding look. "Oh come on, I wouldn't say the worst. I get if you don't wanna talk about it but don't stew about it all by yourself. Remember what I said before, I'm not fragile. You can tell me anything short stuff."

Amari shoved his hand off of her before nodding slowly. "Thanks."

Shinso didn't understand exactly what had happened but he knew that she was hurting right now. Maybe that bastard decided to break up with her? Just the thought made him extremely angry inside. He must have known what she was dealing with, if so then why did he just leave her like that?

Hold on, now that he thought about it, didn't that guy give him crap and tell him that Todoroki was going to support her no matter what during the training camp? What a load of bullshit that turned out to be.

He didn't know, but Shinso didn't like it. He specifically backed off his feelings for her because he knew they were happy and because Todoroki was treating her right.

But if this was how it was going to go, someone had to be there for her, and if it wasn't going to be Todoroki, then he would gladly take the job.

They walked down the hallways in silence after that before hearing the students whisper in their direction, although one voice stood out among the rest. "It's going to be hard for Bakugo to become a hero with a villain as a sister, don't you think?"

This caused Amari to stop dead in her tracks, a small amount of rage now building up in her stomach. Oh, great now that she broke up with Todoroki, they were moving onto Bakugo. She had already separated herself from Todoroki forcefuly because of this stupid rumors, there was no way she was going to do the same with Katsuki. No, she refused to let that happen. It would destroy her.

Balling her fists, Shinso looked over only to find the girl trying to contain herself, but failing miserably. "Amari?"

Just then, she raced forward, blinded by her own anger and grabbed one of the boys collars, hissing back with intent. "Listen here, you can say whatever you want about me but don't you dare fucking say anything about my brother. His accomplishments have nothing to do with me and I refuse to let you spread this kind of shit around. So, you better drop that right now."

The boy seemed shaken, now watching a crowd of people circle around them as he tried to break away. "Or what, what are you gonna do?"

Narrowing her eyes in disgust, Amari then tightened her hold on the boys shirt as her stance darkened, answering back with full intent. "Then, I might just have to go along with these rumors and be what you want me to be. That is what you what after all, right? A villain."

His eyes widened then, seeming even more desperate to break away, noticing her mood had changed. Would she really hurt him? "Was that a threat? I'm going to go tell All Might right now and have you expelled!"

Although Amari only gave an empty laugh, replying back sarcastically. "Good luck with that. I can't leave this prison even if I tried."

The mummers around the circle grew louder and she suddenly felt Shinso's hand on her arm, pleading with her to snap out of her delusion. "Amari, stop. This isn't helping. Look around you.."

At his words, she blinked and turned around, finding a dozen students watching her threaten this poor student. What was she even doing? She was just too blinded by what that boy said to process what was happening. Maybe those rumors were true, maybe she was a villain.

Losing her grip, the boy then fell to the floor as Amari closed her eyes for a moment, willing the nightmares away before turning on her heels, back towards the dorms.

Shinso noticed this and raced forward, confusion in his stance. "Hey, where are you going? Class is going to start soon."

Although she only stopped for a moment, her eyes fell into ones of exhaustion. "I'm skipping. I'm sorry, I just can't do this anymore Shinso."

He reached his hand out but it was no use, the girl disappeared from his sight, causing the boy to sigh.

Why had Todoroki left her alone in this state? It was obvious that she was falling apart.

The thought alone made him angry.

* * *

Todoroki was walking to class with his head hung low when suddenly, he heard a loud rumbling echo through the halls. It almost made the ground shake for the amount of intensity it was making, everyone wondering what could be the cause of the disturbance.

Although he got the answer when a voice entered the space, threatening and loud. "Where the fuck is that bastard?! Come out here so I can kill you!"

Stopping for a moment, he turned only to find Bakugo staring back at him. Oh boy, this was going to be something.

Katsuki noticed Todoroki in an instant, locking eyes with the boy before stomping his feet up to him, intent in his stance. "There you are! I got a few fucking words for you, you bastard!"

Looking unamused, he let Bakugo run up to him before replying. "Bakugo, you are going to cause a scene."

Although Katsuki, was beyond reasoning, scoffing back. "Good, so now everyone can see what a piece of shit you are. What gives you the right to cheat on my sister?!"

Blinking in surprise, Todoroki tried to keep an even tone, knowing fully well of the eyes on them. "I haven't cheated on your sister. We aren't associated anymore."

This caused him to stop in his tracks. "What? So you decided to break up with her just so you could get engaged to someone else? What, was she not rich enough for you, not strong enough? Is that it? Fuck you, I knew you were no good for her!"

Todoroki felt the irritation in his throat but shoved it down quickly. "Bakugo, you are misunderstanding. It's not like that."

Reaching forward, Katsuki then wrapped his hand around Todoroki shirt, pulling him threateningly close. "Then what is it like, because you have about five seconds before I set you on fire!"

Todoroki looked towards the people around him before answering back. "Not here. I can't say it here."

Katsuki twisted his face in disgust, wondering if he was really going to trust the guy that just broke his sisters heart? He honestly didn't want to hear any of his piss poor excuses. "You know what, I don't want to hear any of your fucking excuses. If you can't even say it here then don't even think about going near her again!"

The boy opened his mouth to counteract but found it difficult with everyone staring. He couldn't declare his feelings for Amari right here, then it would ruin the entire plan. He had to stay silent, even if it killed him to be accused of such things.

Katsuki palms started to irrigate when suddenly a voice stopped them. "Bakugo.."

They turned then, seeing Shinso run up to them, breathless. He was still not great with physical activity. "It's Amari.."

At her name, the boy's expressions turned into ones of fear, Bakugo speaking first. "What about her, what fucking happened? Spit it out!"

Heaving out a breath, Shinso pointed in the direction she went, explaining. "She got in a fight with a student that was criticizing you and then went back towards the dorms. She looked really upset. I'd go back but I'm not allowed in the dorms."

Katsuki felt his mind go in a thousand different directions at his words. Amari got into a fight, why? Why didn't she just let them say those things about him? This was going to ruin her reputation. "That idiot..!"

He turned on his heels, only for Todoroki to speak out without thinking. "I'll come also."

This caused Bakugo to stop, glaring at the boy in a single motion. "Don't you fucking dare. You stay away from her. If I even see you near her again, I'm personally going to kill you myself, you got that?!. You don't even deserve to look at her anymore."

Todoroki stopped then, realizing that he was right. What right did he have to come to her aid? They were supposed to be broken up.

Letting his hands fall, the boy stepped back, fully understanding as Bakugo ran back towards the dorms.

Once he was gone through, Shinso eyed the boy with disgust. "What's with you? Didn't you say that you were going to support her? Looks like to me you're doing a pretty crappy job."

Todoroki glared back in response. "Don't talk like you understand the situation."

Shrugging his shoulders, the boy narrowed his eyes. "Maybe I don't understand everything, but know if you're going to leave her alone like this then don't be upset when someone takes her from you."

Widening his eyes, Todoroki's head sharply turned to the boy. "What are you trying to say?"

But once again, the boy only shrugged, knowing fully well what he was trying to say. "I don't know, you tell me."

Widening his eyes, Todoroki glared back, now understanding the threat. Did this guy just say he was going to try to take Amari from him? That wasn't going to happen, he couldn't let it happen.

He refused.

* * *

Running up to her door, Bakugo banged on the surface, knowing fully well that she was inside. "Amari! Let me in, you idiot. What makes you think you can skip class?"

A small silence appeared then before hearing her response, it was rough and scratchy, like she had been crying. "Just leave me alone Katsuki."

Banging again, Katsuki wasn't satisfied. "Screw that. You're not getting rid of me even if you tried. What's all this about you getting into a fight and crap? It's that icyhots fault, isn't it?"

The silence returned and a couple minutes later, Amari opened the door a crack to respond. "You got it all wrong. It's not like that."

Turning his brow in anger, Bakugo pushed open the door to let himself then, already over her games. "You and that bastard said the same thing. If I don't understand then make me fucking understand! You wanna tell me why he's going to a god damn marriage interview?"

Amari's eyes turned to the ground in response. "It's not his fault, I'm the one that broke up with him and convinced him to go to the interview."

This came to a surprise to the boy, still not understanding. "What, why would you do that? That makes no fucking sense. You forced him to go?"

Nodding her head, she replied. "It was the only way he could continue being a hero. Everyone around me is being accused of working with a villain or being corrupted. I had to do something. It doesn't matter what I want, as long as I don't ruin his goal."

Bakugo couldn't believe what he was even hearing. "So you did all of this on purpose? What the fuck Amari. You didn't have to do all that. Just don't listen to those extras. They aren't even worth your time."

Although Amari only grew frustrated at that. "You don't understand Katsuki, to the world I'm a poison, and the only way to prove to them that Shoto is still worthy to be a hero is to break up with him. Do you think I wanted to do this?! No, of course not. I loved him Katsuki, I still do. But this was our only option."

Balling her hands into a fist, her expression began to darken. "And today, when those kids started to talk about you, I just couldn't help myself. I already lost Shoto, I can't lose my brother also. I know it's selfish but I don't want you to suffer because of me anymore Katsuki."

Widening his eyes, Bakugo realized what she had meant, and the sacrifice she had made. This girl gave away everything for the happiness of the ones she loved, and he hated that. "What the hell are you saying? I never suffered because of you, and you can just let those extras say what they want about me. I never asked you to protect me, you idiot."

Amari's lips curled up into a sad smirk then. "Oh come on Katsuki, I think we all know that's not true. Didn't you say before that you wished you were an only child? All I've done is made you suffer. Honestly, maybe I should just try that whole villain thing out. Everyone seems to think I'd be good at it."

Not liking her words, Bakugo gasped, slapping his sister on the shoulder roughly. What was she even saying? Be a villain?! No, there was no way. All of those things he said during their fight weren't the truth. She needed to know that.

Shouting back, he replied. "What the fuck are you even saying?! Amariana you take that back right now. No sister of mine is going to become a god damn villain. Over my dead body!"

At the sound of her full name, Amari gasped, slapping him back equally as hard. "Katsuki, don't you dare use my full name! You know how much I hate that, you asshole!"

Although Bakugo wasn't done. "I'll stop using it when you finally get your head out of your ass! Do you even realize what you're saying?! I thought you wanted to become a hero, not a god damn villain!"

Frowning back and throwing her hands out in exasperation, his sister cried out. "Oh that's rich coming from you. Weren't you the one that said I could never be a hero? Well, it looks like you were right, so I'm throwing in the towel. It's over. I'm done fighting my entire life for something that I can never have! Just face it, without my pills, I'm nothing.."

Katsuki shook his head though, absolutely fuming from her words. She couldn't give up, she had to keep going. If she gave up on her dreams, then he would feel forever responsible. "So you're just going to give up then? That's not the sister I know. You're my fucking twin Amari, so get off your ass and keep going damn it!"

She narrowed her eyes in confusion then, a ball of irritation in her throat. "Where is this even coming from? A couple months back you were trying everything in your power to stop me from becoming a hero and now you are refusing to let me quit? What the fuck Katsuki, make up your god damn mind already!"

Bakugo stared back at his sister, not really knowing how to respond to that statement. "Would you just listen to me for me once, you can't quit! You have to keep going damn it, you just have to!"

Taking a step forward, Amari shouted back, clearly over her brother. "Why though?! Why the fuck do you even care so much now?! Why are you so goddamn intent with me becoming a hero now? Why can't I just quit?!"

Yet once again. Katsuki didn't have the right words. "You just can't…"

But that made Amari even more angry. "Why?!"

Balling his hands into a fist, the words came pouring out of Katsuki's mouth before he could even process them. "Because this is all my fault, damn it!"

The room stood still at that, Amari's brow turning into one of confusion as Bakugo's voice cracked, a wave of emotions coursing through him. "It's my fault…"

Taking a small step closer, her voice echoed back to him. "What are you talking about Katsuki? This isn't your fault. All this is the cause of my stupid ass decisions."

Although he only shook his head, stifling a sniffle and causing Amari to grow even more concerned. She never saw him like this before, so soft and valuable. "Katsuki?"

A small amount of silence appeared then before Bakugo had the courage to speak. He needed to make her understand, even though it may cause her to hate him. "Mom never told us, but when I was a kid, I heard one of the doctors talk about it. The reason you're like this, is because of me."

Widening her eyes in confusion, Katsuki continued. "Because we were born together, I ended up taking all of your strength and leaving you with almost nothing. All those times you were in the hospital and your weak quirk, it's because of me. If we weren't twins then you would be just as strong as me, but instead I stole it. I stole your goddamn chance at a life."

Amari stood silent, just watching her brother break down before her. "So I promised myself that I would use your strength to become the number one hero. I have to damn it, or else I won't be able to live with myself."

Looking down at his hands, Katsuki then shook his head. "But then all this shit happened because I was to fucking afraid to say anything, and I pushed you away like I do with everything else. I was never ashamed of you Amari. It was the goddamn opposite. I was the one that was ashamed, that's why I acted like such an asshole. I thought if you changed your mind on becoming a hero, then no one would have to know what I did."

He closed his hands into a fist as tears began to line his eyes. "But then I ended up fucking you up even more, into thinking you had to earn the title of my sister, forcing you to do all this bullshit just to make me happy when that wasn't the case at all. You didn't have to do anything to be my twin. I only realized recently that it was me that had to prove myself to you, how fucking ironic, right?"

Bakugo stopped then, too distraught to continue as Amari tried to process what he was saying. She lived her entire life on the idea that Katsuki didn't love her. What was he even saying? "Y-You felt like this all this time? I don't understand.."

Nodding his head, Katsuki understood why. "Of course you don't understand, that just goes to show how much I screwed you up. If I was just honest with my feelings then none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have had to turn to those pills and no one would've called you a villain."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Amari replied. "Hold on, this doesn't make any sense. How come mom never told us this? All this time, you knew about our birth and didn't say anything? Since you were a kid, you've been living with this. Why Katsuki.."

Bakugo cracked on one of his words as he replied. "Because I didn't want anyone to know, I was too fucking ashamed to have anyone find out that I put my sister into that hospital."

Reaching forward to grab his hands, Amari spoke back. "What, come on, you didn't put me in that hospital, okay? That's just how life worked out. You were a baby, how were you supposed to know what you were doing?"

Her brother frowned back though, ripping his hands away. "It doesn't matter the result was the same, and I've made your life a living hell because of that. So go ahead and hate me if you want, just stop trying to protect me when I don't deserve it."

All of this information was so overwhelming for Amari, only caring about one thing and one thing only, now reaching in desperation towards her brother. "Wait, so back then when we were kids, when you said you didn't want me.."

Shaking his head, Katsuki replied low and sad. "That was a lie, all of those things I said were lies. The only reason I didn't introduce you to my friends was because I was too ashamed to let them find out what I've done. You did nothing wrong Amari, you never have. I never deserved you as a sister, but either why, I always loved you stupid."

The words registered in her ears all at once, now feeling a choking sob build up in her throat. She couldn't believe it. Everything she had ever known was a lie. Katsuki never hated her or wished for her to disappear. "I can't believe it.."

Letting his eyes fall sadly, Bakugo waited for her angry response, to tell him that she never wanted to see him again or something to that effect.

But that wasn't what he got.

Instead, he gasped in surprise as Amari wrapped her arms around her brother tightly, crying into his chest.. "I can't believe it. I'm so happy."

Widening his eyes in confusion, Katsuki broke away from her. "Hold on, why the fuck are you happy? I just said I ruined your entire life. Don't you want to yell or hit me or something? Is your brain that goddamn screwed up?"

But the girl only shook her head, touching his face carefully. "Do you think I care about any of that? Katsuki, you said you loved me, you never hated me, and that you wanted me to be your sister. I can't believe it. That's all I've ever wanted."

Forcing herself back into the hug, Katsuki stood in shock as she spoke. "You can stop letting his hurt you Katsuki. What happened was not your fault and I would never hate you for it. All this time, you were hurting as well, right? I'm sorry, I never noticed. Some sister I am, huh. I guess density runs in the family."

Bakugo felt his fingers wrap around his sister then, the tears now ever prominent on his cheeks. He didn't deserve her kindness, her forgiveness. What he did was indescribable and horrible, so why was she saying such words now? "You idiot, don't accept all this so quickly. You're supposed to hate me now."

Patting his back, Amari's tears graced her own face. "I couldn't never hate you Katsuki, even if I wanted to. All this time I thought you never loved me, that i was just a nuisance to you. So hearing you say that those were lies, I don't know, I just can't stop smiling because of it."

Her brother pulled her in tighter than, still not fully understanding but enjoying her embrace. What did he do in life to have such a wonderful twin? "Then you really are stupid."

Smiling back, Amari replied warmly. "Maybe, but then I guess that makes two of us. We are the Bakugo Dream Team after all, right?"

Hearing the nickname from her lips, Amari was ready to hear Katsuki's rejection only to get something else. His approval. "Yeah, I guess we are the Bakugo Dream Team."

Smiling under her breath, Amari hugged onto her brother for dear life as their tears filled the space together. The dream that she had wished for for so long was no reality, and to Katsuki, he still couldn't believe her response.

These were his reasons, his secrets, and somehow, she accepted all of them.

* * *

So wholesome! Now they have a mutual understanding between each other now and they both understand why they both acted the way they did. I had Amari act understanding to her brother because she adores him and all she's wanted was to be accepted by him, so hearing this now is like what she always wanted in life. She can't be angry at him for that.

Next Chapter: Marriage Interview time…


	47. S3 Chapter 17

It was Sunday, and the day that Amari had been dreading all week had finally come like a slap in the face. It was the day of the marriage interview.

Quickly changing into a simple sweatshirt and pants, she paused when a loud knock was overheard through her door followed by the sound of it opening. She did leave it open this morning anyways so that wasn't really surprising.. "I can't believe you're actually up this early. Normally you'd be snoring still."

Amari gasped at that, slapping her brother on his shoulder in fake annoyance. "Hey, I do not snore! I think you're referring to yourself Katsuki."

Bakugo frowned in response, pushing his sister back a couple inches and causing her to brush the comb over the wrong part of her face. "Shut up idiot. I don't snore either. You must need your ears checked or something."

She couldn't help but smile under her breath at this. Ever since the night they confessed everything to each other, the twins' relationship seemed more natural, like there was some kind of mutual understanding between each other. Honestly it was nice. She felt like she didn't have to hide anything from him anymore.

Grumbling back, Bakugo pointed his thumb in the direction of the hallway then. "Come on, that damn Deku decided to make breakfast for everyone. I'm not going to eat his disgusting cooking but that doesn't mean you can't. Honestly though, I don't even understand how you can stomach that kid still."

She placed her brush down before answering back apologetically, her eyes having a hint of sadness to them. "He's really not that bad, and I think I'm okay. I'm not really hungry right now."

This caused Katsuki to frown. "Oh no, that's not happening. Now get down there before I drag you. You need to eat. I won't let you stay up here and act all depressed and shit, and I'm pretty sure the others won't either."

Amari seemed surprised at his words, knowing fully well that Deku probably made that breakfast to cheer her up because of the interview. Unfortunately, her stomach wasn't feeling all that up for food right now. "Thanks for the offer but I'm okay, really. I have somewhere to go today anyways.."

Although, Bakugo still didn't seem pleased at that, shrugging his shoulders and replying. "Suit yourself."

Then in a single motion, he grabbed onto Amari's waist before hoisting her over his shoulder like one large sack of potatoes. He did warn her, although that didn't stop her from protesting. "Katsuki, what the hell! Put me down! You know how much I hate this! I swear if I had a quirk right now you would be on fire!"

Yet Bakugo only mildly listened to her insults, now moving out the door and into the common area where the others where. He wasn't going to let her stew about Todoroki all alone. No, he already promised he'd be there for her. "Not a chance, let's go."

Deku and the rest of the class eyed the twins with interest as Bakugo rounded the corner, now hearing Amari's threats as clear as day as she was slung over his shoulder. Something had definitely changed between them, and Midoriya was happy about that. He had never seen Kacchan so animated before.

Throwing her onto the nearby sofa, Amari flopped off the side and onto the ground, groaning as she rubbed her head. "I hate you ."

Although Bakugo only smirked, crossing his arms around his chest. "No you don't stupid."

Grumbling to herself, the girl jumped back up then, knowing that he was right. "Shut up."

Just then, Deku came between them, now holding a plate of waffles in their direction. "Now now, let's not fight. Look, I made breakfast for everyone! I thought we could all eat together!"

Glancing at the food, Katsuki scoffed. "There is no way I'm eating with you, you damn Deku. So just forget that."

Well that's what he thought, before seeing Amari place a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you Midoryia. I know why you did all this, and I really appreciate it."

Blinking back in surprise, Deku coughed. "What, I don't know what you mean Amari-chan…"

Yet Amari was smarter than that. "You did all this to get my mind off of the marriage interview right? It's alright, but you really didn't have to do that though."

Knowing he had been caught, Deku sighed. "I'm sorry Amari-chan. I just know how hard everything's been for you and I wanted to do something to make you happy. Todoroki's interview must be hard on you as well."

At his name, Amari's eyes fall, now staring at her watch in surprise. "Oh shoot, I have to go. I'm sorry Midoriya but I have an appointment I have to go to. I feel really bad I can't eat with all of you."

Deku froze for a moment before shaking his head nervously. "Oh no, it's okay! I probably should have checked your schedule and everything before I did all this. I guess I didn't really think that far ahead. Oh, I know! How about I save some for you so you can have it later?"

Nodding her head, Amari smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you."

Lifting the plate up, he replied happily. "Okay, I'll do that then! I'll make sure Kacchan doesn't eat them all."

Just then, Bakugo's voice broke through their bubble. "What did you just say? Just for that, I'm going to eat them all, you damn Deku! Give them here!"

Trying to move the plate away, Deku gasped. "Kacchan, no, you can't! These are for Amari-chan!"

Reaching again, Katsuki turned to his sister before speaking roughly. "And you, don't you dare do anything stupid while you're out, you got that?"

Amari thought for a moment before smirking back. "No promises."

Frowning back, his sister felt the uneasiness in his expression and sighed. "Alright, I'll be careful, but only if you do the same, brother."

Realizing fully well that she just called him stupid, Bakugo grumbled as he shooed her away. "Whatever, just hurry up idiot."

Smiling back, the girl put a hand up in response before shutting the door behind her and sighing.

It didn't matter how much they tried to cheer her up. Amari already knew that this was going to be one long day.

* * *

Walking up the steps to the hospital, Amari tightened the hood over her head carefully. She may have gotten All Might permission to leave the grounds but that didn't mean that she was in the clear. If anyone saw her right now then they would surely flip out. She was being accused as a villain and all.

She knocked on the surface of the door before sliding it open slowly, the woman on the other side seeming very confused. "Hello, can I help you?"

Stepping fully inside, Amari then removed her hood, revealing herself all at once. "Hello, Miss Todoroki. It's so nice to see you again. I hope I'm not intruding."

Rei blinked in surprise at her presence, gesturing her inside. "Bakugo, not at all. What a lovely surprise for you to come visit. Please come in. Is Shoto with you by any chance?"

Shaking her head, Amari sighed. "No, I'm sorry it's just me. He's..busy at the moment."

Her eyes saddened then, pointing towards the TV. "Oh dear, I already know about the interview so you don't have to hide it. One of the only things I can do in here is watch the news."

The girl turned her face into one of confusion then. "Wait, if you watch the news then aren't you afraid I'm going to attack you or something? You know, being accused of a villain and all."

Todoroki's mother thought about this for a moment before smiling back. "I may not know much about you Bakugo but I know you are not a villain. If my son was changed because of you then that means you have the heart of a hero."

Feeling a wave of emotion in her throat, Amari answered. "I know this is selfish but I just don't know who to turn to for this kind of thing. I don't want to let Shoto go but staying with him means that he'll be criticized. I don't want that either."

Rei thought for a moment, seeing the girl's devastating look before resting a warm hand on her knee. "Bakugo, do you love my son?"

Nodding her head, Amari's voice cracked on her answer. "More than anything."

His mother smiled at that. "I can really see that. I know our family isn't the most normal or kind and I can't promise you that you won't face many trials in the future, but if you truly love my son, then you must be willing to support each other no matter what. The scars we face are great, but if you are willing to love him despite that, then you already have my blessing."

Looking towards the floor, the girl replied. "But if I stay with him, it will hurt his chances of being a hero."

The woman then grasped Amari's hand, speaking back firmly. "Do you truly believe that he won't accomplish his goal by being with you? Yes, staying will make it harder but that's just the facts you face. Love isn't supposed to be easy Bakugo. So now it's your turn to decide. Will you run or will you choose to jump into the fire together?"

Thinking about her words, Amari sighed. "Can't you just tell me what to do?"

But Rei only shook her head, patting the girls hand lightly. "I'm afraid not. This is your choice to make Bakugo. I understand if you don't want to involve yourself with our family, but I would also understand if you choose to fight. I myself sometimes wished I fought instead of running but regardless, I fully respect your decision."

Thinking about her words, Amari was in turmoil.

What was she going to decide?

* * *

After her talk with Todoroki's mother, she was even more confused. She was hoping that the woman would shed some light on the situation but it only brought more questions. If Rei had just told her to leave or to stay then it would've made things so much easier.

Sighing in exasperation, Amari leaned her head back against the cold park bench she was sitting on. What was she going to do now?

Suddenly, a voice to her right made her entire body freeze. "Wait, that's her, right?!"

Gasping, Amari sat up and fixed her hood in anxiety. Oh crap, had someone recognized her from the news? This could be really bad.

Although when she looked down, the girl found a small child staring back at her. The look in their eyes was somewhat familiar. "It is you! Mommy, I found her!"

Turning panicked, Amari's finger raised to her lips to shush the girl. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm no one. You must have the wrong person."

But she stopped again when another voice entered the space, now concerned. "Ember! What are you doing running off by yourself?"

Amari turned around then only to find another very familiar face, a woman. She locked eyes with her for a moment before stepping forward in shock. "It is you."

Turning on her heels, the girl tried to leave as fast as possible before drawing a crowd. This was bad, this was really bad. "I don't know what you're talking about. Goodbye."

Although the woman was faster, racing forward in a shout. "Wait, don't go! I wanted to thank you!"

This caused Amari to stop, turning her head in disbelief. "Thank me?"

Nodding her head, the woman reached her hand out to touch the girls arm softly before replying. "Yes, I'm sorry you probably don't recognize me. You're the girl that was in Hosu during the attack right? You saved my family and I never got to thank you properly."

Thinking back to her intern training, Amari did remember running into that burning building to save a family of five. Then it clicked, that's exactly where she knew this mother and daughter from.

Blinking back in surprise, Amari put a hand up to stop her kindness. "Oh, it was nothing. I didn't really do anything special."

Just then, the small child ran up to her, pulling on her pant legs. "You were so awesome fighting those bad guys! I wanna be a hero just like you when I grow up!"

At the word hero, her face fell. "I'm not much of a hero though. Back then I was only interning, and even then I got expelled for acting out of line."

This caused the woman to frown, replying back. "If it wasn't for you, I would've lost my family. It doesn't matter what you are, to us you are a hero."

Amari's eyes widened then just as a little girl spoke again. "What's your name? I wanna know so I can be just like you!"

Kneeling down to the girls level, Amari answered back. "My name is Amari, Bakugo Amari. And are you sure you want to be like me? There are plenty of other heros to look up to."

But the girl only shook her head, stomping her foot in annoyance. "No! They aren't as cool as you! And hey, your name is kinda like mine! That means you can be named Ember too, so we can be twins!"

Smiling back, her woman scolded the girl. "Ember, that's not how names work. Sorry, she's a very imaginative child."

Thinking back for a moment, Amari shook her head, smiling back towards the kid. "That's okay, I kind of like it."

Clapping in excitement, Ember then plucked a single pink flower before handing it to the girl. "Yay! Now we can be twins! This is for you!"

Carefully taking the flower, the mother then interpreted them. "Alright, I'm sure Bakugo has some more hero work to do. Say goodbye Ember."

Pouting her lips, Ember frowned before leaning forward and kissing Amari's cheek and turning away. "Bye Ember! Thanks for saving us!"

Putting her hand up in response, Amari watched the family go in complete and utter shock. With all this talk of being a villain the last couple days, that was the first time someone had ever called her a hero.

She kind of liked it.

* * *

Moving back towards the dorms, Amari twirled the pink flower in her hand before hearing her phone ring inside her pocket.

Pulling it out, she expected it to be Bakugo but was surprised to find Deku on the other line. "Midoryia, what is it?"

He paused for a moment before answering back. "I'm really sorry Amari-chan but I can't hold it in anymore. Are you really okay with Todoroki going to this interview?"

Her face fell then, not really wanting to talk about the topic. "It's not really like I have a choice. He and I both decided that would be for the best."

Shaking his head, Deku exclaimed back. "I know, but I just can't live with that! You love him, right? Then you shouldn't let his dad drive you apart."

Frowning back, she replied. "It's not that easy and you know it. It's better this way."

Yet once again, he wasn't finished. "Is it better if he marries someone else then?"

She stopped in her tracks then, laughing back shortly. "It's just an interview. It's not like he's going to actually get married or anything like that. This is just to call off the press."

The was silent then, causing Amari to feel a small pit in her stomach. Something wasn't right about this. "Why did you stop talking?"

Gulping back, Deku replied small. "Amari-chan, it's all over the news. It's not just an interview Todoroki is going to, it's an engagement party."

At his words, Amari's face grew numb, almost dropping the phone in her hand. Endeavor said that this was just a small interview to get the press off their backs. That lying son of a bitch. "...What did you just say?"

The boy started to talk very fast, now knowing that she was incredibly upset with the news. "I swear, I didn't know until a couple minutes ago and when I found out I called you right away. But are you really okay with letting this happen Amari-chan? You have to stop it!"

Shaking her head back and forth, Amari started to grow dizzy. This wasn't the plan. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. "No, I can't..I can't..I promised I would stay away…"

His voice echoed back just as quickly though. "If you don't do something, Todoroki's gonna be taken away. Do you really want that?"

Gripping her phone tighter, Amari cried. "What don't you understand about the fact that I can't! There will be news crew and If I go there, I'll just be putting him up for more criticism. That bastard, he knew I'd be stuck here. God damn it!"

She felt her entire body shake at the realization. The boy she loved was going to be taken away forever because she was too much of a coward to face the press.

No, she refused to let this happen.

The line was silent for a couple moments, Deku calling back in anxiety. "Amari-chan?"

Although all he got was a couple words, followed by what sounded like running. "Shit! Tell Katsuki I'm going to be late!"

Then, the line went dead as Amari raced off down the streets as fast as possible. It didn't matter that it felt like her heart was begging her to stop.

She needed to crash this engagement if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

Dodging in between various cars and people, Amari found her way to the Todoroki estate quickly, now looking over the looming wall ahead of her. Without a quirk this was going to be difficult but she still had to try.

Stretching her hands out, she began to climb the tree next to her, ignoring her breathless mannerisms. Stupid body, she couldn't stop now.

Leaping across the wall, Amari landed with a thud only for a couple bodyguards to notice her presence. "Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?!"

Widening her eyes in slight fear, the men went to grab her as she dodged one of their attacks, now feeling the other man's hand on her arm. "Got you!"

Grumbling back, Amari fought her attackers before taking her knee and kicking the man straight in the balls, causing him to double over in pain. That would show him.

Then before he could get up, Amari took off running through the estate, determined to find the party as quickly as possible.

She heard the guards racing after her but the girl continued on, stopping only for a moment when she bumped into someone unexpectedly.

Stumbling backwards, she bowed in response before putting back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm kind of in a rush."

The stranger eyed her for a moment, brushing off his jacket in response. He seemed to have white hair and a rather easy going stance to him. "It's okay, are you looking for something?"

Nodding her head, Amari's head whipped around him in a thousand different directions. This wasn't good. She had only been to his house once so she hardly knew the layout. Soon it would be too late. "Yeah, I was looking for Shoto. Do you know where he could be?"

The man looked at the girl for a couple seconds before his lips curved up in a small smirk. Now he knew who she was. "Yeah, follow me."

Then the stranger turned on his heels before gesturing to the girl to follow, which she complied to. She didn't know why but somehow she knew she could trust him.

He led her to two large double doors before pointing back. "He's in there. You came just in time, Bakugo."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari replied. "Wait, you know my name.."

Although the man only smirked back, pushing open the large door with one hand. "Another time. You have something to do now, don't you?"

Turning towards a soft sound of music, Amari understood what he meant, ignoring the stranger for now and instead choosing to run inside. She couldn't think about him at the moment, she needed to talk to Todoroki.

Yet seeing the action, Natsou could only smile.

So this was the girl Fyumi was telling him about? Interesting.

* * *

Slamming the doors open, the entire party stopped and stared at her presence, Amari's breathless voice cutting through the space. "Shoto! I have to talk to you!"

Todoroki's eyes turned concerned seeing the state she was in. Why on earth was she here now? Didn't she want him to go through with this? "Amari..what are you.?"

Taking a step forward, one of the guests screamed, now recognizing who she was and pointing an accusatory finger at her. "AHH It's her! It's that villain! Someone call a pro hero right now!"

Amari tried to move closer to the boy only for a hand to wrap around her arm, pulling her back. Crap, it seemed those bodyguards caught up to her. "You're not going anywhere!"

Pulling against them, the girl struggled with everything she had. No, she couldn't get thrown out. She still had so much to say to him. "Wait, stop it! Let me go, I have to talk to Shoto! Get your hands off me!"

Suddenly, everything stopped when Todoroki decided to speak, stepping away from his future marriage partner in a single motion. "Let her go. I want to hear what she has to say."

And just like that, the men let go of her, the girl now rubbing her wrists at the action. This was it. She only had one shot to tell him how she felt.

Glancing towards the camera for a moment, Amari spoke. "Shoto, I know I don't have a lot of offer to your family. I'm not smart, brave or strong. I don't even have a quirk anymore so I can't strengthen your bloodline or help you become the best hero. I know I'm not suitable for your legacy in the slightest, and I would bring you nothing but hardship in the future."

She took one step forward, then feeling a wave of emotion in her throat. "But even despite that, you saved me, you made me feel whole again and you made me believe that I was worth something more than just my quirk. You picked me up from my lowest points and forced me to never let go, even though it would have been easier in the long run. You never looked at me and saw only my condition, you never underestimated me, and you showed me that maybe I was more than just Katsuki's sister.."

Blinking the tears away, Amari then glanced at the camera before continuing. "I'm known to the world as confession girl so here is my confession to you Shoto. I am reckless, dense, quirkless and having nothing to offer but this reckless, dense and useless girl loves you so much she can't stand it."

Then she reached out her hand towards Todoroki, shaking slightly as she finished. "So I ask, Todoroki Shoto as I stand here with no quirk, no hero name, no title and no shame, would you accept this quirkless girl who loves you?"

The room became silent then, everyone staring at Todoroki to see what he would do. The boy himself looked shaken as well,as if he was in complete and utter shock.

Then, in a single motion, he extended his hand out towards Amari, his own voice shaken as well, like he was trying to hold back the tears. "Of course I will."

Their palms met each other as Amari's let out a sob, now pulling him into a tight embrace as she cried. It was like a dream come true. Todoroki accepted her as she was.

As they pulled away, Todoroki turned back towards the party before speaking. "I'm sorry but this engagement is cancelled. I already have someone I care deeply about, and she's right by my side ."

Blushing slightly, Amari eyes then locked on Endeavor who was standing in absolute silence. That was weird. Shouldn't he be more upset with her declaration?

Although she couldn't think that long as Todoroki began to pull her away. "Come on, let's go."

Nodding her head, Amari followed his lead, stopping to see Fuyumi smiling like a crazy person on their way out and shouting back. "You go Shoto! Get your girl!"

He groaned in response only for Amari to laugh as they left the party fully, hands intertwined, now knowing they weren't going to let each other go ever again.

* * *

Once they were free from the press, Amari and Todoroki stopped walking, staring up at the newly turned night sky. They couldn't believe that just happened. She really crashed his engagement party.

Now that the adrenaline was gone though,, Amari felt her lungs start to collapse in on themselves, now leaning forward in the breathless gasp. This caused the boy to run towards her, now afraid. "Amari, what's wrong!?"

Shaking her head, the girl fell to her knees, trying to speak a couple times before successfully managing words. "I'm okay...it's just...running is not...great for me…"

He turned his brow in concern, now noticing the dirt on her clothes. "You ran all the way to the party?"

Nodding her head, she spoke back. "I..couldn't...let..you..go…"

Todoroki's heart fluttered then, placing a hand to her back to calm her breathes quicker. "Still, you didn't have to run. You know how your body is now."

Although she only shook her head, able to speak without pauses now, although still breathing heavy. "I don't know, I heard about the party and I couldn't stop myself. Before I knew it I was running. I made it though."

Smiling back slightly, Todoroki nodded. "Yeah, you did."

Amari smiled as well, narrowing her eyes a moment later. "I'm sorry, I ruined the plan. People will still keep coming after you now, probably more so than ever. I'm sorry to put you through this."

Thinking for a moment, the boy replied. "No matter what happens, we will get through this together. No more talking about separating though, alright? I don't think either of us can bear it anymore."

Nodding her head, Amari's hand found its way to his face, tracing the lines like she used to do. "I missed you Shoto. I know I said I'd be okay with all this but I just couldn't do it. I can't live without you."

Closing his eyes at the sensation, Todoroki hand touched her waist lightly. "I feel the exact same. You are a part of me now Amari, whether you like it or not, and the separation hurt me as well. I don't want to live like that again."

Dipping her face towards his, Todoroki's lips collided with hers, missing this sensation more than anything in the world, now hearing her hum with excitment. It seemed she missed this just as much as he did.

Pulling her closer, Amari's hands touched his hair, lightly pulling on the strains as his body grew closer to hers, hungry for what they both had to go without for so long.

His hands traveled up then, causing a sharp shiver to echo through her entire body. His fingertips were driving her absolutely crazy, dancing across her spine in a single motion.

Their kiss was desperate, longing for each other and making up for lost time all in one moment of time. This was the first time that Amari felt like he was loving all of her, accepting her for all her flaws and weaknesses at the same time. It didn't matter to him that she didn't have a quirk.

To him, she was just Amari.

* * *

Excuse me while I fangirl scream in the corner. Did I cry writing the confession? Possibly. Lots of unpack here. We have positive Amari/Bakugo sibling relationship, we have Amari realizing for the first time that people do look at her as a hero, and we have, of course, the big love confession scene.

Next Chapter: Dabi's offer comes back on the table and Endeavor explains why he was so silent during the whole engagement declaration.


	48. S3 Chapter 18

Walking hand and hand down the street, Todoroki and Amari hummed as they took in the time they had missed. In all honesty it had only been a couple days but somehow their separation felt like years. She supposed that just showed how much they meant to each other now. It was impossible to go back.

It was getting late which meant it was almost time to retreat back to the dorms, although Amari withered at the thought. Soon she'd have to be in the midst of those rumors again, hearing them say such horrible things about Todoroki and her brother. She wasn't sure if she was ready to hear that again.

He noticed her tensed hand right away though, now leaning forward in concern. "Amari, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Shaking her head, the girl replied. "No, I'm okay. Sorry, I guess I'm just thinking about what we'll have to face at school together. The whole world saw my confession again so I can't wait to see what they say this time. I swear, just when I think I couldn't embarrass myself more..."

She groaned just thinking about it, causing Todoroki to tighten his grip. "Regardless of what they decide to say, I'll be right there next to you. I promise to never leave you again."

Amari smiled to herself at that, the heat rising in her cheeks as another question appeared in his head. "Speaking of that, what happened that day before class? I wanted to go to you but since we weren't together, I couldn't. Is everything alright?"

She remembered the day very clearly, her threatening that student along with her talk with Katsuki. The thought made her smile to herself. "Oh, it wasn't anything big. I just freaked out because someone tried to say something about Katsuki and I thought I'd have to distance myself from him as well. My heart couldn't take it. But it's okay because he and I talked and I think we understand each other a bit more now."

This made the boy fairly curious. "Really, what did you talk about?"

Shaking her head once, Amari replied. "He told me he loved me. It turns out Katsuki never hated me all this time. Just hearing him say that lifted so much weight off my shoulders. Now I feel like I can do anything, like crash an engagement party for example."

He winked at her joke and Todoroki couldn't help but smile. He was so happy to learn that Bakugo was finally opening up to her. "Well, I'm glad you did, and that's great. I'm happy for you Amari. It seems your family is mending back together."

Thinking about his words, Amari smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Todoroki looked down at his hands, now sighing in exasperation. "I wish I could say the same about mine though. I never have any idea what my old man is thinking, and I'm so different from my siblings, it makes me think we'll never be a real family. He even went behind my back to break us up."

Frowning in response, Amari squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Hey, if your dad can't see how great you are and support your choices then he's not really a father. Maybe one day he'll get his head out of his ass but until then, you have me. I'll always be here for you Shoto. I'm kinda stuck now anyways since I don't have a quirk or anything like that."

He nodded his head before lifting their hands up and kissing the backside softly before replying. "Thank you. You are the closest thing to family I've ever had. What did I ever do to find someone as wonderful as you?"

Blushing back, Amari quickly ripped her hand away before nervously replying. "W-What, oh come on. I'm really not that special, and I have lots of problems attached to me and I caused you a lot of issues and I tend to be reckless and ramble a lot and it seems I'm doing that now. Am I doing that now? Oh, I guess I am. Oops Ha ha."

At her spastic nature Todoroki couldn't help but smile. It had been months since she spoke with such energy and passion. "You're finally back. I missed this side of you Amari."

Turning away from embarrassment, Amari smiled as well, now seeing a small convenience store a couple feet from them. Being stuck in that school meant she couldn't have any outside food and she suddenly really had a craving.

She pointed in the direction of the store before replying. "Hey, I'm gonna stop in and get some noodles for the dorms really quick before we head back."

Todoroki glanced uneasily towards the door, a pit appearing in his stomach. "I don't think that's such a great idea. People still think you are a villain."

Although Amari only waved him off, tightening the hood over her head. "I'll be fine. I already sneaked into the hospital like this. I'll only be a second. You wait here. I'll get you some Soba while I'm in there also."

He couldn't deny how much he liked soba, now feeling a craving himself. It was only a minute or two. She'd be fine, right? "Alright, but be careful."

Turning towards the doors, Amari smirked. "Careful is my middle name. I'll be back."

He watched her turn the corner, still feeling that heavy pit in his stomach for some reason as she disappeared around towards the entrance. Why was he feeling this way? It was just a convenience store.

* * *

Amari hummed to herself, almost reaching the doors when a hand reached out from the darkness, wrapping around her mouth and pulling into the back alley next to the store.

Fighting against her attacker, the girl muffled against their large body as she pounded her fists and legs into the stanger, but sadly to no avail. She needed to get out of here and fast. Without a quirk she couldn't do much.

Although she stopped when the attacker began to speak, seemingly amused with her struggle. "You keep going like that and you're going to pass out."

Widening her eyes, the man dropped his hold on her mouth so that she could reply, now looking into the gaze of Dabi. "Purple skinned zombie man?! What the hell, let me go!"

The villain didn't comply though, only narrowing his eyes in response. "If I do that then you'll run off before I'm able to finish my sentence. Sorry sweetheart but just hold still for a minute, okay?"

Growling back, Amari lunged at the man, hissing back in response. "What do you even want with me anyways? I told you to leave me alone, you creep!"

Dabi only frowned though. "I wouldn't have had to come here if you answered my calls. Not a smart idea to ignore a villain, little Bakugo."

Rolling her eyes, she was already over him. "It's because I already know what you're going to say. Maybe I don't want to listen to your therapy sessions anymore."

Yet his hold only tightened, obviously not pleased with her response. "You aren't understanding me. I'm only trying to make you understand what's happening here. Why won't you just accept what you are already? You really are stubborn."

She pushed against his arm then, answering back roughly. "I already know what's happening. You were wrong about everything. Katsuki and Shoto accept me for who I am, regardless if I'm quirkless or not, and I'll make the world see the same also."

Shaking his head, Dabi replied. "You may think that, but they are all deceiving you. There is no way a villain can live in this society. Just face it kid, you belong with us.'

Amari didn't seem convinced though. "Okay, what is with this weird obsession thing you have for me? I already told you it's not gonna happen so just take your zombie ass and leave me alone! Go find someone else to recruit already, would you?!"

Understanding the fact that she still wasn't listening made him growl, pulling her arm back even further as she grunted in pain. "You just like running into fire, don't you? Well I suppose that makes sense. No wonder why he chose you out of everyone."

She turned her brow in confusion speaking back through gritted teeth as she ignored the pain. "What kind of nonsense are you saying now?"

Although Dabi could only smirk, leaning closer to the girl in question. "Alright, it seems I need to try another approach then. That boy, Todoroki Shoto, you care for him quite a bit, don't you?"

At Todoroki's name, Amari sprung to life, crawling at her freedom even more desperately now. "I swear if you even think about laying a hand on him I'll kill you myself Dabi!"

Her response got a small chuckle out of him. "I'll take that as a yes. You are so protective of him. Saying that you'll kill someone isn't really a hero trait to have you know."

Yet Amari wasn't pleased, kicking him in the leg resulting in no reaction from the man. "I don't care what you have to say, don't you dare touch him, you asshole."

Noticing her fighting even more, Dabi got his answer right away. This girl loved that boy, wasn't that interesting.. "There's that fiery spirit. You should hold onto that, you'll need it if you want to stay with him."

She twisted her brow in confusion, replying. "Okay, first you want to be my therapist and now you wanna be my love coach or something? What the hell, I don't need your advice. What even gives you the right to say that?"

Dabi could only smile bitterly though, thinking about something in particular. "Oh, you'd be surprised Bakugo. That family is nothing but a disaster. I'm telling you now it's better if you don't get involved."

Shaking her head, Amari huffed. "Like I'd believe anything you have to say."

The villain paused for a moment then, before pulling the girl up to his level and speaking seriously. "Since you still refuse to listen, I suppose I'll have to let you in on a little secret. Something that will make you change your mind…"

Looking at him in confusion, Dabi then leaned close into her ear and whispered out a sentence that made her entire tense up all at once. What, no that was impossible. He was lying, there was no way that was true..

Then he let go of her arm, the girl now standing in utter and complete shock. She didn't know what to say or do. Everything was swirling around her in the million miles as his voice rang through her ears once more. "Contact me if you want to hear more."

Todoroki's voice carried throughout the space then, seemingly nervous about the girl since she was taking so long. "Amari, are you alright?"

Hearing his voice muffled in her ears, Amari still couldn't find the will to move, too occupied with processing Dabi's words.

The man seemed to notice this though, touching one of the strands of her hair and smirking. "I'm sure I'll hear from you soon."

Then, he disappeared, and the next thing Amari was able to register after that was Todoroki shaking her shoulder, seeming concerned for her. "Is something wrong?"

At his words, the girl blinked back to life before taking one glance towards the side of the building and replying. "Oh, yeah I'm okay. Sorry, I got distracted."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Todoroki's hand rejoined with hers, now pointing back towards the dorms sharply. "Alright, well we should get going then."

Amari nodded her head, the boy pulling her away from the store although the girl had only one thought in her mind.

_What he said couldn't have been true, right?_

* * *

The next day approached and Amari walked down the hallways a little bit more confident than usual. Sure the whispers never ceased but at least she knew that Katsuki and Todoroki were there for her regardless. That made a world of difference.

Just then, someone poked her shoulder lightly, turning to see Aziawa staring back at her. "Bakugo, you are needed in the principal's office again."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she nodded her head. "Okay, but do you know why?"

All she got in response was a heavy sigh though. "No, and I don't really care. Your teacher already knows so just hurry already."

Then he just turned on his heels, leaving the poor girl wondering how could possibly want to talk to her now? The last conversation she was summoned to didn't work out so well.

Although Amari got her answer once she opened the door to the office, now meeting eyes with Endeavor for the second time in the last couple weeks. "Seriously? You can't call or something? That's what normal people do, you know."

Todoroki's father seemed rather calm though. "Sit."

But the girl was smarter this time, taking a step back in utter disgust. "Wow, you have some serious nerve Endeavor. I can't believe you.."

The man then remained silent as Amari narrowed her eyes. She was so over this man, trying to lie and cheat his way to get what he wanted. No, she wouldn't let him, and before she knew it, she was angrily spitting the words that she had kept for weeks towards this man. She needed him to know she wasn't backing down.

Taking a step forward, she hissed. "How dare you..you think you can walk in here and just expect me to follow your little games? I trusted you to do what was best for Shoto and you went behind my back, lied to me and tried to get me to abandon him just like you did all those years ago. Well I got some news for you, you asshole, I'm not going anywhere. In fact you and the media can go screw yourself cause I am done with listening to whatever anyone has to say. I love Shoto, and I will protect him, even from you. So if you think you are going to come in here and try to tell me to leave again then you are sorely mistaken!"

Huffing from the loss of breath, the girl paused then allowing herself to calm down as the man replied short and calm. "I know."

Not understanding his words, Amari cut him off, still fuming. "Damn right you better know!...Wait, did you just say you know?"

Nodding his head, Endeavor crossed his arms over his chest roughly. "Yes Bakugo, I know. I'm not here for that. So if you would sit down."

She eyed the man with confusion before slowly making her way over to the chair next to her. Something was different with him. Amari fully expected him to blow up at her after calling him out like that.

Endeavor saw her apprehension and spoke again, this time a bit rougher. "The display you showed yesterday was irresponsible but I don't know what I should have expected from someone that runs into a burning building and confesses to my son in front of the entire world. Yet it seems somehow, you keep surprising me."

Feeling slightly embarrassed from his statements, Amari frowned. "Would you get to the point already? The less time I have to be with you the better."

The man sighed in frustration then. "I have an offer that would be beneficial to both of us."

Shaking her head, Amari already began to stand. "Yeah, I'm out. I don't want anything to do with your plans."

Yet Endeavor leaped forward as well, grabbing onto her arm roughly. "Bakugo, listen to me. The media can be used to your advantage."

She stopped then, looking down at his hand. "Don't touch me, and what the hell are you even talking about? In case you have forgotten, the media still thinks I'm a villain."

That caused the man to nod. "Exactly. This is something only you alone can do. Didn't you say you wanted to protect my son?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari shrugged off Todoroki's father before replying. "I'm listening.."

Then, Endeavor told her about the reason why he was here, causing Amari to widened her eyes in shock, now rethinking all of her plans in a single moment.

Walking to the dorms, Amari stared blankly at the building when she felt her body getting shoved aside a couple feet, wobbling in a fight to remain standing. "Hey, what are you staring at?"

She regained her footing only to find Katsuki standing next to her. "Oh, it's nothing. Sorry I was just zoning out. I guess there is just a lot on my mind."

Eyeing her in concern, Bakugo replied. "Are there any extras messing with you still?"

The girl just shook her head though. "I mean yeah but it doesn't really bother me anymore if they do. As the great Bakugo Katsuki once said, those extras can say what they want."

Her brother couldn't help but smirk at that, noticing her mimicking him. "Damn right Amari. They don't realize just how tough a Bakugo is, so go ahead let them try."

Nodding back, Amari eyes then suddenly changed into something more solem, staring at the building in thought. "Hey Katsuki, can I ask you something?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes in confusion as he replied. "What is it?"

She was silent for a moment before sighing heavily, obviously a lot on her mind. "What would you do if you heard something completely crazy, and you're not sure if what they said was the truth?"

The question was certainly odd, Katsuki not knowing how to answer. "How crazy are we talking about here?"

Thinking about his words, Amari answered back. "Like there is no way it could be true, but something in the back of your head is making you second guess yourself."

Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets before shrugging in response. "The first thing I'd do is find out for myself if it's true or not. I don't believe any bastard's words unless I see it with my own eyes."

Nodding her head back, she realized that her brother had a point, but that also brought another question in her head. "Even if you had to do something crazy to find out?"

Just then, he playfully pushed her shoulder in response. "Hell yeah, I would never back down from a challenge, no matter how impossible it may seem! Didn't you forget that I'm going to be the number one hero? That means I'm not afraid of anything so I'd say bring it on!"

He seemed very excited about his words, balling his hands into a fist. So much so that his passion was contagious, spreading into his sister as well who was now smiling. "Alright, I get it. I get it Katsuki. Thanks, I think I understand now."

Laughing back, she shook her head once, before speaking again. "Alright well, I was going to go see Shoto before dinner so I'm going to start to head out."

Katsuki seemed to accept that, watching her walk away towards the doors only to call out to her. "I'll see you later nerd."

This caused the girl to stop, turning to her brother and staring at him for an oddly long amount of time before speaking softly. "Don't worry Katsuki, you can trust me."

Bakugo's eyes widened at her words, not understanding what she had meant.

Although, soon he was about to

* * *

Todoroki heard a knock on his door and raised from his spot on the bed before revealing Amari. That was certainly strange. It wasn't like he didn't want to see her, although she never visited him without warning before. It kind of set off a warning bell in his mind. "Amari, is something wrong?"

But the girl only shook her head, pointing inside. "Can I come inside?"

Nodding his head, he gestured for her to enter. "Of course."

Todoroki watched her enter his room, now seeing the Japanese traditional layout. How did he even get his room to look like that? Her room was as simple as they came. "Sorry for showing up so suddenly. I was just wondering if we could talk?"

The boy moved over to sit on his bed, patting the surface next to him so she could sit. "You know I'll always say yes. Come here."

Complying, Amari plopped herself down next to him, now feeling slightly embarrassed at their proximity and position. "Right so, how are you doing?"

Obviously not expecting that, Todoroki replied. "I'm doing alright. Strangely enough my old man hasn't been harassing me as much as I thought he would. It's strange."

The girl only coughed in response though, knowing fully well why his dad hadn't said anything. "Yeah, that's really weird…."

Then, she looked down at the floor for a few moments before getting down to business. "Hey Shoto, can you tell me about your family again?"

Not expecting that question, Todoroki turned his head towards her. "What brought this on?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Amari replied. "I don't know. I guess I'm just curious. You said you had a brother, right?"

Still not really understanding why, the boy leaned forward. "I do but he's in college at the moment. I don't really see him much anymore."

Shaking her head, Amari pushed further. "No, I don't mean him. I know this may seem weird but do you have another brother?"

At her words, Todoroki froze, sharply turning to the girl all at once, a bit of fear now in his eyes. "How do you know about that?"

Amari widened her eyes as well, thinking of a quick solution and lying to fool him. "Oh, your father said something about it awhile back. Hold on, is that really true? You never said anything before.."

He rose from his seat then before reaching down towards his shelf and taking out an old book of some sort. It looked to be a photo album.

Then he opened the book before showing Amari the page, her eyes widening at the sight. There in front of her was a very small Todoroki surrounded by a group of people. Some of them she knew but there was a couple that were a mystery to her.

Hearing Todoroki's voice in her ear, she glanced at the page in shock. "I don't remember much about it since I was isolated as a child but I did have another brother, although he died a long time ago. No one in my family has talked about it since then so I can't believe my old man would've told you that."

Not really wanting to explain that Endeavor wasn't really the one who told her, Todoroki then pointed to a small red haired child in the corner of the photo. "This is him, my older brother, Toya."

Amari narrowed her eyes and gazed at the photo only to feel herself grow nauseous. No it can't be, that was impossible.

Todoroki noticed her pale expression as well. "Amari, what's wrong? You look like you're going to be sick."

Shaking her head, the girl practically threw the book away before looking down at her hands in shock. "Shoto, did you mean what you said before about wanting to have a real family again?"

He placed a hand on her knee, eyeing her with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Resting her hand on his, Amari sighed. "What if, you could get your whole family together again? Would you take the opportunity?"

Shaking his head, Todoroki replied. "Amari, you know that's impossible. But I guess if you're speaking hypothetically then yes I suppose so. I would give anything to rewrite the past."

Amari's eyes bore into the floor, thinking about his words and closing her eyes, then she turned to the boy before placing a hand on his cheek. "Shoto.."

Touching her hand, he replied lightly. "Yes?"

His voice coursed through all at once, leaning closer to him as her other hand pressed against his mattress to brace herself. "Do you trust me?"

Feeling the heat rise in his cheeks, Todoroki nodded his head. "Of course."

At the confirmation, Amari pressed her lips together for a moment before leaning even closer and kissing the boy sharply, causing Todoroki's breath to intake quickly at the reaction. He hadn't expected her to kiss him that forcefully.

Grabbing onto his shirt, she pushed herself into him then, a level of desperation in her movements that he had never seen before. He questioned it but didn't pull away, finding his hand on her waist in a moment's notice, pulling her into his scent.

Her hands worked their way up to his hair, running her fingers through each of the strands as her cool nails created a sharp shiver up his spine. Why did this feel far more intense then all of their times before? He wasn't sure how to take it.

They broke away a moment later, Amari staring at him with glazed eyes before blinking back in embarrassment, already struggling to stand. "I'm sorry, that was really forward.."

Trying to gain her footing, the girl started to stand only for her legs to crave underneath her because of the shock, Todoroki leaning forward to catch her. "Wait.."

Groaning at the impact, Amari hit the mattress only to realize that Todoroki was now towering on top of her because of the impact. He stared down at the girl he loved only for her to turn away in embarrassment. The position they were in now was rather questionable. "God, I'm so unsmooth.."

Although Todoroki didn't seem to mind, reaching his hand down to touch her messy hair in a single motion, still not moving from their position. "I wouldn't say that."

Then he leaned down and kissed this time, Amari closing her eyes in shock at the impact but slowly melting into his touch. Reaching up to grasp his strong back, she felt his body lower towards her until they were only a couple inches apart.

Gasping for breath they broke apart again as he stared down at her in utter awe and amazement. "I know I'm not good at these kinds of things but have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Amari's eyes widened then, turning away and placing a hand to the scars from her past littering her neck. He was staring right at them and it was making her feel vulnerable. "I just wish I could erase these ugly scars."

Lowering his eyes in concern, Todoroki's hand covered hers, forcing her to show him. "These scars made you who you are. We can try to erase them but they will always be a part of us. I should know."

Todoroki glanced to the floor as Amari understood what he meant and let her hand fall away. It was kind of stupid for her to be worried about this kind of thing when his pain was just as great, if not greater. "I'm sorry."

But the boy just frowned, trailing his fingers across one of the scars on her collarbone. "You don't have to apologize. I can understand your fear more than anyone."

Then he leaned down and kissed the scars on her neck, causing the girl to arch her back in utter shock and surprise, the girl now sucking in a sharp breath at the sensation.

He continued the trail up until all of her past pain was erased before reaching her collar bone and repeating the action, the girl grabbing onto his shirt in the process as a soft prickling sensation appeared in her body.

Moving his head up, Todoroki gasped out a breath before touching her cheek lightly. "I love you Amari."

Amari leaned into his hand softly before replying back just as desperate, reaching forward to pull him into an embrace. "I love you too Shoto."

Still reeling from the moment, they gripped onto each other for a couple more moments before Amari whispered in his ear, a soft tickle coursing through his entire body. "You have to trust me Shoto, no matter what happens.."

Nodding his head, the boy then lifted his hand off of her so that she could sit up. "You know I always will."

Smiling under her breath, Amari then looked at her phone before sighing. "Guess it's time to go then. Katsuki's been pushing me to get dinner with him tonight."

She hopped off the bed only for Todoroki to follow her to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Although Amari only stopped then, looking down at the floor for a moment before muttering. "Yeah I don't know about that.."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Amari snapped back to life just a quickly, smiling back. Although her smile had a hint of something else to it. "I'll see you around Shoto."

She lifted her hand up as a goodbye and he did the same, wondering why he felt so uneasy about everything all of a sudden? In fact, it was kind of strange for her to visit him and act so forceful like that. He hoped everything was alright.

* * *

Todoroki woke up to the sound of his door being pounded into, almost like it was going to be torn off its hinges. What was even going on this early in the morning?

Ignoring his messy hair, the boy threw on a pair of pants before opening the door only to find Bakugo staring back at him, fear clearly etched in his eyes. "Finally you bastard! What the fuck took you so long?!"

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Todoroki yawned. "It's early Bakugo, what do you want?"

Although the boy didn't listen, just shoving Todoroki away as Katsuki forced himself into his room. "Alright, where the hell is she?! I've been pretty damn lenient lately with you but if you think you can sleep with my sister then..!"

Not fully understanding, Todoroki looked towards the empty room in question. "What are you talking about, Amari left last night."

Katsuki stopped then, throwing one of the boys pillows on the ground. "That makes no fucking sense becaue when I went to get her for dinner last night, she wasn't there. I assumed she was with you but when I checked this morning, she still hadn't shown up."

Processing his words all at once, Todoroki's eyes widened. "She told me she was going to get dinner with you. Something's not right about this.."

Amari's brother balled his fists, shouting back roughly. "Don't you think I don't know that?! Where could she fucking be?!"

That heavy pit appeared again as Todoroki raced forward to grab his jacket. Her words last night either meant one of two things. Either she was kidnapped again or Amari had chosen to run away. Of course neither option seemed great. "Come on, we have to go tell All Might. Who knows what could've happened to her.."

Nodding his head, the boys raced down the stairs, towards the common room only to hear the TV echo out words that stopped them in their tracks all at once. _"Today we are following a mysterious break in that took place at the local hospital last night, where a bunch of unidentified medicine has been stolen by two villains. Security cameras caught the duo in action. We have visuals now."_

The picture flashed on the screen as Bakugo and Todoroki felt like they were going to be sick. In front of them was a static-y imagine of that purple skinned villain from the training camp attack, and someone they knew very well.

They watched in horror as the girl took out her old pack of pills, turning to the side only to find the black veins wrapped around the side of her neck just like during their fight with All for One. What was happening, how was that even possible?! She wouldn't use those pills again, right? They would kill her.

Raising their shaky hands up to the screen, the TV rang out again, causing the entire world to stand still.

"_We have confirmation that the female villain is none other than first year student Bakugo Amari from U.A. High School."_

* * *

I know this doesn't make sense but just keep reading. You'll see.. You'll have to wait for the next chapter to understand. I have set clues in this one though. Dabi's secret, Endeavor having some sort of plan he wants her to follow, and Todoroki wanting a family again. It will all come together.

Next Chapter: End of S3, Villain Amari time


	49. S3 Chapter 19

After news of the announcement, Aziawa allowed all of the hero course students to take the day off, knowing that no one would be able to focus anyways. It came as such a shock and the media were desperate to find out more about the new villain named Amari.

The first thing Todoroki and Bakugo did though was head to the teachers lounge, hoping to come up with some sort of plan to get the girl back. Something wasn't right about this whole thing, there was something they were missing. Amari seemed fine yesterday.

When they slammed open the door they found All Might getting a cup of coffee, clearly not in any state of panic or stress. "Oh hello boys, I had a feeling you'd come."

Stirring the liquid around, Todoroki brow turned in confusion. "Why are you so calm, didn't you hear what happened?"

The hero just nodded his head though, using them into the next room. "Yes I have, follow me young Todoroki and Bakugo."

Looking between each other, the boy complied and followed All Might only to find a small meeting room before them with various heros seated around the center. Where are they about to have some kind of meeting?

Aziawa eyed the boys for a moment before sighing. "Sit down, I know you must have a lot of questions. Although, it seems we don't even have many answers regarding Bakugo."

Complying to their teacher, Bakugo was the first to go off on him. "Well you better start getting some fucking answers. I know my sister and she's not a villain. There has to be something wrong here!"

He slammed his fists on the table as Todoroki tried to be a little more calm, although he too was getting impatient. "So what is the plan? You have to have some sort of plan to fix this."

The heros looked between each other then as All Might replied. "Young Todoroki, we want nothing more then to help young Bakugo but looking at the security camera footage from the hospital, it seems like she willingly decided to commit that crime. I know you don't want to believe it but we have to look at the possibility that Bakugo has turned dark."

Widened his eyes, Todoroki couldn't even believe what he was hearing, were they seriously thinking about giving up on her? The idea was ridiculous. "Hold on, she was clearly forced into doing this by that other villain. You can't seriously believe that Amari has turned into a villain. No, she would never do that. There has to be some sort of explanation.."

Shaking his head, All Might sighed. "Young Todoroki if you would just listen.."

Although the boy had enough of 'just listening". No, he needed some action. "No, I will not listen to such ridiculous assumptions about her. I believe in her, and I know that Amari wouldn't do this kind of thing without a reason. She has to be blackmailed, to be forced in some way. So, are you going to be heros and rescue her or not!?"

Seeing Todoroki get angry was certainly a shock knowing that the boy was quiet most the time, they always thought Bakugo would've been the one to blow up at them for this, yet somehow he wasn't the loudest.

The hero's all looked between each other silently and Todoroki got his answer. They weren't going to help her, they were going to just sit there and assume that she was a villain. Unbelievable. "You call yourself teachers and heros? How dare you, how dare you abandon a student when she's calling out for help. Some teachers you are.."

Then, Todoroki turned around and walked out of the room, Bakugo staring for a couple minutes before following in suit. "For once icyhot and I agree on something. You better get your fucking heads out of your asses and help her before I do it myself."

Before any of the teachers could respond, Katsuki was gone as well, leaving the heros in absolute silence, Aziawa's voice carrying above the rest. "Are you sure this is for the best?"

The rest of the adults knew what he meant but still felt bad for the boys. They could tell that they really cared about the girl.

Stomping out to the room, Todoroki was reeling with rage. "Unbelievable. I can't believe they won't help her.."

Bakugo walked up to meet him before scoffing. "Screw them, if they want to sit on their asses and not do anything then that's up to them. We'll find that brat ourselves. But the question is, how in the hell are we going to do that?"

Looking towards the floor for a couple moments, Todoroki then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a single file before showing Bakugo. "This might help."

Amari's brother stared at the file for a moment before gasping in surprise. That was the same file that was on All Might's desk. "Did you steal that from All Might just now?"

Nodding his head, Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "I refuse to stand by when she might be in trouble. This file has a list of possible locations that villain frequents. There is a good chance she might be there."

Bakugo shook his head, slightly impressed with the boy for stealing from a pro hero. "Damn icyhot, good one. Alright, so what are we waiting for. Let's go get my sister back."

Agreeing, Todoroki and Bakugo narrowed down the list of places, each taking half of the options and splitting up to see who could find Amari first.

She just had to hold on and they would be there soon.

* * *

After checking out the couple places on the list, Todoroki found himself standing in front of an abandoned warehouse at the side of town. It looked like nowhere had been there for years which meant it was a perfect place for villains to hideout.

Stepping into a puddle, the boy walked inside, now looking around desperately for Amari. "Amari?"

The walls echoed his voice but returned with only silence. Maybe this place was a bust as well? That was the fifth one he had tried today.

Sighing heavily, Todoroki began to cross the location off the list when a large blue fire barreled towards him, causing the boy to dodge just in time.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as another voice entered the empty warehouse. "Well would you look who it is. If it isn't Todoroki? What a wonderful surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Todoroki stared at Dabi in displeasure, already feeling his palms drop in temperature. "Where is she?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the villain decided to play dumb. "Where is who? You have to be a bit more specific."

The boy only growled though, throwing a sheet of ice towards Dabi in anger as he shouted back. "Where is Amari?! I know you have her. I swear if you touched her I.."

Although the villain only chuckled, dodging his attack . "Aw how cute, you are so protective of her, aren't you Todoroki? You must really care about the girl. How interesting."

Todoroki's frustration grew at his words, his fireside fully igniting in warning. He didn't care how he had to hurt this man, he would get Amari back. "I'll ask you one more time, where is Amari? What kind of blackmail or threats did you use on her?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Dabi didn't seem to be intimidated though. "Sorry kid but she chose to change sides. I haven't done anything. Maybe instead you should blame that fragile hero society of yours. They did cast her to the side after all."

He wasn't receiving the answers he wanted, just unknown lies and nonsense. The very idea making Todoroki angrier by the second. Fine, he would just have to beat her location out of him. "Shut up, you don't understand anything!"

Running up to the man, Todoroki had the full intention to hurt him when someone else ran in front of him, blocking his view of the villain and protecting the man. "Shoto, stop."

The boy complied almost immediately, now staring into the eyes of the girl he loved, the girl who disappeared, Amari.

Her exterior looked darker somehow, with those horrible black veins he'd come to know trailing up her neck ominously. Why was she using those pills again? It was so incredibly dangerous.

Then, he had even more questions. Why was she here right now and why was she trying to protect that villain? She should be running from him. "Amari.."

Blinking back to reality, he got serious now ushering behind him. "Hurry up and get out of here. I'll distract him while you run."

Although the girl made no movements, only staring at him blankly. "Now why would I run? I have no reason to."

Not understanding, Todoroki explained himself. "What did he do to you? Did he blackmail you or threaten you to become a villain? It's okay, you don't have to do this anymore. I'm here to help.."

He reached forward to grab her hand only for Amari to slap it away, looking at him like he was crazy. "Do you think I was forced into this? I hate to break it to you Shoto but I chose to go with Dabi."

Todoroki widened his eyes in shock at that, whispering back a response. "What..why would you do that? I thought..I thought…"

But this time it was Dabi that answered for her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders while speaking. "Little Bakugo here is just living up to everyones expectations. She finally realized that she's much more suited with the villain life, right sweetheart?"

Nodding her head, Amari threw his arms off her before replying. "You can't change the world's opinion by just sitting around and doing nothing, so I decided to actually do something about it. I bet those heroes aren't even looking for me, right? See, they've already given up.."

Todoroki's eyes fell now, knowing that she was right about that. The heros had already labeled her as a villain. "Amari listen to me, whatever it is you're going through I can help. Please don't do this, you aren't a villain. I know you!"

His words made her smirk though. "I guess that goes to show that you didn't know me as well as you thought you did. I'm done with just talking, I want to change."

Shaking his head, Todoroki couldn't believe what he was hearing. This couldn't be real, it just couldn't. "What about your brother, what about me? Are you just going to leave us just like that?! That's not the Amari I know, it just isn't.."

Amari looked down at the floor for a moment, her smile dropping as Dabi answered for the girl again. "Just face it Todoroki, the girl you knew was fake. Bakugo is just finally able to show her true colors without those judgemental heros circling around her now, isn't that right?"

Nodding her head, the girl agreed, now pointing behind her. "Just go home Shoto and forget about me. I'm a lost cause.."

Although Todoroki refused to do no such thing, taking a step closer instead. "No, no I refuse to let you become a villain Amari! I'm bringing you back to U.A. so you can realize how much of a mistake you are making!"

The boy raced forward then, fire burning from his fingers as the girl only smiled sadly, whispering back so he could barely hear. "I'm sorry Shoto."

Then, just as his flames made contact with the villain, both Amari and Dabi melted away into two blobs of clay. Damn it, they were only illusions? How was he going to help her now?!

Falling to the ground, Todoroki slammed his fists on the ground before letting out a shaky breath. No it couldn't be. It couldn't be possible.

Could it really be true? Amari didn't want to be saved?

* * *

Approaching the old bar, Dabi glanced at Amari who had her head down, obviously thinking about something in particular. "Don't think about it too much. This is your life now, right? You already chose it."

Nodding her head, the girl's expression darkened. "I know. It's just hard to let go of the past."

The man shoved his hands in pockets then whistled back. "Don't I know it, but it does get easier. You just have to forget about that part of yourself."

Throwing open the doors to the hideout, they heard Shigaraki's voice first, scratching his neck with interest. "Well would you look at what the cat dragged in? Our doll is finally here."

Amari just scoffed though, stepping into the space with annoyance. "I'm not your doll asshole so drop it with that stupid nickname already."

Although this only made Shigaraki smirk, now hearing Togas voice next to her ear. "Oh, you are here to join us?! I'm so excited, I love a new plaything. Good work Dabi!"

She gave him a thumbs up as Kurogiri eyed the new recruit with apprehension "As much as I'd like to celebrate as well, don't you think we should be a bit more cautious of the girl? The change in her attitude so suddenly is kind of suspicious don't you think?"

Amari opened her mouth then only for Dabi to speak for her. "Don't worry about that. I just saw the kid tell off her boyfriend. He was so broken hearted and she never turned back. I think that shows her intentions."

Kurogriri didn't seem fully convinced though, causing the girl in question to step forward and slam a hand on the bar counter. "What, you don't think I can be a villain? Cause you are dead wrong about that. Haven't you heard what society has labeled me as? I'm over those wannabe corrupt and selfish heros."

Hearing her outburst, Toga touched a single strand of her hair. "I don't know, we don't want a rat in our group. Maybe I should cut her a bit so we know she's telling the truth?"

Then she pulled out a sharp knife causing Amari's eyes to widen when Shigaraki stopped her. "No, that wouldn't do any good. But I do agree there should be some kind of test for her. You know, to show that she's loyal to the league."

Spinning her head around, Amari scoffed. "You want me to prove myself? Fine, I'll play along with your stupid little game. What do you want me to do, rob a store or something?"

She crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for a small request when Shigaraki smiled, taking Toga's knife out of her hands and reaching it out towards her. "No, you need something more, we need to see that you're really serious."

Gulping once, Amari tried not now show her fear as she touched the knife in question. "Why are you giving me this?"

But once again, the villain only smiled, coaxing his next words into her ear. "You're going to use it, on Bakugo."

Widening her eyes in fear, the girl almost dropped the weapon, dreading the words out of her mouth. No, there was absolutely no way, she would do anything but that. "W-What, you want me to hurt my brother? No, screw you! I can't do that!"

Although Shigaraki just answered back sharply. "No, not just hurt. Think of it as a push in the right direction. You can't fully become a villain without erasing your past. So go on doll, if you want to be one of us then all you have to do is kill Bakugo Katsuki."

* * *

Later that night, Bakugo had just finished his end of the list and yet he still couldn't find Amari. Also to make matters worse, Todoroki had stopped answering his calls for some reason which put the boy even more on edge. What was even happening? Where could she be?

Passing by the park near their house, Katsuki stopped when he saw a very familiar head of blonde hair staring at the swings in the corner. No, it couldn't be. Was it that simple? "A-Amari?"

She turned her head at his words before giving a warm smile, like she hadn't just gone missing a couple hours ago. "Hey Katsuki."

Running up to her, Bakugo shook her shoulders, fear and anxiety etched in his features. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Didn't I tell you not to join off and join the villains. God, you are so stupid!"

Amari didn't move though, just staring down at her devastated brother. "I'm sorry Katsuki."

Slapping her head, he huffed back. "Damn right, you better be sorry! Now come on, let's go back. We can explain everything to the heros and they'll let you back at U.A. and.."

He began to pull her but sadly, the girl remained still. "I can't do that anymore. You know what the world has already decided. It's over for me. I'll never be a hero like this."

Stopping in shock, Bakugo's voice rose in anger. "What the hell are you even saying? You were fine yesterday, so what happened? Is there something you're not telling me? What's wrong with you?"

Amari only glanced to the floor though. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday before I left?"

Narrowing his eyes in confusion Bakugo remembered her saying a lot of things yesterday, but none of them justified her actions. "What the hell does that have to do with it? You never told me you were going to turn into a damn villain if that's what you're trying to say!"

The girl remained silent at that though, shaking her head in exasperation and muttering to herself. "Of course you didn't remember.."

Still not understanding, Bakugo shouted back, now taking a step closer to her so they were only a couple inches apart. "Why the fuck are you mumbling to yourself?! Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to fix it, you idiot! You don't have to do this, It's not too late for you to be a hero."

Just then, Katsuki felt an overwhelming amount of pain as his stomach began to scream in agony. He looked down only to find a knife buried in his stomach as Amari's rang out with no emotion. "Yes, it is."

She then jammed something from her hand into his neck before pulling the knife away as Katsuki gasped in shock, now feeling an overwhelming drowsiness overtake his body. Had his sister just stabbed him? No, it couldn't be.

Watching him fall to the floor, Bakugo gasped out one word, calling out to her as black spots filled his vision. It couldn't end like this, he still had to be number one. "A-mari?"

But the girl only stepped over the boy as he breath grew shorter until he collapsed onto the ground motionless.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari took in a breath before calling out into the space. "Does that satisfy you?"

Just then, Shigaraki appeared from behind the tree line before leaning down at placing two fingers to Bakugo necks and finding no pulse. She had really done it, she killed him. "Welcome to the league."

Nodding her head, Amari then threw the knife on the ground emotionless before walking away, Dabi slowly following behind her.

There was certainly no going back now.

The headlights shined onto the park as two figures stepped out from the passenger side before sighing heavily. "That girl really does what she wants."

Then, the man approached Bakugo's body before looking towards his clock. If she told him the correct time then he should be waking up any minute now..

Almost as if on command, Katsuki gasped to life, now looking around wildly as the other stranger touched his wound. "What happened?! Where the fuck is she?!"

Touching his shoulder, the man's voice rang in his ear, causing him to meet his eyes. "Calm down Bakugo, there is a lot to explain."

* * *

It had been a week since their encounter and Todoroki sat in his room just staring at the ceiling absentmindedly. The heros had yet to make a plan to recuse Amari and her words to him kept replaying back to him in a constant reminder. Maybe she did want to be a villain? What was he going to do if that was the case?

Sighing heavily, suddenly his phone began to ring as the boy took it out his pocket and answered without looking at the calling ID. "Hello?"

The voice on the other hand wasn't someone that he wanted to speak to though. It was his father. "Shoto, there is a heros announcement in a couple hours that I'd like you to attend."

Yet the boy wasn't in the mood for anything like that. "I'm not interested."

He said that, but the man kept on pushing. "Shoto, as a member of the Todoroki household you must attend. The media is already expecting it."

Rolling his eyes, Todoroki replied. "I don't care who is expecting it, I'm not going so you can just forget it. Ask Fuyumi to go instead."

He lifted the phone away from his ear only to hear Endeavor sigh. "My son, I know you are disheartened by the news of that girl turning into a villain but you mustn't forget your responsibilities."

This made the boy answer back sharply, a hint of anger in his tone. "Don't you dare talk about her like you know her."

Not expecting that kind of response, Endeavor tried a different approach. "Trust me my son, you will want to go to this meeting."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he didn't understand. "And why is that?"

Although his father only kept it short, just saying a couple words that made him suddenly interested. "It's about the girl."

Leaping out of bed, Todoroki's eyes widened. Were they finally going to decide to rescue her? "What about her?!"

Yet Endeavor only shrugged. "You'll have to attend to find out. So I assume I'll see you there Shoto?"

Then, the man hung up, causing Todoroki's mind to race around in a million different directions. He didn't really want to be in front of all those cameras and journalists but if it was about Amari, then he would endure.

He would do anything for her, even brave his father.

* * *

A couple hours later and Todoroki was standing in the middle of a mass of people, everyone wondering just what the new number one hero was going to say. He hated the crowds and flashing lights but knew he had to endure for her sake.

He stopped thinking though when Endeavor moved onto the stage, everyone cheering at his presence as he made his way over to the mic. Todoroki could only roll his eyes at the display though, wishing for it to be over as quickly as possible.

Clearing his throat, the man began to speak as the crowds hushed. "Good afternoon everyone. I know all of us are still unrestful by the recent events that have befallen us the last couple months. The rise of villains seems more rapid than ever and I am here to settle any concerns you may have given the topic."

Suddenly, the lights to the room cut out, leaving everyone in a state of panic and distress as Endeavor tried to calm the crowds. "Now, let's not panic. I'm sure it was just a circuit breaker that has been tripped."

Although, that was soft lived as soft laughter echoed through the space, revealing Dabi a couple feet away from them. "Well I don't know about that."

The crowds began to scream, already running towards the exit before realizing somebody was in their way. It was Toga. "Don't even try, we already locked all the exits and cut all communication lines, courtesy of our new recruit. I think you know her.."

Endeavors eyes widened as a very familiar face then stepped onstage next to him, sarcastic and smooth as Amari revealed herself. She was the new recruit. "Did you miss me?"

Getting his fire ready, Todoroki's father frowned. "You picked the wrong place to show your face Bakugo. Now I can imprison you correctly. "

Throwing a large mass of fire towards her, the girl only smirked as she was protected by blue flames. "Yeah, I don't think so. Have you met my new friend? I think you might know each other."

Just then, Dabi stepped in front of her, a smirk plastered on his face. "Oh have I waited for this day. You have really made some dangerous enemies, haven't you Endeavor? If only you let her become a hero, then she wouldn't have turned against you."

Todoroki voice echoed through the halls then, causing Amari to freeze in her tracks. "Amari! What are you doing? Please stop this…"

She stared at him for a moment before laughing low and empty. "It's your father's fault for being an asshole. Don't tell me you don't want this also? You want him gone, don't you Shoto?"

Staring at the man he hated more than anything, Todoroki frowned. "Not like this! I want to beat him with my success, not by cheating!"

Amari shook her head then, willing his words away as Dabi narrowed his eyes. "No matter, we'll make you see just how much you don't need him."

The villain approached then, fully ready to kill Endeavor when suddenly he was hit by a huge explosion, blowing the man off his feet and stumbling backwards. What the hell?

Turning around he saw Amari cross her arms over her chest before huffing, a small smile grazing her cheeks now. "You're late."

Then, stepping out of the shadows, Bakugo scoffed, now lowering his hand. "I'm sorry, I was recovering from getting fucking stabbed!"

Dabi held his side in confusion, now looking at the boy who was supposed to be dead. "What, how are you alive? Impossible, You had no pulse."

Amari only smirked then, pulling out a small bottle and circling it in her hands. "This sedative slows your pulse to an extremely low rate into a death like state for a short time. It lasts up to five minutes before the effects wear off. Good thing about using those pills for so long is you start to pick up on various medicines."

Realizing that she had tricked them, Dabi growled only for Amari to stick two fingers in her mouth before wiping them on the black veins covering her neck.

Well at least that's what they thought they were before she was able to rub some of the ink off, showing the villain. "Oh and speaking off which, this is fake. I never touched those pills again so my sanity is still very much intact."

Balling his hands into a fist, Dabi raced forward, then anger etched in his brow. "You.."

He lifted his arm up to throw a blue ball of fire when someone else blocked him, now shielding Amari from the villain. "Bakugo, what did I say about agitating the villain during the reveal?"

Amari only rolled her eyes though, scoffing back at Endeavor. "Then what fun would that be? Oh, speaking of which…"

Then the girl reached into her pocket before pulling out a small flash drive and handing it to the number one hero. "I think this will have what you were looking for. All the plans for future villain attacks along with the Nomu experimentation files, per request."

This time it was Toga that gasped in shock. "Hey, you stole from us! That's not fair. I thought you were one of us.."

Although Amari only shook her head. "I said it once and I will say it again, I am not and will never be villain."

Toga frowned at that just as Endeavor turned to the camera that was still recording and showed them the flash drive. "Yes, it is just as you see it. For the last couple months Bakugo was working as a spy for the league to retrieve this flash drive. Anything you witnessed during that time was all staged for the sake of the mission."

The crowds began to gasp and gossip then, one brave fool stepped forward in question. "Then does that mean that the fight between All for One and her was staged as well?"

It clearly wasn't, but Endeavor only smiled, covering for the girl and lying smoothly. "Of course, you didn't think, we'd seriously let a villain stay at U.A. did you? Now that would be just foolish."

The crowds seemed to buy his story, writing all those events off as a part of the plan and in a single second, Amari's name was cleared. Instead of screaming and running, now the people below her were cheering in celebration and saying thank you. It brought tears to her eyes as she witnessed the display.

Just then, a bunch of pro heros burst through the doors before successfully capturing the two villains and bringing them into custody. Amari may have sneaked in a tiny drug in their food this morning to make their quirks weaker for a short time, so that helped.

The reporters bursted to life then, throwing cameras and microphones in her face and wondering how a small girl could raid the villains hideout and steal such important information so easily. She tried to answer but everything was so overwhelming, Amari didn't know how to respond.

Another reporter spoke though, his question seeming louder than the rest. "Bakugo Amari! Can we get your hero name for the papers? Everyone needs to know the bravery you showcased today!"

Amari looked down at the floor then before smiling to herself. She already knew what her name was going to be.

She was that last small burning piece of coal that never gave out no matter what, she was the spark that kept burning throughout the night no matter how impossible it may seem, and she was the hero that mother and daughter were proud of.

"My hero name is Ember."

* * *

Finally getting away from the media, Amari gasped when she felt something slap her upside the head. "Hey nerd, if you think you can get away with stabbing me and live then you have another thing coming to you!"

Turning to find Katsuki, Amari laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, but I made sure to get Recovery Girl and Endeavor to you right after so she could heal you. The league was watching and they would've known if I faked it."

Her brother narrowed his eyes in a frown before reaching forward and suffocating the girl in the hug. He was just happy to see her safe and sound. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"

Smiling under her breath, Amari teased. "Well, I guess it runs in the family then.."

Katsuki at that as well before shaking his head at the joke. "Shut up."

Wrapping her arms around him, they stood like that for a couple minutes before another voice caused them to break apart. "Amari.."

She turned her only to find Todoroki staring at her from a couple feet away.

Almost at all once, they ran to each other, throwing their arms across one another as a hard ball of emotion built up in her throat. "Shoto, I'm so sorry. I couldn't tell you.."

Burying his head in her hair, Todoroki shook her head. "No, you told me to trust you and I didn't listen. I knew you couldn't be a villain. Somewhere deep down I knew it was all a lie."

Breaking away she touched his face lightly before sighing. "It was your dad's idea. He said it would help me clear my name and it worked. The world doesn't see me as a villain anymore. I can still be with you, Shoto. I'm so happy."

His eyes crumbled before her then, knowing how much she risked just to clear their names from the media. This girl, she really was amazing. Although he already knew that from the first day he met her.

Leaning forward, Todoroki pushed his lips onto hers and Bakugo pretended to look away and try not to be sick. She had gone through so much so Katsuki supposed he could let her have this moment.

Although that's when Endeavor cleared his throat, frowning at the couple. "Could you not do that here? Have some self control you two."

They pulled away then, both parties about to die from embarrassment as the man coughed. "You did good Bakugo. I'm honestly surprised you were able to follow the plan without going rouge again like last time."

Knowing he meant the intern training, Todoroki had many questions for his family. He wasn't usually the helping type. "Why did you offer to help Amari clear her name anyways? You usually aren't one to do that kind of thing."

The man looked down for a moment before glancing at the girl in question. "You are correct, from the time that I've known her, Bakugo has only been a reckless, outspoken child."

Rolling her eyes, Amari scoffed. "We get it."

But that's when Endeavor put his hand up, continuing. "Although at the marriage interview a couple weeks ago, during her outburst I saw the tiniest glimmer of a hero in her."

Todoroki seemed speechless at that, watching Endeavor gaze at Amari with somewhat pride as he spoke. "I set up the engagement as a test to see if Bakugo would crave under the pressure and walk away or if she could prove her loyalty to my son, even if it meant she had to admit her own weaknesses. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn't actually turn to the villain side during the mission."

Amari didn't seem surprised which meant she was already told this information. Todoroki on the other hand was the opposite. "Wait, all of those letters and the engagement were a test? You planned all this from the beginning.."

Nodding his head, Endeavor replied. "Yes, and then we made a deal. If she could recover the villains' plans then I would use the media to her advantage, cover for her and prove she wasn't a villain, working in both of our favors."

Amari agreed and the boys just seemed in utter shock. All of this was planned, the engagement party, her becoming a villain and finally stealing those plans. She was working together with Endeavor this whole time. "And as much as I hate his guts, the plan was pretty smart, so I went with it. That's why I told you to trust me."

Todoroki tried to process everything but finding it difficult as the girl only smiled. "And now, both you and Katsuki don't have to worry about those rumors anymore."

Not really caring about the rumors, Todoroki reached forward to hug the girl who did so much for him, squeezing her to show how much he meant to her all at once. "I can't believe you did all that."

Nodding her head, Amari smiled sadly then. "I guess a girl with no quirk can do a lot also, right?"

That's when Endeavor spoke again, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, that small glimmer I saw could mean something someday once you stop acting like a child."

Although Amari only shook her head. "Nice try, but I can't use my quirk anymore. Without the pills it will kill me."

Looking down at the girl, the man replied. "I looked into you Bakugo and the only reasons your pills almost killed you the last couple times was because you were trying to use it at its max capacity with such a weak body. You have no sense of control at all."

Amari frowned back, not really understanding what he was getting at. "What are you saying? The doctors told me I shouldn't even try to use it cause it's dangerous."

He thought for a moment before answering. "They are correct in a sense. If you push your body over the limit, you will be killed instantly. No wonder why the doctors told you not to try. One mess up or reckless move and you're dead. Any hero would be insane to train someone like you. It has a lawsuit written all over it."

She had never heard his information before, but still not really seeing the point. "Gee thanks."

But that's when Endeavor, Todoroki's father and the man that hated her, said something surprising. "So, I suppose I'm insane then."

Widening her eyes in confusion, Amari gasped. "Wait, what are you saying? I thought you hated me. You called me reckless and a child a second ago. Why on earth would you want to personally train me?"

The man stared at Katsuki's sister before shaking his head. "Don't be mistaken, I do still think that, and before during your intern training I would have never made this offer. Back then you outright disobeyed anyone not following your desires and pushed yourself past your limits in a reckless and foolish manner. Trying to train you would've definitely resulted in your death since you refused to hold back. But now, after everything I can see you've changed a bit Bakugo, and it's possible you can control yourself more."

Still not really believing him, Amari gaped. "You think I can be a hero still?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Endeavor replied. "It's going to take a lot of work, and you'll have to build your body up to support your quirk, one step and a time. It won't be easy like those pills and you can't ever push yourself or else you'll die. But yes, I suppose it's possible."

That was enough for the girl to put a shaking hand to her mouth. She always thought that without her pills, the hope of being a hero was gone. But now, Endeavor was telling her that it was still possible. "I don't care what it takes. I'll do it."

Letting out a suppressed sob, Todoroki rubbed small circles on her back as the reality finally set in.

She was going to be a hero and this time, it wasn't for Katsuki, but for herself.

* * *

End of S3! Okay so there is a ton that happened in this chapter but can we talk about the character development for Amari here? Because she started off with her pills, wanting to be a hero for the sake of her brother and pushing herself to her breaking point, willing herself to be stronger as fast as possible just to be equal with him. But now, she cares about her well being and chooses to be a hero for herself, agreeing to work one step at a time to complete her goal. She doesn't care if it takes years now, she will still be a hero. Old Amari would never agree to something like that. She got pushed back from the bottom only to rise again as a true hero. I'm so proud of her ugh.

The whole Dabi thing will come back in S4 as well. I'm not ready to reveal his secret to the characters yet, even though Amari knows.

Also let me just say that this story has taken off way further than I ever meant it to go and I just wanna say that I'm so thankful and happy you are enjoying it so much! We have really come a long way from a character standpoint and I'm just so proud of the process. 3

Next Chapter: S4! (Going take a couple day hituas after this chapter because oof it was a big boy.)


	50. S4 Chapter 1

Staring up at Endeavors agency, Amari took in a deep breath of courage. She never thought she'd be back here, and she certainly never thought it would be to train with Todoroki's father.

The girl still honestly didn't know why he had such a change of heart all of a sudden. Maybe this was all some kind of prank to him. Although it's not like it mattered anyways, he gave her this chance so she sure as hell was going to take it.

Moving towards his office, the girl lightly knocked on the surface only to reveal the man himself, now looking down. "Bakugo, you're late."

She twisted her brow into one of annoyance, already over this man. "No, I'm not. It's only been like one minute"

Although Endeavor only crossed his arms. "Even a minute is crucial for a hero. You'll learn that soon enough."

Rolling her eyes, Amari huffed back. "You're going to be this difficult the entire time, aren't you?"

Yet the man only responded by moving past her towards the entrance of the door. That was definitely a yes. "Come, I'll take you to the training grounds."

Then he started to walk away only for Amari to hurry after him. This man, he was just going to leave her. "Hey, hold on!"

Once they stepped inside, the girl looked around only to find a couple very familiar faces, one in particular calling out to her. "Hey, isn't that the girl that challenged the boss? Why is she back?"

Endeavor stopped then, causing the girl to run into his back and groan in pain. "Everyone, I'd like you to welcome Bakugo back to the agency. I have agreed to personally train her so be on your best behavior while she's here."

At his words, everyone gasped in surprise, her old training mate Katsu now stepping forward. "What, now that's unexpected. I thought you don't train anyone other than your children?"

The man only sighed at this though, like he was half regretting his choice.. "It seems circumstances have changed. Come Bakugo."

Then he moved away only for Amari to frown at his tone. "I'm not your damn dog Endeavor. Seriously, is even it possible for you to not be rude for like two seconds?"

Katsu smirked at her rebellion although Endeavor almost seemed used to it by now, just moving over to the corner of the space silently.

Amari followed him with apprehension as the man looked down at her with disdain. "Now first things first. You need to establish some sort of control with your quirk or else you'll die instantly."

Watching her face fall, Amari gulped. "That's pleasant to think about."

Endeavor nodded his head then, letting his fire ignite the left side of his body but not his right. "The more control you have, the easier it is to use your quirk. See, I can contain my fire like this but if I wished to explode a building, then it would be just a matter of focusing, as so.."

Then as if on his word, the man let off a huge wave of inferno, bouncing against the side of the building and causing a couple trainees to gasp in surprise. Amari hated his man but she couldn't help but be in awe at the motion. How could someone be that comfortable with their quirk? She wanted to know.

He saw her look of wonder and couldn't help but smirk now pointing to her hands. "Now it's your turn. Create a small strand of gold matter without maxing out your quirk. That's step one."

Looking down at her hands, Amari frowned. She had no idea how to only use some of her power, and misstepping could cause the girl to die right away. That was one thing she didn't want. "But my body won't be able to handle it.."

Sighing back, the man replied. "That's only if you push yourself past what your body can handle. Right now you should have enough stamina to at least activate your quirk."

She knew he was probably right, but Amari was scared to take the chance. She had only ever known maxing out her strength. What if she made a mistake? Then it would be all over.

A couple minutes past as Endeavor called back to her, now seeing herself at war. "Bakugo, you have to trust yourself. You'll never get anywhere if you are too afraid to use your quirk."

Squeezing her hands shut, Amari tried to focus but only found herself thinking about her life. A couple months back dying seemed so natural for her, but now she was finally happy. Amari didn't wanna risk that. "I can't.."

Endeavor shook his head at that. "If you truly think that then you can give up right now.."

Amari shook her head though, voicing her concerns with a slight shake to her tone. "No, you don't understand. What if I use too much accidentally, what if I can't pull it back? I can't trust myself… I'm afraid, I don't want to die.."

Endeavor took in her words for a moment before answering. "Bakugo, being a hero is all about risks, but you can't save others without first being confident in your own ability. How will they rely on you if you can't even control your own power?"

Muttering to herself, the girl replied. "That's why I used those damn pills in the first place. They helped me control my weak quirk..

Yet Todoroki's father wasn't pleased. "And because of that, the way you are now, you'll never be a hero."

Widening her eyes in shock, Amari stomped her feet in annoyance. "Hold on, you said I had the potential a couple days ago! You shady ashole, were you lying!?"

Endeavor looked at it for a couple seconds before replying calmly. "No, I wasn't lying unfortunately. You do have that glimmer, but nothing will come of it if you keep acting like a child."

Amari frowned back as the man sighed, now pointing to the door next to them. She just wasn't understanding. Stubborn girl. "Perhaps I was being too ambitious. Follow me, I have something else for you."

Twisting her brow in confusion, she began to follow him towards the door. "What is it?"

Although the man only pointed once again, coaxing her to enter first. "Go on."

Amari turned her head in confusion before following his directions and pushing the door open only to be met with the outside. Why was he bringing her outside? Did that old man finally lose his mind? "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Yet she soon got her answer when the door slammed behind her, Amari turned around in surprise and banging on the surface only to find it locked. "What, did you just lock me out?! What the hell! I thought you were supposed to help me!"

A small silence later, she heard Endeavor through the door. "Don't come back until you can run around the agency without passing out."

Turning her head in confusion. Amari huffed. "And how is that going to help?! That's not going to help me control my power. You're just making fun of me, aren't you?!"

Although Endeavor remained quiet, only speaking back one more time. "Decide what kind of person you want to be Bakugo, then I will let you back in."

The meaning was totally lost on the girl though, kicking the door in anger. "I wanna be the person that shoves my foot up your ass! You know what, fine. I'll play your stupid game and be back in less than ten minutes. Watch me."

Then she turned on her heel before running out of the alleyway and down the street as fast as possible at full speed. That asshole, she was going to get this done quickly so he could see just how serious she was.

* * *

Well that's what she thought anyway, but Amari had almost reached a third of the way when her legs gave out, sinking to the floor in a heavy pant. Her body was completely drenched in sweat, begging for her to rest although the girl knew she couldn't do such a thing. She needed to push through to make Endeavor eat his words.

Thinking back the last couple days, Amari's pills had almost completely exited her system which meant that her health had deteriorated rapidly with it. Now just running down the block was starting to become a struggle. She hated it, her and her weak quirk.

She clutched her heart that was pounding out of her chest and gave a shaky exhale, not understanding why Todoroki's father was making her do this. She honestly didn't see the purpose. Maybe he was just messing with her after all..

Just then, she heard someone call to her from above. "Ah look, it's a dead person."

Grumbling to herself, Amari huffed and turned her head up only to find Shinso staring back at her in confusion. "Shut up, I'm not dead. Wait, Shinso? What are you doing here?"

She shakily tried to get to her feet as Shinso leaned down to offer his hand. "I should be asking you the same question. What are you even doing? Here.."

Amari grasped it before pulling herself up and brushing off her pants. "I'm supposed to be training with Endeavor but honestly I think he's just playing with me. Now that I think about it though, that sounds like something he would do."

Shinso nodded his head in understanding before pointing to a nearby cafe to their left. "Sounds rough. You wanna ditch for a while?"

She looked at the cafe before slowly smirking. That bastard could live without her for a couple hours. He wasn't even watching her train anyways. "You know what, yeah. Let's go.."

The boy smiled under his breath then, leading the way to the cafe as he ignored the nervous energy in his stomach.

He knew this wasn't a date but it had the same energy somehow.

* * *

After they sat down and ordered their drinks, Amari huffed in annoyance. "I just can't believe him. He tells me he wants to train me and a second later throws me on my ass without any explanation. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Sipping his drink, Shinso replied. "I can never tell what's up with that guy. He always seems really intimidating. Having him as a father must have been hard."

Nodding her head, Amari recalled all of Todoroki's terrible stories before slamming her fists on the table. "Exactly! He's impossible! I mean, as a person I still think he's a jerk but since he's the number one hero now I at least thought he would be okay in that sense."

She then grumbled to herself. "I don't understand what he's saying. He wants me to use my quirk but if I make one little mistake, it's over, I'm dead, I mean literally dead. Why can't he understand how scary that is for me?"

Her eyes saddened as Shinso took in her words. This girl had it the hardest out of everyone and yet she was still pushing herself to be a hero regardless of the risks. "Does that mean you're going to give it up? Because that certainly doesn't sound like the Amari I know."

Frowning back, Amari replied. "No of course not. I still want to be a hero but I'm just not confident in my quirk. I just wish it was stronger, like Katsuki's, but that's not what the universe decided."

Shinso frowned at that, not agreeing with her statement. "It's pointless to wish for what you can't have. I think I know more than anyone what having an unwanted quirk is like. Do you think I wanted a villain quirk? No, that's what the world gave me so I have to accept it."

Amari didn't like his words either. "Oh please, you don't have a villain quirk. The universe gave you that quirk for a reason, and I think it's pretty badass, so stop saying it's lame.."

This caused his face to curve up into a small smile. "I'll stop when you stop."

Widening her eyes in realization, Amari huffed, slapping the boy on the shoulder. She hated that he was right. She was being hypocritical. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

He only shrugged his shoulders though, smirking back. "Possibly."

Amari shook her head in exasperation then. "Alright I get it. But we aren't the same Shinso. You're quirk won't straight up kill you. I've been fighting mine ever since I was born…"

Just then, she stood speaking, the words hitting into her all at once. That's right, she hated her quirk ever since she was a child, rejecting it with everything she possibly could. She even tried to use those pills to force herself to become stronger. Maybe that's why her control was so weak, because she never accepted her quirk as her own...

Then she recalled Endeavor's words to her before she left. He told her to decide what kind of person she wanted her to be. So that was it..

Nodding her head in understanding, Amari spoke back. "Crap, that jerk was right. I can't be a hero like this.."

Not really fully understanding, Shinso called out. "Like what?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari replied. "All this time, I thought I was on the right path when I was really just lying to myself. Those pills didn't make me stronger, they only made me pretend and ignore my weaknesses.. Now I know what Stain meant back in Hosu when he called me a fake hero with dirty blood.."

Just then, she stood up from her chair, as Shinso looked at her with confusion. Amari?"

Although the girl only laughed to herself. "So that was it all along? I can't believe I didn't realize it before."

Then she turned to Shinso before smiling warmly and wrapping her arms around him in a suffocating embrace. "Oh Shinso, you beautiful beautiful boy, I get it now! Thank you so much for waking up my stupidity. I know what I have to do now..."

Breaking out a gasp in surprise, the boy ripped his arms away from her, willing the red hue in his face to dissipate before he responded. "Hey, what are you doing!? I think I woke up your crazy also. Get off of me short stuff!"

At his fake disdain, Amari pulled away. "Oh, sorry. I got a little too excited."

Brushing his arm off, Shinso coughed back in a nervous demeanor. "Uh huh, Now do you wanna tell me why you're so jumpy all of a sudden?"

Amari nodded back before throwing money on the table and pointing behind her roughly. "Would you go somewhere with me? There is something I have to do."

Shinso thought for a moment before replying, already standing from his seat in confusion. "Uhh sure?"

Yet Amari only smiled back, a knowing look on her face now.

* * *

Shinso let Amari drag him down the street a couple blocks before they reached a nearby hair salon on the corner. What were they doing here? "Are you dragging me to your errands now?"

Although the girl only shook her head, entering the salon quietly before staring in the mirror before her. "Endeavor was right. How I am right now, if I stay like this I'll never be a hero. I can't hide behind pills or fake strength anymore. Something has to change."

Then she sat down in the chair next to her before smiling towards Shinso and pointing to herself. "This is the face of someone that became a hero for the wrong reasons. Now, I'm going to become one for the right ones. This Amari can no longer exist, she has to change."

After that, the hair dresser got to work and when she was finished, Shinso gasped in surprise as Amari stared back at him.

Her hair was no longer to her chest but rather cut into an angled length that reached a little before her shoulders. If she didn't look like Bakugo before, then she sure as hell did so now. "What do you think?"

Staring at her face, Shinso couldn't help but feel his chest lighten in response. He had never seen Amari look so free, so comfortable with herself. "You look beautiful."

Widening her eyes in surprise, Amari leaned forward before slapping his shoulder playfully. "Oh stop, I thought you were going to make a backhanded compliment like usual. Don't surprise me like that you jerk!"

He rubbed his arm which had become sore with her hit and sighed. "I still don't understand, why does cutting your hair have to do about being a hero?"

Thinking back for a minute, Amari smiled, now touching the strands. "A long time ago, a little girl wished to be a hero for the wrong reasons, refusing to love herself because the world didn't give her what she thought she wanted. That girl was a fake."

Then she looked down for a moment before continuing. " Right now, I still don't fully love myself but in the time it takes for my hair to grow back, I want to finally be proud of calling myself strong. This time not for power or strength, but because I want to show others that anyone can be a hero, even me."

Shinso listened to her words and felt an overwhelming sense of pride from her. This girl was openly admitting her weaknesses and faults when just a couple months ago she was pushing herself to exhaustion because she thought she wasn't good enough.

This must have been really hard for her to admit and Shinso honestly didn't know if he could've done such a thing. She was truly amazing. "If anyone can be a hero, then it's you Amari."

Looking down at her hands, the girl smiled to herself, hoping one day that she would be able to love herself and her quirk enough to fully use her power.

That was her dream, and the process was just beginning.

* * *

Moving back up to Endeavors agency, Amari pushed open the door without knocking and found the man seated at his desk. "Bakugo? I half expected you to give up or quit by now.."

Although Amari only shook her head, balling her fists before replying. "I get what you were trying to say. You made me run those laps to show me how to control my stamina didn't you? Back then, you were helping me. Sorry I yelled at you..."

Looking down at his desk, Todoroki's father didn't reply although Amari already seemed to know the answer. Maybe this man did know what he was talking about. "Listen, I know the way I am now I'll never be a hero, that's why I want to change. I want to become someone that people can rely on. Will you help me?"

Endeavor sighed heavily then before standing up from his seat and moving over to the girl. At first she expected him to flat out reject her offer, that is until he lifted out his hand for her to shake. "There is that tiny glimmer again…"

Amari's face began to light up then, realizing that he saw potential in her before shaking his hand firmly. "Thanks Endeavor. Although, this still doesn't mean I like you as a person.."

Nodding back, Todoroki's father smiled under his breath, her sass kind of growing on him the tiniest bit. "The feeling is mutual Bakugo."

* * *

It had been a couple weeks since her understanding with Endeavor and they two seemed to have a mutual respect for each other, which was really saying something considering they both didn't really like each other as people.

Staring up at the ceiling in her dorms, Amari reached her hand upwards and sighed to herself. She knew she had to activate her quirk sometime but the very notion scared her.

She turned her hand back and forth, thinking about the gold swirling in between her fingers lightly before giving up and placing it back down. It was useless, she couldn't do this right now.

Then she grunted to herself before lifting her hand back up. This couldn't defeat her, she had to believe in her own power, she had to believe in herself. It was now or never.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari flipped the switch in her mind absentmindedly only for her palms to heat up in a newfound warmth, a clear sign that her mind quirk was materializing.

Then she focused her power into just her finger tips, swirling them around to create an effect and the heat lifted into the area all the once.

Letting out a small breath of anxiety, she chanted in the back of her mind all at once. _Just a little, not too much. Just like Endeavor said, just a small strand. Don't overdo it. _

The heat dissipated then and when Amari opened her eyes, she gasped at the gold swirling matter between her finger tips. It was lightly colored and dull but it had materialized nonetheless. She did it.

After a couple seconds Amari felt her breath shorten and immediately turned off her quirk, the light diminishing in her hands as she huffed out a breath. She was seemingly tired now but not dead, that was a start.

Covering her mouth in excitement, the girl waited to calm her breaths before racing down the dorm hallways and banging on Katsuki's door.

She heard him grumble a second later, shouting back. "Who the hell..?!"

Although his eyes softened when he saw his sister breathing heavily in front of him. "Amari, what's wrong?! Ah hell, you're not feeling sick are you?! Come on, I'm taking your ass to the hospital right now.."

He started to touch her arm when Amari pulled back, now huffing out a breath. "Let go of me Katsuki, that's not it..Look!"

Then, she evened her breaths before trying the same technique again, causing her brother's eyes to light up in surprise as the gold matter swirled between her fingertips.

Dropping her hand again, Amari clutched her heart before feeling a pool of sweat on her brow. "I did it...Katsuki I did it...I used my quirk without the pills.."

Standing in absolute shock, Katsuki looked down at his sister before letting out his own breath of awe. He couldn't help but be proud of the girl in this moment, and felt himself choke up at the slight emotion it gave him. He thought he would never see the day. "Damn Amari, you really did.."

Amari smiled back before grabbing onto his shirt roughly, a small tear coming to her eyes at the thought.. "Does this mean I can be a hero too?"

Bakugo eyes widened then, fully realizing where he last heard those words, it was back when they were kids and when Amari first got her quirk.

Back then, the boy wasn't so certain but now, now he could answer her question without a doubt in his mind. "Of course you can, nerd."

Amari nodded her head then, racing forward and hugging her brother in relief as he wrapped his arms around her silently in the dorm entryway knowing one thing..

The Bakugo Dream Team were going to be the best heroes of them all.

* * *

You see what I did there in the last scene? Heh. The dialogue is the same as Ch1 where Amari first gets her quirk as a kid, expect now, now Bakugo has the answer and the love to give her in response. We go full circle here heh.

Amari is growing up and maturing. I'm so proud. The hardest thing for the person to do is admit that they are flawed and have weaknesses and she did just that. It's the first step to wanting to change…

Next Chapter: S4 so we are getting back into the anime!


	51. Special Chapter

Hello everyone! There will be a new chapter from S4 in a couple days but I'm still outlining the direction of the story so it's not quite ready yet. Although, I've had this idea in my head for a couple weeks and wanted to write a little side adventure with the characters. I hope you will still read regardless while waiting for the actual new chapter. Warning though, this has many feels (and coming from me, that's saying a lot so be prepared) *gives free tissues* Hope you enjoy!

P.S. This story takes place a couple weeks after Amari activates her quirk for her brother at the end of S4 Ch1 and will be canon.

* * *

Bakugo grumbled to himself as he walked down the busy public streets, hands stuffed into his pockets like always. His mother had called him and yelled at him to get some groceries since he had done nothing but eat out every day since they entered the dorms. He just didn't care and was too worried with Amari at the time to leave her. Although now that everything was okay, he had no more excuses.

Thinking back to his sister, Amari had been training with Endeavor every chance she got, all while still caring for her wellbeing which Katsuki was grateful for. It seemed like she had grown up in these past couple weeks. He was honestly proud of her, knowing that soon enough she'd be a real force to be reckoned with.

He turned the corner only to stop when he noticed two very familiar figures in front of him, one of them being his sister and the other that icy hot bastard. "Katsuki, what are you doing here? You don't usually go out on a Sunday."

Looking down, Bakugo found the two holding hands and tried not to gag, still not liking the memory of his sister making out with that boy in his mind. "The old hag told me I had to go outside or she'd come find me, stubborn woman."

Amari couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "Ah, sounds like her. I got that speech last week."

Katsuki groaned back, knowing they shared the same experience, now pointing to their intertwined hands. "And what are you two doing? It wouldn't have killed you to tell me where you were going stupid."

The girl opened her mouth to answer when Todoroki did so for her, showing Bakugo their hands by raising their arms. "We're on a date."

Rolling his eyes, Bakugo scoffed. "Yeah dumbass, I got that. Put your hands down already, I don't wanna see that shit. I meant, what are you doing on your...date.."

He gagged a bit at the word_ date_ causing Amari to smirk, knowing he was trying his best to accept them. "Oh well, Shoto wanted to show me this butterfly garden exhibit down the road. Do you wanna come?"

Although Katsuki seemed less than pleased, Shoto breathed a sigh of relief as well. He kind of just wanted it to be Amari and him anyways. Bakugo would probably scare the butterfly's away. "Hell no, that sounds like torture."

Just then, the phone began to ring in her pocket and Amari pulled out the object before sighing and turning to Todoroki. "It's your father. I have to take this. Do you mind waiting a couple seconds? I'll be really fast."

Yet the boy didn't seem to mind, just nodded his head. "It's not a problem at all. Take your time."

Amari smiled at that before waving to Katsuki and lifting the phone up to her ear. "Thanks, you're the best. See you around Katsuki, make sure you get enough groceries so you can cook me dinner tonight!"

At her words, Bakugo's eyes widened, shouting back. "What, like I would ever do that! You can make your own damn dinner!"

Amari's eyes narrowed at that, calling back in a teasing tone. "Alright, I mean if you can't do it then I understand..."

This gave her the reaction she wanted, watching her brother flare up at the sense of a challenge. "What, screw you! Just for that I'm going to make the best dinner you've ever seen! Get ready to eat your words Amari!"

The girl only winked though, waving him away as she walked. "We'll see about that. Regardless though, I look forward to it."

Once she was gone, the boys stood in absolute silence for a couple moments until Bakugo realized his sister's trick. Oh that girl was too cunning, playing him like that. He hated how easy he was to read sometimes.

Grumbling to himself, the boy glanced at Todoroki before glaring, the tension clearly thicker than air. It was no surprise the two still had issues between each other, although they were trying to get along, for Amari's sake.

Looking in the direction she went, Todoroki spoke first, cutting the air. "With everything happening and my old man training her, I wanted her to be able to relax a bit. That's why I took her out today. She deserves to smile again after working so hard."

Katsuki glanced at the boy before sighing heavily. This bastard was a pain in the butt but he always seemed to want the best for her. "That idiot's changed somehow. She seems happier now."

Smiling to himself, Todoroki nodded. "I think that's partly because of you Bakugo. I guess, she finally feels accepted by you, like she doesn't have to hide anymore. I'm glad."

Amari's brother saw the absolute adoration on Todoroki's face and couldn't help but shake his head, knowing he couldn't be that cocky. "That's not all it is, you bastard. She's happy because of you too. Don't get me wrong, I still think that idiot can do so much better…"

Frowning back, Katsuki finished his sentence. "But you were there for her when I wasn't, and I'll never be able to take that back."

Widening his eyes in surprise, Todoroki had never thought he would hear those words from Bakugo's mouth. It was like he was finally accepting the two of them as a couple, although he would never say it out loud, but that was enough for the boy. He knew what Bakugo meant.

Thinking back all those months ago, it was hard to believe the three of them were the same people as when they started. It's like they all had grown from these experiences, Bakugo learning to express himself, Todoroki learning how to love and Amari learning how to accept her power. It was kind of miraculous.

Todoroki opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a loud explosion was heard only a couple blocks away, causing the locals around them to gasp and scream in surprise. What the heck was that?

The two boys shared a look before sprinting off towards the scene, knowing they were kids but still feeling the need to do something. They were hero's after all, and who knows how long it would take for the pros to arrive..

Running into the rubble, they heard soft laughter as a middle aged man revealed himself in the debre. Oh crap, it was a villain.

He laid eyes on the two boys before cocking his head to the side. "Oh, how interesting. Are you two heros?"

Todoroki's eyes quickly glanced at the civilians that were shaking in fear and threw his arm and shouted. "Go, get out of here!"

They complied as the villain eyed them with interest. "How noble. Are you two friends?"

Although to that, Bakugo grumbled. "Hell, no! Like I would be friends with this bastard, although doesn't doesn't mean we won't kick your ass! Get ready villain!"

Letting his palms spark to life, Katsuki then raced forward only for the man to touch his arm in interest. "Hmm interesting. You're not friends but you have a common thread between the two of you."

Katsuki frowned, pulling back immediately. Who the hell even was this guy? "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Since he was distracted, Todoroki took the chance and threw a large sheet of his ice in the man's direction, although the villain was too fast. In the blink of an eye, he was standing behind the boy. "Now, let's see about you.."

Then, he touched Todoroki's shoulder only for the boy to shove him away, the villain now smiling. "Oh, I see what holds you together. It's the girl, she's in both of your destiny's."

At that Bakugo's eyes widened, knowing exactly what he meant. That bastard was going to go after Amari. Over his dead body. "I don't think so bastard, you stay away from her!"

Yet once again, the boy only missed as the villain appeared a couple feet away, now holding up a golden string. "It's funny, isn't it? The littlest change can disrupt so much. Now, let's see what this does…

Just then, the string snapped in half as both Todoroki and Bakugo felt a heavy pain in their stomachs, like something inside of them had broken all at once.

Coughing out blood, the two then slumped to ground as black spots pooled in their vision, now hearing the man's voice echo in their ears all at once. "Let's see how you handle this, heroes.."

Then, all at once, the two lost consciousness, falling to the ground as their arms grew lifeless.

* * *

Gasping awake, Bakugo shot out of bed, breathing heavily and looking around in a hundred million directions. After refocusing his eyes, the boy appeared to be in his bed at home, now noticing the very familiar walls around him. What the hell? Was all that some terrible dream? Bakugo did have nightmares before so the idea didn't seem completely out of the ballpark.

He stood up before wiping the sweat off his forehead with his shirt as his mother screamed through the walls. "Katsuki! You better have gotten your ass up! You'll be late for school!"

Groaning to himself, Katsuki quickly grabbed his school shirt before walking down the hall and stopping by Amari's bedroom. The other side seemed eerily quiet which meant the idiot was probably still sleeping.

He banged on the surface a couple times only to get no response which made the boy even more frustrated. "Hey Amari, get your ass up!"

Yet once again, he was only met with silence, causing the boy to groan. "You have five seconds before I kick down this door and get you up myself!"

Although after a couple moments, the room was still silent. Alright, she asked for it.

Using his left foot, Bakugo then kicked open her door before barging in with a raging shout. "Alright Amari, quit screwing around, I said it's time for school..!"

He huffed in response only to widen his eyes with a mix of confusion and terror.

Amari wasn't there.

And that wasn't all, the room that once occupied her bed and table was now filled with boxes of leftover office supplies, just like how it was before she moved in. Honestly, it didn't even look like the room was ever used.

Feeling a heavy weight in his stomach, Bakugo turned around before racing down the stairs in confusion only to see his mother. "Katsuki, it's about time! Sit down, I made breakfast for you and your father.."

At the mention of everyone but his sister, Bakugo huffed out a response, only thinking about one thing in particular. "Where the hell is Amari? Her room is all screwed up."

His mother and father looked between each other before Mitsuki placed a hand up to his son's forehead. "Are you feeling alright Katsuki? Do you have a fever or something?"

But Katsuki only slapped her hand away, shouting back. "What, no I fucking don't. Why are you avoiding the question? Where is Amari?!"

Frowning back, Mitsuki didn't notice a fever but still felt concerned for the boy. "Katsuki, what are you saying, your sister doesn't live here. She hasn't since you two were in kindergarten."

The words felt like a heavy hit to his chest. His sister didn't live here? Bullshit, she moved in after the whole USJ training incident.

Taking a woozy step forward his mother frowned. "Maybe you should take the day off from school today, you don't look so good."

Although all Bakugo could think about was finding his sister, now turning on his heels and running out the door without his bag.

What was even happening?!

* * *

Running up the steps to U.A. Bakugo raced through the hallways before slamming the door open to his class. It seemed nothing had changed here, besides the fact that Amari was still nowhere to be seen.

Deku noticed his frantic nature, calling to him carefully. "Good morning Kacchan, are you okay?"

Looking around frantically, Bakugo couldn't think straight. "Where is she?!"

But of course, Deku had no clue what he was talking about. "Where is who?"

Grumbling to himself, Katsuki then reached down before grabbing the boy by his collar in desperation. "Where the fuck is my sister?!"

It took the boy a couple minutes, muttering under his breath quietly. "You're sister…"

Nodding his head, Bakugo shook the boy, looking for an answer. "Yes, you damn Deku. Amari, where the fuck is she, is she alright?!"

His childhood friend narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Uhh no offense Kacchan, since when have you cared so much about her? You've never asked about her before."

Tightening his hold on the boy, Katsuki hissed. "Yeah? Well, I'm asking now. Now, you have about two seconds to tell me where she is before you become a burned piece of broccoli!"

Deku gasped in surprise then as he cried back. "Okay okay Kacchan, I'll tell you! Just put me down first..!"

Doing as he was told, Katsuki let go of the boy before brushing himself off and looking sad. "Amari-chan hasn't been here in months Kacchan. Do you really not remember?"

Shaking his head in disbelief, the boy grew pale. "What the hell does that mean?"

Deku stared at the floor in response, remembering something unpleasant. "She dropped out a couple months after you kept telling her to leave. I think she tried really hard for you Kacchan, but you pushed her away back to America."

Hearing the words out of Deku's mouth, Bakugo felt like he was going to be sick. That was impossible. She couldn't just be gone. Sure, he was an ass to her before but he had changed since then. What was happening?!

He put his shaky heads up to his face then, muttering out brokenly. He drove his sister away. "No no..fuck this isn't happening..this can't be happening...she was okay just a little while ago."

Deku's eyes saddened then, never seeing Bakugo act this way before. "Kacchan, are you okay?"

Although at Deku's words, Katsuki only growled. "No, of course I'm not fucking okay Deku! How is this even possible?! I was trying, I was trying my damn best to be there for her finally!"

Jumping back in fear, the boy only sighed. "I'm really sorry, but maybe it isn't too late? Maybe you can still talk to her about all this. I mean, that is if you feel really bad.."

Yet Amari's brother didn't respond, instead drowning in his own sorrow as another voice cut through the space. "Midoryia, there you are."

Looking up, Bakugo found Todoroki standing before them, also looking rather breathless like he was running. "Something isn't right here. Do you know where Amari is?"

Yet once again, Deku only seemed confused. "Are you both feeling okay? Todoroki you've never even mentioned her before. This is the first time you cared so much about her."

Todoroki turned his head in question as Bakugo answered for him roughly. "Of course something isn't right! Amari wouldn't just pack up everything and move back to that damn place! She's too goddamn stubborn for that!"

Amari's boyfriend caught on to his words before turning to him alarmed. "What are you saying Bakugo? What do you mean Amari moved back to America, that doesn't make any sense."

Although Bakugo only shook his head. "No, something is fucked up here and I'm going to find out what it is. According to Deku, apparently Amari dropped out of U.A. months ago.."

At that Todoroki's eyes widened, now turning to the boy in question. "Is that true? That doesn't make any sense. We just saw her."

Deku nodded his head causing the boys eyes to wither. "It can't be...wait a minute, Midoryia, your words don't make any sense either. Why did you say that this is the first time I've cared about her? Of course I care, I love her."

To that, the boy only made a face. "What are you talking about Todoroki? She tried to talk to you once after your match together on the first day of school and you told her to get lost. After that, you never spoke with her again, like she didn't even exist."

Todoroki's face fell, recalling their first conversation after their match very clearly. That's not what happened at all. That was the day that Amari told him about her living situation. He never turned her down...

Hold on, if they never had that conversation, then that meant Todoroki would've never agreed to train with her that day and he wouldn't have never found out about her health. Then, they would have never been friends in the first place.

It was like someone had written that one interaction or their relationship to never exist. Suddenly, Todoroki was desperate for answers. "What happened to her?"

That's when Deku got really sad. "I tried to help her since she never really talked to anyone but Amari-chan would only smile at me and say that she had to try harder to get Kacchan's attention, that she had to be stronger. But one day, I guess it became too much for her and she left without even saying goodbye."

At that, Bakugo just looked devastated, feeling the tears rise to the surface as Todoroki grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him away from Deku, now understanding. "I have to talk to Bakugo for a minute, I'll see you around Midoryia."

Then he pulled the defeated boy around the corner before speaking. "Alright, let's try to make sense of all of this. Well we were attacked by that villain and the next thing we know Amari is gone and what Midoryia is describing isn't what really happened. It's like...it was changed."

Twisting his brow, Katsuki replied. "Are you saying that bastard did all this?! That he is the one that changed the past?"

Nodded his head, Todoroki continued. "Although, it's not the entire past. It just seems to be one or two interactions that have impacted history. All we have to do is change them back.."

Thinking about his statement, Bakugo saddened. "It's only one, only one event was changed. As much as I hate you, I'll admit that I would've never found out about Amari's condition without you telling me in that damn hospital room, and if you two never became friends in the first place then.."

The other boy finished his sentence almost immediately. "Then she had no one to look out for her all this time. Bakugo, we have to fix this. Who knows what she's like right now because of that.."

Although, just as he finished saying that, a large explosion tore through half the school, leaving a gaping whole left. It was like someone burned through it in a single blast.

Jumping back, the boys looked around frantically only to hear a familiar chuckle of laughter echo through the school. "Oh what the surprise, nice to see you again boys. I didn't think we'd have a reunion so soon."

Bakugo recognized the voice immediately, growing cold at the red eyes staring back at him and the black veins snaking up her face. No no, it couldn't be. It was Amari. "A-Amari.."

Although Amari only smirked back. "So you actually do know my name, interesting. And here I thought you just forgot it all this time.."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Bakugo shouted back. "W-What the hell are you doing?!"

The girl turned her head in response, pointing to the black veins in her skin. "Do you like my new look brother? Funny enough, you're the one that helped me discover my true calling, so I thank you for that."

Taking a step closer, Katsuki remained frozen as she spoke. "I tried so hard to be like you dear little Katsuki, I pushed myself into the ground for you, but it was never enough. So on that day you told me to get lost, I did. I cried on my apartment floor for hours before deciding I needed to be stronger. That's when I swallowed my entire bottle of pills and realized exactly who I was meant to be for the first time in my life. Now you'll never be able to forget about me brother.."

Bakugo swallowed in fear, not wanting to believe this terrible nightmare as Todoroki came forward to talk some sense into her. "Amari, listen to me. This isn't real! There is a villain that is messing with your head!"

Amari took one look at the boy before squinting her eyes in confusion. "Who are you again?"

He stomach dropped then in rejection. "Todoroki Shoto, the boy who loves you."

This certainly caught the girl off guard, before narrowing her eyes. "That's a bold assumption. Oh wait, you're the one that didn't want to be friends because you thought I was your enemy. Well look at me now Todoroki, you guessed correctly."

Laughing to herself, Amari sighed. "You wanna know something funny boy? For some reason I thought I could trust you, I was willing to pour out my entire life story just to have someone next to me, but you didn't want to hear it, just like everyone else. How stupid I was back then.."

Todoroki eyes saddened then, taking a step forward. "I want to hear it now.."

This caught the girl off guard for a moment before shaking her head in annoyance and throwing a huge explosion in his path. "Bullshit, don't say that to me! Where were you four months ago?! It's too late for damage control, what's done is done! You made your choice, and I made mine."

Blocking the attack, Todoroki replied. "I've always been here for you, and so has Bakugo. You just can't remember it right now. This isn't you Amari, you're strong even without those pills, you proved that already."

The girl only shook her head though. "You have got to be shitting me. The one that told me he wanted to forget me as soon as possible, that my birth was the worst day of his life, and that I'm too pathetic and weak to be a hero cares about me?! Oh cry me a river with that bullshit. Katsuki never cared, and I don't even know who you even are so obviously you don't either."

Just then they heard loud screams echo outside as the girl smirked. "It seems like it's just begun. All for One gave me the power and I gave him the opportunity to destroy the fragile little hero society. Seems like a fair trade."

She seemed to be enjoying herself but Todoroki and Bakugo could only look at the girl with horror. How could such a small change affect the world this much? It was like Amari wasn't the same person anymore, like she was a cruel and twisted version of herself, and it was their fault. They weren't there for her.

Another voice echoed through the space then, low and authoritative "What are you doing little one? You aren't getting cold feet, are you? That's not like my masterpiece."

Bakugo and Todoroki's blood ran cold, then turned to find All for One staring back at them. No, this couldn't happen. He was supposed to be in prison. What even was this messed up reality?!

Amari narrowed her eyes and the man before bowing once in submission. "Sorry master, I was just catching up with my old friends and classmates. I'll finish this soon enough."

The villain seemed pleased at that. "Very well, just don't take too long. We have plans after all."

Nodding her head, Bakugo balled his fists to his sides, now crying out to his sister desperately. "Fuck Amari, what happened to you?! You aren't the sister I know, my sister isn't such a goddamn coward, she wouldn't let anyone tell her what to do!"

Amari turned her head at that before taking a threatening step forward. "How hypocritical. I think you've forgotten that you've tried to tell me what to do my entire life Katsuki! You didn't even want to see my face, well too bad for you but I'm going to be the last face you ever see!"

Shaking his head though, Katsuki didn't believe her. "Cut it out with that crap, you are not a killer or a villain so just drop it already! You don't have the balls to actually go through with it, I know you! Somewhere deep down, you still care!"

Todoroki joined in suit as well, calling out to her roughly. "Bakugo is right, you won't hurt us. Your heart is one of a hero, please just turn off your quirk and we can talk about this…"

Amari's eyes fell then, looking down at her hands for a couple seconds before taking a step closer to Katsuki as he opened his arms waiting to embrace her. She could talk all she wanted but his sister was not a murderer. She wouldn't do it.

Although that's when she lifted her hand up, throwing a gold spike straight into his chest, a couple inches from his heart while looking down on him in absolute disgust. "That just goes to show how little you've known me Katsuki."

Bakugo gasped out in pain as Todoroki ran forward, dodging one of the explosions to reach the boy whose blood was pooling faster by the second. "Bakugo!"

The boy flopped to the floor, breathing heavily as Todoroki grew serious, blocking Amari's attacks with his own sheet of ice. Then he realizes, this wasn't the Amari he loved, this was someone else entirely. "Enough is enough."

Growling under her breath, the girl covered herself with gold matter and raised her fist in a punch only for Todoroki to dodge underneath and freeze her feet, upsetting the girl. "Stay still damn it! How is it you know my moves?!"

Of course Todoroki had the answer right away. "I know far more than just that Amari. I know everything about you, and I won't let you destroy yourself like this, even if you don't remember who we are, even if you kill me in the process, I won't let you become a villain!"

Thawing her feet during his speech, Amari only scoffed back. "Bullshit, you don't know anything about me! You pushed me away like everybody else! Don't think you're so special Todoroki!"

They raced towards each other then as they pushed against their body's in a feat of strength, growling back in the process, Although the boy remained calm for some reason, now speaking from his heart. "You're wrong about that. I do know everything, like how you ramble when you're nervous, or push yourself to your breaking point just because you think you had to earn your last name. I know that you're scared of being alone and drink when you feel hopeless, I know that you don't actually want to die and long for someone to listen to your cries of help. You don't remember it but I do, I remember everything about you Amari, and I love every part of you, even the parts you don't. I love them for you. You may think no one is listening to you but I've been there every step of the way.."

Amari's grip loosened then as Todoroki pushed her down, the girl's eyes lined with tears as her voice shook slightly. "Y-You noticed all of that? Impossible. You're lying.."

Although the boy only responded by leaning down taking his hand in hers, the girl somehow not protesting. " Look at me Amari, somewhere deep down you know it's true."

She shook her head at that, not believing that boy but somehow wanting to, now placing a shaking hand over his, her tears cascading down her face. All this time, she just wanted someone to understand her, and somehow this strange boy had done just that. "W-Who even are you? Why can you see into my soul like this? I hate it.."

Todoroki only smiled sadly though. "I already told you. I'm a boy that loves you, no matter what you do, no matter what you may think of yourself. I'm here for you Amari, I always have and I always will be."

Stifling a sob, Amari placed a hand to her mouth before reaching her other hand to touch his face absentmindedly. She didn't know why her body was moving like this, but the girl didn't object.

Although that's when she saw a shadow approach behind the boy, causing Amari's eyes to widen, already moving on her own and pushing the boy out of the way. "Look out!"

Todoroki felt the boy being shoved away as a loud explosion was overheard and when the dust cleared, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Amari was laying on the floor where they once were, covered in blood and unmoving as burned marks filled her skin. Suddenly everything became painfully clear, she had just saved his life, even though she didn't know who he was. "AMARI.."

His voice sounded horse as All for One looked down at the girl disappointed. "Now little one, why did you do that? You've gone and injured yourself for no reason. What the pity.."

Her hand twitched on the ground then, the girl's eyes flopping open with a heavy moan of pain. Some of her bones were clearly broken and a large pool of blood began to pour around her. The odds of her surviving didn't seem good.

Todoroki raced up to her only to have the villain whoosh him away with his power. This wasn't good, she needed serious medical attention, she needed help.

The villain saw the sorry state of the girl before sighing. "If you die here, then you are of no use to me. Might as well put you down quickly then, how disappointing."

Amari's eyes widened in fear and the decision he was making. All for One was going to kill her, this was it. She failed at being a hero and now she failed at being a villain. There was no place for her. Well, at least that boy was safe. For some reason she felt better dying rather than him. Funny, right? She didn't even know him.

She saw the villain lift his arm and Amari squeezed her eyes tight, waiting for the pain as Todoroki screamed out to her in a single motion. Yeah, it was good that he lived instead of her.

Suddenly, a blurring figure zoomed past her and when she opened her eyes, Amari gasped at the sight before her,

Katsuki held his chest in pain as he stood in front of his sister, protecting her from the oncoming attack. "I said it once, and I will say it over and over again until you get it through your thick ass head. Don't fucking touch my sister!"

Groaning back, Amari managed to cough out a response. "K-Katsuki? What are you doing? Why are you here?"

Although her brother only smirked back. "Because saving my dumbass sister from herself is my job. Now, let me do my job, stupid..."

Amari twisted her brow in reply as Bakugo turned back to All for One in annoyance. "Listen asshole, my sister is not your masterpiece and she sure as hell isn't a villain. Amari is nothing but a hero! You better fucking understanding that!"

The girl felt tears rise to her eyes at his words, not knowing what brought him to say such things, but enjoying them anyways. All he ever told her was to get lost and that she would never amount to anything. Hearing him call her a hero, well it almost made her believe those words now.

All for One took in his speech with interest before raising his fists once again, this time with his aim on Bakugo. "I can see where you get your spunk little one, although it seems we will have to put him down after all."

Bakugo readied his fists, the warm heat pooling in his palms and ready to attack as Amari shut her eyes in terror, not really wanting her brother to die anymore and dreading the battle ahead of them. Katsuki had no chance of surviving.

Although luckily, just as he raised his fists up, another figure raced in front of them, blocking the attack from the kids and shielding them from the blow. "Young Bakugo, take her and go!"

Seeing All Might in front of them, Bakugo didn't waste another minute before picking his sister up in his arms and racing down the hallway before finding a quiet space. Then he laid her down only to see the thick amounts of blood on her body. Shit, this wasn't good.

Brushing a piece of hair from her hair, Katsuki muttered back as Amari's eyes dropped lazily down. Oh no this was not happening.. "Hey, it's okay now. I'm going to go get someone.."

He moved to leave when her weak hand grasped onto his shirt, coughing back roughly. "It's no use. It's over Katsuki. I'm a failure, just like you said."

Shaking his head roughly, the boy then saw Todoroki run up to them before kneeling down beside her. "Amari, oh god, there's so much blood. I'll go get help!"

Then before anyone could object, Todoroki went sprinting down the hallways, desperate to find anyone that could heal the girl. It was like that terrible USJ incident again. She was slipping away from him.

Grabbing onto her hand, Katsuki held his sister as she started to doze off, causing the boy to shake her roughly. "Amari, don't you fucking dare close your eyes! That bastard went to go get help, you just have to be stubborn like you always are and hang on. Don't do this to me.."

The girl let out a shaky breath before twisting her eyes in confusion, now whispering out her words. "Katsuki, why did you try to save me? I don't get it. You even called me your sister.."

Thinking about her words Bakugo then realized that Amari didn't know about his guilt, about the reasons he said all of those terrible things. To her, it still seemed like he was ashamed of her. He needed to make this right, just like before..

Letting out a shaky breath of his own, Katsuki felt tears start to pool down his face as he spoke in a cracked tone. "Amari, you idiot. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this before, I'm sorry I let it get so fucking bad but, I've always thought of you as my sister. Everything I said to you back then was a lie…"

Amari's face turned in confusion, not fully understanding his words as she voice choked on her words, now finding it harder to breathe. "Then you think I could be a hero?"

Nodding his head, Bakugo grabbed his sister's head before smiling sadly. "Hell yeah, in fact in another world, you are one. You defy everyone's expectations, even mine, and kick serious ass. You don't take anyone's shit and really show everyone what being a Bakugo is all about. You make me proud to call you my sister, stupid."

Hearing about all the wonderful things she would've been able to accomplish made her choke up inside, now feeling blood pool into her mouth as a seconds ticked by. If only she could've lived that life.

Amari coughed out a spit of blood, much to Bakugo's terror as she answered back broken and raspy. "I know it's impossible to have that dream now, but hearing you say all that, it makes me really happy.."

Then she reached up and touched her bloody hand to her brother's cheek weakly as the tears and black spots clouded her vision. "I'm glad I was your sister Katsuki, even if I didn't deserve it.."

Feeling his hands shake, Katsuki placed his hand on hers before choking back a response. "And I'm glad I am your brother, even though I'm a dumbass most of the time."

Amari smiled weakly then before her eyes lulled shut, her lifeless hand now flopping down onto the ground in a light tap. No, no this couldn't be. This couldn't be happening.

Bakugo's breathing hitched in his throat as he silently gathered his sister in his arms before letting out a strangling sob. It couldn't be, she couldn't just be gone like that. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to do but now, he wasn't a twin anymore.

He paused when Katsuki heard a light gasp from behind him and turned to find Todoroki, tears in his eyes as he approached the girl carefully. "No...no it can't be.."

Falling to his knees, Todoroki wiped a piece of hair from Amari's face before the tears pooled into his cheeks, and glanced at Bakugo. "Bakugo, I can't take this anymore. She didn't even know how much we cared, how much she was loved.."

Katsuki's eyes fell then, tightening his hold on his sister before screaming up towards the sky and no one in particular. "Alright, I'm fucking done! I can't take it anymore! Get me out of this fucking nightmare right now!"

Just as he said that though, Todoroki and Bakugo eyes felt suddenly heavier, the black spots pooling their vision as the two fell to the ground unconscious yet again.

* * *

Groaning back, Bakugo heard the faraway sounds of someone yelling along with various sirens and bright lights now clouding his vision. As he stirred, someone else called back roughly. "One of the civilians is waking up!"

At his words, Katsuki then bolted up, feeling a strong sense of dizziness overtake him and almost causing the boy to fall backwards. Lucky that unknown man was there again to steady his body. "Whoa there, not too fast. Can you hear me boy?"

Blinking a few times, Bakugo refocused his eyes only to find himself on a stretcher right next to a large ambulance truck for some reason. What happened?

Although he got his answer when the chief of police appeared then, smiling at the boy all at once. "I'm so happy you're alright Bakugo Katsuki. You got caught up in a villain attack. Do you remember anything that happened?"

Placing a hand to his head, suddenly all of the past events became clear to him, now bolting out of bed and searching around desperately. "Where is she, is she alright?!"

Of course the boy was acting vague which confused the police. "Calm down boy, you shouldn't move so quickly. Who are you looking for?"

But just as soon as they said that, Bakugo heard her voice carry through the space. That's all he needed to race towards her, now seeing the girl in question behind a wall of barricades and arguing with a cop. "Listen, I have to see if he's okay! My brother and my boyfriend are in there!"

Just then, they locked eyes with each other as Bakugo raced forward and roughly wrapped his arms around his sister all at once. She was here, she was alive, Thank god. "Amari..!"

Jumping a bit in surprise, the girl accepted the hug now noticing a slight shake to his body. "Katsuki, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Although her brother only nodded in her hair, tightening his embrace and not wanting to talk about the nightmares. "I'm just glad to see you idiot."

The niceness in his tone was odd but Amari let it go, wondering what had exactly happened with that villain. It seemed serious. Katsuki wasn't one to be scared easily so it seemed like this was really rough for him.

Just then, another voice echoed through the space and the girl pulled away only to find Todoroki running up to her well, now also equally spooked. "Amari, thank god.."

He pulled her in an embrace as well as the boy let out a shaky breath before touching her face to make sure she was real. Yes, this was his Amari. "You're alive.."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the girl replied back. "Okay, what is up with you two? You look like you guys saw a ghost or something."

Bakugo and Todoroki shared a look with each other before shaking their heads and coming to an understanding, Todoroki speaking first. "Don't worry about it, that villain was just very intense."

Nodding her head in understanding, Amari then ruffled both the boys' hair playfully. "Oh yeah, well I bet you kicked their ass anyways, right? I'm kind of sad I couldn't be there though, even though I'm not really much right now. But just you wait, soon I'll be having all the villains fear my name! I just gotta practice a bit more first…"

She smiled goofily which made their hearts leap, happy to see this Amari in their lives again, Todoroki now pointing towards the left hand side. "I don't doubt it, although it seems like we might still be able to make the exhibit if we hurry. Are you still interested?"

Amari thought about his words for a moment before nodding her head. "Of course. Are you sure you don't wanna come Katsuki?"

In any other instance, hanging out with his sister's boyfriend at a lame butterfly garden seemed terrible, but after the events he just witnessed, the boy had a change of heart. "Ah hell with it. Fine, but you better hurry your ass up before I leave you, also afterwards, I'm going to make the best damn meal you two extras have ever seen!"

In his words, Todoroki raised an eye. "What do you mean two?"

Although Katsuki just huffed, already walking away from them with his hands in his pockets. "Listen icy hot, if you don't want to come then forget it. I just wanted to show you how the future number one hero does things, alright?"

Todoroki and Amari looked between each other before trying to believe what Katsuki was saying. Was he actually inviting Todoroki to eat dinner with them? She didn't know why but that seemed like a big step for him.

Because of that, Amari couldn't help but smile back, happy that her brother was finally accepting Todoroki as someone dear to her. She knew it couldn't be easy.

But as she was smiling, Todoroki and Bakugo shared a look before they both realized that they needed to be there for Amari, no matter what happened in the future.

They refused to let that terrible reality ever come to pass, if it was the last thing they did.

* * *

Hello, sooooo how we doing? Are we sad? Because I am too.

Oof I got this idea a couple weeks ago to see what would happen if Todoroki was never there for her and if he just said no to going out with her that one time in S1 C3..as you can see, it would've been a shit show. The sad truth is Amari probably wouldn't have died like that if no one told Bakugo that she was suffering.

Next Chapter: Now we are getting into the anime

(Sorry about the side story but I hope you still liked reading it. I really loved writing it!)


	52. S4 Chapter 2

Amari walked with her duffle bag around her waist, now seeing Todoroki's house in the distance, just as massive and intimidating as all the times before. Just looking at the top of the corner made a sharp shiver go down her spine. She didn't think she'd ever get used to this place.

Taking in a breath of courage, she started to rethink her idea. Maybe going to his house to ask him on a date was too forward, maybe she should have just called him. Although the girl couldn't help but want to see the boy after a long amount of time away from each other.

Her training with Endeavor was helpful, but ended up taking most of her available time which meant she saw Todoroki less and less. Amari decided that she wanted to fix that, opting to ask him out in person today.

After speaking with security, the large gates opened and allowed her to step inside. Being Endeavors trainee had some perks after all. Now she just had to find Todoroki.

Walking down the long garden, Amari approached a large door, only for it to be opened immediately as an older woman bowed. "Good afternoon, how may I be of assistance?"

Her formal speak made the girl falter, trying her best to match it. "Oh uh, I was wondering if I could talk to Shoto?"

The woman eyed her with disdain before turning around and entering the building smoothly. "Master Shoto has not yet returned but you are welcome to wait for him in the foyer. I'll show you the way Miss."

Nodding slowly, Amari followed the woman a couple steps behind, already feeling way more intimidated than before. Maybe this was a bad idea after all, she really didn't fit in here.

That's when they heard another voice stop the woman in her tracks, his voice curious and smooth. "Oh, we have a guest?"

Blinking in surprise, Amari immediately bowed her head, now looking at the strangers shoes. They looked to be some athletic kind. "Yes, sorry for disrupting. I was just looking for Shoto.."

That's when the stranger laughed, replying back playfully. "You said that last time as well. I'm beginning to think that running after Shoto is a hobby of yours."

Turning her brow in confusion, Amari then lifted her head only to lock eyes with a very familiar face. It was that guy that helped her during Todoroki's marriage interview. "It's you.."

Smirking back, he answered. "Yep, it's me. Todoroki Natsuo at your service."

Amari's eyes widened at the name. This man was a Todoroki? Wait but that meant.. "Did you just say Todoroki?"

Natsuo only nodded back though. "Yeah, I'm Shoto's big brother. I got called back from college because my little brother was having a marriage interview, but it seems things didn't really go as planned, did it Bakugo?"

At the mention of the marriage interview, Amari looked guilty, already muttering an apology. "I'm sorry I made you leave for nothing. I just.."

Although Todoroki's brother only shook his head, laughing slightly in return. "Are you kidding? You made that dull party something to remember. I mean I heard you were headstrong from Fuyumi but to think you raced in there without a second thought? Shoto really picked someone interesting."

Amari's face couldn't help but light up at that. "Uh yeah I guess being reckless and stubborn is a flaw of mine. It's a blessing and curse sometimes."

That's when Natsuo's face darkened for a moment, muttering back. "With this family, you'll need that."

Narrowing her brow in confusion, she then heard a loud booming voice echo through the space, Amari immediately recognizing who it was, Endeavor. Of course that made sense though, this was his house.

Opening her mouth to speak, Amari suddenly felt herself being shoved towards the door, Natsuo seemingly nervous now. "Bakugo, you need to leave, now."

Calling back in confusion, the girl replied. "Why?"

Although the boy gave no mercy pushing her towards the door. "Trust me, it's safer for you if you leave. Just hurry..!"

That when Endeavor's voice stopped them, calling out in authority. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here now Bakugo?"

Throwing the boys arms off of her, she moved to speak when Natsuo moved in front of her, now protecting her from the man for some reason. "Father, leave her be. She was just.."

Yet Amari didn't understand the need for the tension, stepping away in question. "I was going to ask Shoto out on a date since I've been caught up with training recently. You know since we haven't really seen each other and everything.."

Endeavor looked down on the girl for a moment before huffing back. "Don't forget about our session tomorrow. If you are even one minute late I will reserve the right to cancel the appointment."

Amari only frowned at that though, nodding in response. "Alright alright, I get it. I swear, would it kill you not to act like a jerk for once?"

The man only looked away at that. "I am harsh because it instills a work ethic and sense of urgency to the training."

Although the girl didn't buy that one bit, only laughing back. "Whatever you keep telling yourself. Don't worry, I'll be there Endeavor."

He seemed pleased with this and Amari turned her head only to find Natsuo staring at her in absolute shock. He had never seen anyone speak to his father in that type of tone, well besides his own family. It was almost like they knew each other already. This girl wasn't frightened at all?

Then she looked down at her watch only to sigh. "Maybe I should come back on a different day. What am I going to do while I wait for him to come back?"

That's when Todoroki's brother got an idea, a small smirk snaking into his cheeks. "Why don't you go out with me?"

Staring at him in confusion, she suddenly felt her hands intertwine with his as Natsuo turned to his father. "I've decided, I'm bringing Bakugo as my escort tonight!"

Endeavor took one look at the girl before waving them off and leaving, not really caring about his son's plans. "Do whatever you'd like."

Widening her eyes, she suddenly felt herself being pulled out of the door as Natsuo ran out of the house, a knowing smirk on his face. "Come on, let's go!"

Not really understanding, Amari began to protest. "Wait, hold on! What are you talking about? I'm supposed to meet Shoto today.."

That's when Natsuo stopped before showing her his hand locked with hers. "Oh no, my brother can wait. Today, I'm kidnapping you, little Bakugo."

* * *

They walked down the street quietly, Natsuo dragging the girl until he heard her hard huffs of breath behind him, turning around for a moment to see her basically dying. "Bakugo, what's wrong?"

Although Amari waved her hand away, willing the words to come to her lips. "Sorry...running...still not great….working on...stamina."

Natsuo eyed her with concern and leaned over as she calmed her breaths. Was this girl sick or something? He couldn't help recall unpleasant memories because of it though. She was kind of like him. "Oh sorry, I didn't know you couldn't run like that. We can slow down."

After a couple minutes, Amari's breath returned to normal and they continued walking as she questioned. "Hey, so why did you kidnap me again?"

Todoroki's brother stopped then, letting go of her hand for the first time and looking rather sad. "Back there, why weren't you afraid of my father? Do you not know what happened?"

Amari looked down at his words, knowing exactly what he meant and putting the pieces together. Was that why he was trying to get her to leave before? He didn't want her to meet Endeavor. "Shoto told me during the sports festival."

Balling his hands into fists, Natsuo replied. "And you're still here? That's surprising.."

The girl looked at his sad eyes before taking a step forward. "I know he did some unforgivable things and don't get me wrong, he's still an asshole, but I can't help but be grateful to him in a way."

This got the boy confused. "Why?"

That's when Amari gazed at her palms, her eyes dropping slightly. "He believes that I can be a hero and agreed to personally train me because of that. Just because I don't like him as a father, doesn't mean I can't respect him as a hero."

Natsuo took in her words as a look of disbelief crossed his face. His father training someone, and on top of that, someone as weak as her? No, it couldn't be. Anyone outside of his family was a failure to him, even his own children. "He's training you?"

Nodding her head, Amari replied. "I don't know why either, but I can't give up this chance, and I think we have an understanding between each other now at least. Now we can at least tolerate each other."

Amari chuckled at the idea only for Natsuo's face to curve up into a small smile. "Dang Bakugo, I was going to warn you about our family but it seems like you've been carrying your own against my old man. That's pretty impressive."

One word stuck in the girl's mind at his words though. "Wait, why would you want to warn me?"

The boy's face fell then before grabbing onto her hand once more and pulling the poor girl to a small shop in the corner. "First let's get you ready."

Turning her brow in confusion, Amari replied. "Ready for what?"

Although Natsuo didn't give her an answer, as he just dragged the poor girl into the store, now being greeted by shelves upon shelves of fancy looking dresses.

They stopped when a couple workers bowed to them smoothly. "Good afternoon. How may we help you today?"

Just then, Amari felt herself getting pushed forward as Natsuo spoke. "Prepare something that suits her."

Not really understanding, the girl went to open her mouth as the women just nodded and began pushing Amari towards the dressing room forcibly, now being very dead set on changing her. "Right this way Miss."

Shouting back, Amari frowned. "Todoroki, what the hell?!"

But the boy only smiled as she was pushed into the other room. "Call me Natsuo. Anyone special to my little Shoto is special to me."

Amari found herself now standing in front of about a hundred or so fancy dresses. What was this guy's deal? The fact that Shoto was raised separately was evident now, given the rest of his family had an over the top personality.

Well, she supposed she should give the boy what he wanted, and began to take the first dress of the rack, all while calling back to the boy. "Why are you doing all of this?"

She heard his voice over the stall reply. "I wanted to see just what kind of girl my little brother had chosen. Shoto has never been interested in the idea of dating so when Fuyumi told me about you, well I knew I had to see for myself what you were like."

Placing the dress over her head, Amari frowned. "He's never talked about dating before?"

Natsuo shook his head though, hearing his voice sadden. "Father made sure that there were more pressing matters on his mind, like beating his rival. Because of that Shoto never got to experience the same things we did. That's why I worry about him, and why I'm thankful to you Bakugo."

Amari paused then, feeling a pit of sadness in her stomach. Todoroki's childhood really was rough. That wasn't something she could fix so easily. "There is no need to be thankful to me, I haven't done much. I just don't want him to experience any more sadness."

Although Todoroki's brother only smiled. "You're wrong Bakugo, I saw the way you both acted during that marriage interview. I don't think I've ever seen my little brother have that much passion in his eyes before, and the only reason he looked like that was because he was gazing at you."

The girl felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment, recalling the words they exchanged during the marriage interview. She had never imagined that she could erase his scars but hearing Natsuo now, maybe she had brought a little life into his eyes after all. She was thankful for that.

The room was silent for a moment before Amari's mind stuck on a new topic, starting to zip up the dress slowly. "Natsuo, what did you mean when you said you wanted to warn me about your family?"

Silence continued for a couple moments before she heard his voice just barely. "Since you know about what happened in the past, I don't think I have to explain much. It's just, a dark cloud has been over our family for years and I didn't want you to get hurt because of it. Bakugo, I know you love my brother but if you decide to stay with him, who knows what you could encounter.."

Amari looked down at the floor then, already knowing what her next words were going to be. "You know Natsuo, I've had my own hardships in life as well and time and time again, I wished for someone to be with me through those moments. That's when I met Shoto. He helped me find myself again, and I already promised that I would do the same, so no matter what happens, I'm never going to abandon him."

Taking in her words, Natsuo couldn't help but be amazed. "You've got guts Bakugo, I admire that. I'm happy to know that my brother is in such loving hands now. He deserves to be happy again, after everything that happened."

Picking out his words, Amari called back softly. "Like with Toya?"

This caused Natsuo's face to drop, the name bringing a soft shiver to his spine. "H-How do you know about that?"

Just then, the door opened to reveal Amari in a short deep red party dress. It ruffled at the bottom and had an assortment of small red roses stuck to the bodice. The boy's face couldn't help but smile at her. The color, it suited her. "Looking good."

The girl moved up to the large mirror before smoothing the dress down once. She looked so fancy, it was kind of strange. "It feels weird."

Natsuo's hands landed on her shoulders then, smiling proudly. "You'll get used to it. If you want to date my brother then you have to step into his world a bit. I think it suits you."

Staring back towards the mirror, Amari placed one hand on the surface before sighing. She wasn't rich by any means so wearing such an expensive dress felt off to her. Was this really how Todoroki lived?

Then she got back to the topic at hand, knowing that the boy was trying to change the subject. "Natsuo, please tell me what happened to Toya."

His hands fell from her shoulders then, taking in a shaky breath before replying. "I suppose it only makes sense, now that you know every other family secret.."

A small silence appeared then before he continued. "Toya was the oldest in the family, right next to me so I knew him probably the best. We were really close back then.."

Nodding her head, Amari asked. "What happened?"

Natsuo chose to stare at the ground then. "When we were kids, he had a weak constitution like our mother so father deemed him a failure and rejected him like the rest of us. Toya took it the hardest out of all of us though, wanting nothing more than to earn his approval, but his quirk was just too weak."

Amari felt a small lump of pain in her throat then, knowing that this story sounded very similar to her own, except in Toya's case, he wanted his father's attention. She knew how hard that was. Maybe that was why Endeavor had a soft spot for her now, because she reminded him of his son.

Balling his hands into a fist, Todoroki's brother willed the tears from his eyes. "The realization was too much for him, so he committed suicide. He used his quirk to start a fire and made it so they couldn't find his body until it was too late. Our father drove him to that point, and I will never forgive him for that."

The dark air around them weighted down on the two as Amari felt tears well up in her own eyes from the story. She could understand Toya's pain better than anyone. "I'm sorry.."

Shaking his head, Natsuo frowned. "That's why I left as soon as I could. I just couldn't stand being in that house knowing what that monster did. Toya didn't deserve that, all he wanted was love."

The tears poured down his face as Amari rubbed his back with her left hand. She hated to think what would've become of her if Todoroki hadn't saved her. "I'm sure he tried as hard as he could."

Nodding his head back, Amari then looked at the ground for a moment before muttering softly. "What if, you could see him again? Would you take the chance?"

That's when the boy lifted his head up, wiping his eyes roughly. "Bakugo, you know that's impossible. But if I could, I would take that chance in a heartbeat."

Amari gave an unreadable expression then before smiling back. "I wouldn't say impossible."

He turned his head in confusion when suddenly the boy's phone rang in his pocket, pulling an object out for a moment before shoving back and not answering it. "Sorry about that. Let's move onto something happier. We better get going or we are going to be late."

Dropping the conversation, Amari turned her head in confusion. "Late for what?"

Although Natsuo only smirked, snapping his fingers as a couple women crowded around him. "Ladies, please give her something elegant."

Then almost immediately, the woman pulled Amari away, much to her protest as they aggressively started combing her hair and breaking out heaps of makeup.

* * *

A couple hours later, Amari found herself completely dolled up, complete with a neat bun to showcase long gold earrings and a matching gold necklace to finish off the look. She still didn't understand what was even happening as Natsuo let her to a large estate and the corner of town. "Natsuo, now are you going to tell me what's going on here?"

Although he only shook his head, fixing his black jacket instead. "You'll see. Now come on my escort, we don't want to keep everyone waiting."

Then he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her inside the estate, now seeing hundreds of well dressed men and women around her. Was this some kind of party or something?

They all eyed her as they went until Amari found herself in the middle of a lavious garden party, with many more guests making small talk and giggling around the area. Why in the hell was she even here?

He then ushered her down the steps with him as they made their way into the corner only to find a very familiar head of red and white striped hair in front of them. He looked to be talking to some other guests with his back turned. To be completely honest, he kinda looked bored and miserable.

Natauo only smiled though, reaching up and tapping the boy on his shoulder, now excited to see his reaction. "Shoto, I have a surprise for you."

The boy only sighed though, turning around only for his eyes to widen in confusion and shock. "Amari, what are you doing here?"

Throwing an arm around her shoulder though, Natsuo answered for her. "She's my escort tonight. You told me you didn't want to go to this dull party so I brought some excitement. I bet you're happy you came now, huh."

Although Todoroki only seemed concerned, turning to the girl in question. "You agreed to be his escort?"

Amari only smiled nervously though, answering back true fully. "Uhh not really. He kind of just kidnapped me and didn't tell me what was going on, although I'm happy to see you. I hope I'm not bothering anything."

The boy's eyes dropped to ones of annoyance, as turned back to his brother with a glare. "You forced her to come?"

Sensing his unhappy tone, Natsuo threw his hands up. "Whoa, calm down little brother. I did this for you. She was waiting for you anyways so I thought I might as well make it easier."

Sighing in exasperation, knowing that Amari got caught up in his brother's game, Todoroki turned back to the girl before giving an apologetic look. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Natsuo tends to enjoy messing with others."

The girl only smiled though, causing Natsuo to point at her outfit. "Hey, I had good intentions. I mean, did you even notice how pretty she looks?"

Todoroki's eyes deepened before replying low and smoothly. "Oh believe me, I noticed."

Amari's face lit up then, a red hue occupying her cheeks. How could he be so smooth like that all the time? Her heart couldn't take it. "Oh..uh thank you."

Noticing the interaction, Natsuo decided to pick on his brother further, now taking Amari's hand in his. "Well, since you don't want her to be here then I'll just have to show her a fun time instead. Come on Bakugo, let's dance.."

He began to pull her away only in time to see his brother's annoyed expression. Natsuo had to admit, seeing his little brother's jealous face was too fun, now ignoring Amari's protest. "Wait, hold on.."

But of course the boy didn't listen, already dragging her to the dance floor.

Todoroki was about to take a step forward when a small voice stopped him in his tracks, now turning to see a young brown haired girl before. "Umm excuse me Todoroki. Would you like to dance with me?"

He eyed the unknown woman for a moment before deciding his answer immediately. "I apologize, but I will only dance with one woman, and she's right there."

Todoroki then locked eyes with Amari as she flushed at his words, now seeing him approach the two quickly before slapping his brother's hand off of her. "Now, if you would excuse me.."

Locking his hand with hers, the boy then led Bakugo's sister away from his brother and to the dance floor, his eyes sad. "I'm sorry again for getting you involved with all this."

Although Amari couldn't help but smile, shaking her head. "I'm actually kind of glad your brother brought me here. It's like, I can see into your world a little bit. It seems I know nothing about this side of you yet."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes then, looking around at the lavish party with disdain. "It's not a side you need to know about. All of these people are only here because of a family name, nothing else matters to them. They all have such a shallow way of thinking."

The girl looked around at the eyes staring at them before shaking her hand and squeezing his hand in response. "If it's part of your world, then I want to know about it. Even the ugly parts, I want to see them for myself."

He couldn't help but feel his chest flutter at her words, never had he met someone that wanted to see the darkness in his family so openly like her. It made him want to treasure her. "Very well.."

Then he led her towards the dance floor only for Amari to panic. "Wait, we are actually dancing? Oh no Shoto I can't dance. I haven't been trained like you have and I'll probably make a huge laughing stock out of you, plus let's not even mention our height difference.."

Although Todoroki only put a finger up her lips, silencing her ramblings. "It's alright, just lean on me. I won't let you fall. Now, take off your shoes.."

Amari still wasn't sure about this but the look in his eyes made her want to agree, now moving to the floor as eyes glued onto her. Maybe this was a bad idea. "Okay, so how do we do this? I'm telling you, it's not going to work, I'm too short."

Although just as she said that, Todoroki's hands wrapped around her waist, hosting the girl up so that they were eye level before placing her feet on top of his shoes, giving her almost enough height to reach his face.

Then he placed one hand on her back before starting to move to the music, the girl's body following his lead as they were now attached. Wasn't this how children were supposed to dance with their parents? Although she couldn't help but like the feeling of being close to him.

Moving in time, Todoroki's steady hand grasped her back the entire time so that she wouldn't fall as many onlookers whispered about their interaction. Although, all Amari could think about was him in this moment.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Todoroki couldn't help but smile under his breath as well, thinking that she looked really beautiful in this moment. He must have done something right to be able to have someone as amazing as her in his life.

Natsuo watched his brother's smile and felt a sense of joy in his chest at that motion. He had only seen Shoto smile a couple times before, but never like this. That proved it, this girl was really saving him, she just didn't know it.

The song stopped softly afterward and Amari stepped off his shoes before putting her own back on. "Thanks Shoto, although I'm sure that wasn't the right way to dance. Sorry I'm so short that you had to do that.."

Although Todoroki only shook his head, helping her up from the floor after she finished buckling her shoes. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

He then leaned forward to kiss her hand as Amari blushed, now turning away from the boy. "You can't do that to me. You can't be all smooth like that Shoto. It's not fair."

Yet the boy only smiled as Natsuo suddenly grasped onto Amari's shoulders roughly, almost knocking the poor girl over. "See, isn't it good that I brought her? You can thank me anytime brother.."

Although Todoroki only shook his head, proving he wasn't going to get a thank you after all. "I really wish you wouldn't bring Amari into your schemes."

Natsuo fake gasped then, bringing the girl closer to him all at once. "Now that's just rude, you know it's good for her to get used to these things. You know, considering.."

That's when Todoroki's brother whispered something in Amari's ear caused the girl to grow extremely red and smack his hand away. Although Natsuo could only smirk at her reaction. "Alright well, I should get going. Have fun you crazy kids!"

Then before Amari could yell at him, the boy was gone, causing her to sigh in exasperation. That was until Todoroki spoke, now concerned. "What did my brother say to you?"

Jumping five feet in the air, Amari gasped before shaking her head absent mindedly, the red hue still on her face. "Oh! It was nothing. He was just joking around. Trust me, it's nothing to worry about."

Todoroki raised an eye at this, not believing her but also not wanting to pry. It didn't seem like a bad thing so he left it alone. "Alright then, we should be heading back also. I'll take you home."

The girl nodded her head and followed the boy out only for Natsuo's words to tickle her ears and make her blush secretly._ You know, considering you're going to be Todoroki as well someday. _

* * *

Amari walked into the Tartus prison silently before being escorted into a large glass room with a small chair in the center, although no one was on the other side. Seems he wasn't here yet.

Taking a step towards the chair and sitting, the door suddenly opened as a very familiar voice echoed through the walls. "When they told me I had a visitor, I had no idea it was going to be you."

The guards pushed the villain into the room before locking it behind them, Dabi now getting a good look at the girl who betrayed him. "So what, do you want to brag or something?"

Amari looked down at the floor then before speaking. "I'm sorry things played out the way they did. I hope you're doing well."

The man couldn't help but smirk at that. "Here I thought you finally understood but you were just being a puppet for Endeavor the entire time. Why do you ask if I'm doing well, when you are the one that put me in here in the first place."

He seemed angry, which she realized was justified. " I know you were trying to help but I'm just not a villain and I know for a fact that this isn't all you are either."

Raising a brow in question, Dabi replied. "What are you trying to say?"

That's when Amari reached into her bag before pulling out an old scrapbook. "I'm going to bring you home."

Dabi thought about her words for a moment before letting out a large fit of laughter. "And how are you going to do that sweetheart? New flash, I don't have a home."

The girl only frowned though. "Yes you do, quit trying to write them out of your lives. If anyone can understand it's me. You knew that our stories were similar, right? That's why you asked me to join you. Well now, I'm asking you to join me."

Rolling his eyes back, the villain hissed. "You're delusional"

Although Amari shook her head, standing up to place a hand on the glass. I'm not though, and you know it! I know being a villain isn't all you are. Back when I was kidnapped, you only tried to help me. Everyone else wanted to torture and kill me but you, you wanted to help me Dabi. That's not what a villain does!"

The villain stared at her for a couple more seconds before shaking his head. "You think everything fits in that perfect world of yours sweetheart but that isn't the case. Having faith like that is just going to get you killed. In fact, if I was free right now, I would kill you just to make that point."

His words sounded cruel, but Amari didn't back down. "Then why didn't you? You had the chance so many times, but you never hurt me. I see right through you Dabi, and you are not only a villain, there is something else inside you."

Dabi eyed the girl with disdain for a couple moments before asking darkly. "Why do you want to help me now anyways? I hate to break it to you sweetheart but you're the one that put me in this prison in the first place."

That's when Amari placed a hand on the glass before locked eyes with the man she knew all too well, a sense of passion in her voice. "That's because I'm not helping Dabi the villain.."

Then she narrowed her eyes before finishing her sentence and slapping his childhood photo onto the glass. "I'm helping Todoroki Toya."

* * *

Okay okay okay so confirmed that Dabi is Toya Todoroki in my fic. Some of you guessed it but that's the secret that Dabi told her in the alley. The one that made her go with him for a bit. Amari's really out here trying to mend back together the Todoroki family, one member at a time.

Also Natsuo towards ships Todoroki X Amari, I approve. He's making the ship sail strong. I really like this chapter cause it goes into the world Amari will have to step into if she stays with Shoto.


	53. S4 Chapter 3

All Might walked into the prison quietly, with only one goal on his mind. He didn't know why but since his last battle, the man could only think about the future of heros itself, knowing he couldn't help the world anymore. He knew this, but that didn't mean the man couldn't find out the villains future plans. All Might needed to make sure the world was safe.

He waited for a moment before walking into a large empty room, separated by a thick sheet of glass. On the other side stood All for One, strapped down and restrained all by himself. It seems the security took extreme measures although that made sense, he was the worst of the worst after all.

Sitting in the chair next to him, All Might took in a breath before speaking. "I've come to make things clear. Where is Shigaraki Tomura?"

All for One listened to his words and couldn't help but give out a small chuckle. "I have no idea, unlike your successor, mine has left the nest. You care about the boy, don't you? Does it bother you that he has your mentor's blood?"

As much as All Might wanted to deny it, he knew he couldn't. The day he found out that Shigaraki was related to his teacher was a heartbreaking day, one he couldn't forget. "What do you plan to do, what is your ultimate goal here? You prolonged your body an unnatural amount for what, to lie and manipulate those around you? No, there has to be something…"

Although once again, the man was only amused. "Unfortunately there will always be those that never will understand each other. You wished to be a hero like I did a villain. It's as simple as that."

Letting his hands form into a ball, All Might shook his head, frustration on his brow. This man was just pure evil, there was no light in him at all. That's when he wondered something else. "What was your plan for Young Bakugo? All this time, you've been giving her all this dangerous power, why? I thought you said Shigaraki was your successor? Then why would you put so much work into her?"

All for one remained silent for a moment before smirking under his breath, pleased to talk about his creation. "You are mistaken All Might. The girl was just a project of mine, something I made to help Shigaraki in his efforts, the ultimate weapon to use against the heros. I have molded her well over the years I must say.."

Frowning back, All Might replied. "Unfortunately for you, Young Bakugo has instead chosen to become a hero, so it seems your plan has fallen through."

This made him laugh, a low and mocking tone etched in his tone. "Oh yes, I've heard about the little ones efforts through the grapevine, although it's no use. That girl can try all she wants, she can play hero for the time being but Bakugo will always be my creation in the end. Although it's fun to watch so I'll humor her for a bit before she returns to my side."

Twisting his brow in confusion, All Might didn't understand his words. It was clear that Amari's heart was always one of a hero, he'd seen it. What kind of confidence did this man have to believe such bold words? "What are you saying?"

All for One narrowed his stance then, smirking under his breath. "I'm saying that my masterpiece will only ever be what I designed her to be, an unstoppable hero destroying weapon. You may think that she has overcome her battles but that's only because there has always been a band-aid on the darkest parts of her mind. Very soon, that band-aid will be ripped off and then she'll realize how foolish she's been."

His threat seemed ominous, like there was a weight to his words. What was he even talking about, what kind of band-aid could this villain mean? "I don't understand.."

The villain nodded back evenly. "Of course you don't, but you will in time, as will she. So, I will stay here for the time being while she realizes it."

Standing up from his chair, All Might slapped a hand on the glass. "You're not going anywhere, I promise I will keep Young Bakugo safe from you."

Yet All for One didn't seem intimidated at all, welcoming the challenge. "I'll let you think that for now."

Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere, All Might then turned to leave as the villains old echoed in his ear, a chilling premonition coming with it. "Also, I would watch out if I were you. Because I am here, that means that others will try to use my masterpiece. She is the rarest creation after all, someone may think they can take her away from me."

* * *

Amari stretched out her arms before heading down the steps into the dorms common room with her duffle bag at her side. The students were bustling more than normal as today was the day of their provisional hero license exams, which allowed them to legally fight villains after passing. Needless to say, everyone was quite restless.

Entering the space, she heard Deku's voice first, carrying across to her. "Good morning Amari-chan!"

The girl smiled back, meeting the boy halfway. "Good morning Midoryia. Are you ready for your exam? I already know you're going to do great."

Deku blushed back before shaking his head absentmindedly. "Oh, uhh thanks! To be completely honest, I'm a little nervous. I mean, becoming a hero was my dream, and if I pass this test then that means I'll be one step closer, you know?"

He beamed with excitement, only to catch Amari's sad eyes. Then it hit him. Oh no, had he offended her just now. I'm sorry! I didn't even think about how you must be feeling right now, and here I am gloating…"

Choosing to stare at the floor, he paused when he felt her hand on his hand, leaning down to smile back. "You don't have to act like that, I'm okay. Yeah it sucks I'm not in Class 1-A anymore and I can't take the license exam yet, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy about it."

As sad as it was, the facts were that Amari's quirk level was far behind the other students now that she was using her natural quirk. That meant that she wasn't ready for the provisional exam yet.

Deku pushed his hands out then, waving them actually in the air. "Oh, okay if you're sure. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything like I did last time. Sometimes my mouth just blurts things out."

Laughing back, Amari could very well relate. "Of course I'm sure. Just because I can't take the test now doesn't mean I can't be a hero. Next time around I'm going to explode the competition, quite literally if I do say so myself."

She giggled at her own joke, enjoying the pun as Deku just looked at her with pride. "You know Amari-chan, I really wish we grew up together, like I did with Kacchan."

Amari stopped then, looking away for a moment before nodding her head. "I agree. Maybe if I was there Katsuki wouldn't have terrorized you as much. Okay, well probably not, but I would've tried to stop him at least."

The boy just smiled at the made up memory. "Yeah.."

Seeing him so in thought, Amari frowned before pushing his head down playful to erase his mind. "Listen, I don't care what Katsuki has said in the past, you're great Midoryia. In fact, you're one of the best heroes I've seen so go out there and pass that provisional exam!"

At her words, Deku's eyes widened just slightly, knowing how big this meant for him. Kacchan used to always pick on him for being weak but his sister had so much belief in him. Now he knew he couldn't back down.

Feeling sloppy tears make their way to the surface, Deku cried back. "Thanks Amari-chan. I know you're going to be a great hero too!"

Not really knowing how to deal with this mess of a boy, Amari smiled nervously before patting his back in reassurance. She didn't think he would be that emotional. "Uhh thanks."

Deku nodded back as Amari caught her eyes on her brother descending the steps now, a frown plastered on his face. Although, it seemed normal for him.

Waving Deku away, the girl turned on her heels. "I'm going to go wish Katsuki luck also, see you later Midoryia."

Then before he could speak, she was gone from the crying boy, now making her way up to her brother smoothly. "Hey Katsuki, are you ready for today?"

Crossing his arms around his chest, he only huffed back. "Of course."

The shortness in his voice surprised her. That proved it, he was really serious today. If Amari knew anything, a quiet Katsuki was way more dangerous than a loud one. "Be careful, okay? I know you are my twin so dumbass tendencies run in the family but I worry..."

Bakugo only frowned back though, shaking his head at the idea. "Screw you, I'm going to wipe the floor with these nerds. There is no need to worry, I'm going to be on top when this is all over."

His sister just smiled under her breath then. "I'm sure. I would really hate to see the look on everyone's faces once they get a load of my brother, the great Bakugo Katsuki."

She was teasing him, and he knew it, now kicking his leg off the wall in annoyance before rubbing the top of her head. "You better get your ass in gear also if I want to beat me, even though it's impossible to try. Next time you better dominate the competition also so that we can have our fight, and I can win.."

His reassuring words brought a flutter in her chest, knowing that he was telling her to pass the exam next time. Now she couldn't let him down. "Let's not be too cocky Katsuki. I may be behind now but just you wait cause I'm going to give you a run for your money soon. Enjoy your lead now, brother."

A mix of annoyance and pride entered the boys throat then, smiling under his breath. "You wish nerd. Go ahead and try anyways though."

Pushing his shoulder back, Amari gave her brother a knowing look. "Oh, I will."

That's when her phone rang in her pocket and the girl cursed, taking it out and reading the caller ID. "Crap, it's Endeavor. I'm going to be late if I don't hurry. Good luck Katsuki, call me after, okay?"

He shrugged his shoulders in response, which was a yes in Bakugo speak before pushing her back forward towards the door. "Whatever, just get out of here and show that number one hero what a Bakugo can do."

Winking back, Amari nodded her head before heading out the doors and moving towards Endeavors agency, silently hoping that the exam would go well for him.

* * *

Blocking a punch from Endeavor, Amari wiped a beat of sweat from her brow as he spoke roughly. "Start at three precent today."

She nodded her head at the order before allowing the small strands of gold matter to swirl in her fingers at once. Taking a deep breath she then magnetized her quirk to glow a tiny inch brighter, the sweat started to accumulate because of it. She was only using three percent of her quirk out of a hundred and yet her body felt like it was going to fall apart.

Noticing her struggle he called back. "Hold it Bakugo."

She gritted her teeth before nodding and trying to ignore the pain, instead forcing on the gold swirling between her fingers individually. She missed this feeling.

Endeavor saw her breathing even slightly now knowing that she could control her quirk at this level. It was time to bring it up. "Good, now raise it just slightly to five precent. Watch yourself, control your breath. Your quirk is a part of you so let it come natural."

Feeling a small bit of doubt in the back of her head, Amari pushed it away before closing her eyes and following his instructions, her hands now burning a bit more.

The gold strands then began to glow even brighter as the amount between her palms grew as well. She felt proud of her accomplishment, but quickly felt the backlash of her body as it screamed in pain.

Gritting her teeth at the sensation, Endeavor spoke again. "Don't lose focus or you're dead. You don't want to die, do you?"

His worlds hammered in her chest and slapped her across the face. Of course she didn't want to die, she was finally happy. There was no way she was going to lose like this. Although somehow the words had a sense of familiarity to them. Why did it feel like she had heard them before?

Just as she said that, a small voice hissed into her ear, the voice familiar and cold. **_You don't want to give up, do you? Or else your brother will be so disappointed in you. _**

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari then opened her eyes to see who the stranger was only to find herself transported into another room.

Instead of the walls of the training arena, now she was in an all white room, echoing the sides of the wall as she breathed. What just happened?

Suddenly she felt herself being stung on her neck and touched the area only to find some sort of collar or necklace attached to her, the voice calling back just as cruel as before.**_ I will only say this once. You will not rest until you complete the course perfectly. You know what happens when you disobey. _**

Her quirk ignited then, although not by her command this time, the small strands sticking to her hands as her neck jolted pain, the voice booming back. _More, more my masterpiece. **If you can only do this then you are of no use to me. **_

Listening to the voice, Amari gritted her teeth before applying more pressure than before, ignoring Endeavors previous warnings and pushing as hard as she could, the voice taunting her every step of the way.**_ You think your brother would be proud of that? I thought you said you didn't want to be weak anymore…_**

She shook her head then, feeling her chest cry out for help as another faraway voice entered her ear. He sounded desperate. "Bakugo stop, that's too much. Retract your quirk."

Yet it seemed that no matter how much she wanted to, Amari was filled with this desire, this need to push herself to her limit. If she didn't do this good enough then she would be punished. Wait, punished from what? What were these feelings?! "No, it's not good enough…"

The words poured out of her mouth before she could even process them, feeling her mind running at a hundred miles an hours, now the strong desire to destroy her chest. She couldn't stop, for some reason, she just couldn't.

The voice returned then, closer than before but still drowned out like he was underwater "Bakugo..!"

Shaking her head, Amari felt the power grow in her fingertips as she was then suddenly tackled to the ground, the wind being knocked out of her immediately.

She groaned, now blinking for the first time, well at least it felt that way anyways. Forcing her eyes on the room, Amari found herself back in the training room, now staring up at the ceiling. "W-What happened?"

That's when she felt her body seize up in immense pain, the girl feeling as if her insides were getting ripped out. Why had she just felt the pain now? That didn't make any sense.

Clutching her heart, she heard Endeavor angrily shout at her. "Bakugo, you disregarded my orders! If I hadn't stopped you then you would've killed yourself right there. Do you even know your position right now?! You could've been dead!"

Hearing his words didn't sound quite right, now remembering the sensation through her body as she muttered back brokenly. "I couldn't stop...I don't know what happened.."

That's when Endeavor's eyes widened with what Amari realized later was fear.

Why did he look like that?

* * *

Shaking her head, Amari sat down at the clinic located in Endeavors agency as the doctor looked quite puzzled. "It's strange…"

She glanced at Todoroki's dad for a minute before sighing. "I'm going to be honest with you, everything about my life is strange and this isn't my first time in a doctor's office so please just tell me what's going on."

Endeavor couldn't help but admire her straightforward answer as the doctor questioned. "You said that during training you heard a voice?"

Nodding her head, Amari replied. "Yeah, everything was fine and then I started to get flashes of something unpleasant, this voice appeared that I knew somehow and then I felt something take over me, like I couldn't stop fighting or else something bad would happen.."

There was silence for a minute before the man spoke again. "Bakugo, do you suffer from any kind of memory loss?"

Amari's eyes widened then. "W-Why do you ask?"

Knowing that meant a yes, the doctor then took one look at the chart before replying. "You say that you remember the voice and place but yet at the same time don't. What you are describing sounds like a symptom of amnesia, possibly from a traumatic event or situation. It's not uncommon to receive flashes or bits of the memory. Does that sound like something that would fit your case?"

The girl suddenly felt like she was going to be sick, now regretting that Endeavor was in the same room with her. She didn't want him to know this about her. "If I said it was, what does that mean?"

Tapping his pen on the desk, the doctor answered back. "It means that whatever your mind wants to forget is slowly returning. I'd say in the next month or so your memory will be fully recovered, especially if you keep experiencing these vivid flashes."

Amari looked down at her feet, dreading what this meant. She didn't know if she was ready to know about what happened in America. She already knew it couldn't have been good if she mind made her forget. But then, what changed?

That's when everything hit her at once. Her pills. The Doc said that her memory gaps were a side effect of the pills, could that mean that since she stopped using them, her mind was finally able to process what happened back then? The thought alone scared her. "I'm sorry Endeavor, maybe I'm too much off a mess to train after all.."

The room was silent then as Endeavor stared at the student with interest. He knew that Amari was taught like a weapon, like a machine from the first day of her internship, but how deep did those scars go? "Bakugo, you were created by All for One, correct?"

At his name, Amari grimaced. "I really hate the way you worded that."

Although the man didn't seem to care. "Regardless of how I word it, it's the truth. You were taught to become a weapon for years, to push yourself until you broke down for someone else's sake."

Narrowing her eyes, the girl didn't really see the point. If he was going to drop her then he should just do it already. "So?"

He took a step closer then before replying smoothly. "So, changing ideals that quickly is impossible. I already told you that becoming a hero wasn't going to be easy, or did you forget that?"

Frowning back, Amari sighed. "No, of course not."

That's when his next words dropped her frown into a face of shock. "A true hero pushes through, no matter the obstacle. If you want to be a hero, then you have to face this obstacle Bakugo."

Not really believing what she was hearing, Amari then turned to Endeavor before smirking. "Wait, you are trying to give me a pep talk right now? I didn't know you had it in you Endeavor. It's actually kind of creepy.."

Shrugging his shoulder back, Endeavor only frowned. "I don't particularly care what you decide to do. If you want to give up that easily then it would honestly be a weight off my shoulders."

Although Amari felt the care behind his words, reaching forward to tease him a was trying to encourage her. "Aww you know you'd miss me. Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Endeavor frowned back, but underneath it was a small nod of approval.

Yes, that was the hero he saw before at his son's marriage interview.

Suddenly, the phone began to ring in her back pocket as she took it out and read the caller ID before smiling back. It was Todoroki. "It's Shoto, he must have finished his exam."

She pushed the answer button before slowly bringing the phone up to her ears. "Hey Shoto, so how did it go?"

Although the tone she got back wasn't one of joy, but rather panic. "Amari, you have to get over here right now. Bakugo and Midoryia are fighting."

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari didn't understand his worry. Wasn't this normal for them. "Don't they do that every day?"

Yet that's when she heard the sound of explosions through the line as she answered back. "Not like usual, they are tearing each other apart. You're the only one Bakugo listens to Amari, you have to stop him before he hurts Midoryia."

She eyes widened at the words, already hopping off the table before grabbing her bag. Her memory problems could wait, Deku needed her. "I'm on my way.."

Then she quickly turned to Endeavor before speaking. "Sorry, I have to go. It's an emergency. I'll run double laps tomorrow I promise!"

The man opened his mouth to speak then but found that Amari has already disappeared, wondering what could possibly be so important?

* * *

Running to the location Todoroki gave her, she saw flashes of light in the distance, now leaning over in a heavy breath. What were those two even doing?!

As she reached closer, Amari got there just in time to see Deku being thrown to the ground by her brother, both of them bleeding immensely. She literally just told Katsuki to be careful, this didn't look careful. She hated how similar they were sometimes.

Bakugo raised his fist then, clearly aiming to destroy his childhood friend when Amari felt the need to put a stop to it, running to stand in front of the green haired boy. "Katsuki stop!"

Throwing her arms out to stop his attack, Amari then created a small shield to counter her brother's quirk, although it wasn't enough. The explosion immediately shattered her gold matter, the sparks burning the left side of her arm as it singed her skin. Looking down though she found Deku to be unharmed. That was good.

Katsuki blinked in shock as the smoke cleared, now seeing his sister injured by his doing. "Amari, what the hell are you doing here?! Shit..what did you do?"

Seething back, Deku looked up in concern as well. "Amari-chan, your arm!"

Although Amari didn't seem phased, her words tumbled out of her mouth without thinking. "It's alright. This is nothing. I've been tested so my body can withstand heat for five minutes before receiving permanent damage"

Just as she said it though, the girl stopped herself. Wait, how did she know that?

Shaking the thought away, Amari focused on the matter at hand, yelling at Katsuki. "Katsuki, what the hell were you thinking?! Why are you attacking Midoryia? Do you know what Mr. Aziawa would do if he saw you?! You'd be out of U.A. dumbass!"

Eyeing her burn once more, Bakugo scoffed back. "This has nothing to do with you, why did you get involved?! Now get out of my way, I'm going to roast that damn nerd and show him that I'm going to be number one! We already decided to fight so get out of my way before I hit you too."

Deku looked up at Amari and could see what she was at war with herself for some reason. It was true that he agreed to fight Kacchan after all. "It's okay Amari-chan. I agreed to it as well. This is something we both have to do."

Narrowing her stance towards her brother Amari held her ground, always feeling slightly guilty for not being there for Deku when they were kids. If only she lived in a perfect world where they all could have played together. She was sick of seeing people getting hurt and being angry at each other."No."

Bakugo raised his brow then. "No, what the fuck do you mean no?"

Lifting her hands out even further, Amari had enough. "This has been going on for far too long. I get if you don't like him but trying to kill him is another level! I get that you two had an agreement or whatever but this isn't going to solve anything. Why are you so pissed anyways?! What the hell happened Katsuki?"

Balling his hands into a fist, Bakugo hissed back. "This loser just walks in with a fucking quirk one day and thinks he can beat me! Shitty Deku, that's not how it works! Just because you got your provisional license and I didn't doesn't make you any less of a loser!"

The words stuck in her mind then, muttering back. "Wait, you didn't pass?"

Bakugo took a threatening step closer then, eyeing Deku with murder. "It's doesn't fucking matter, what matters is he passed with a quirk that's not even his own!"

At that, Amari's eyes turned in confusion. "What are you talking about Katsuki? Midoryia has a quirk, the same as us. You're not making any sense.."

That's when Katsuki shut his mouth, not wanting to spill the secret of One for All to his sister like that. He just said that without thinking. "Forget it, it's none of your business. Just let me finish this.."

The hurt poured into her eyes then, knowing that Bakugo was keeping something from her. "I thought we said no more secrets between each other? Do you think I haven't noticed you space out the last couple days, glaring at Midoryia or in deep thought because of something you won't tell me? If it's not my business then make it my business!"

The two remained silent then, Deku feeling bad about Amari's frustration. She was the one out of the loop here anyway and he hated not being able to tell his friend what he was going through. "Amari-chan.."

That's when another voice echoed behind them, deep and smooth. "It's alright you two."

Blinking in surprise, the girl then turned around only to find All Might standing behind them. "All Might, what are you doing here?"

He held up his phone then, as if to prove a point. "I got a concerned call from Young Todoroki about what is going on. You did well Midoryia, but I think it's time.."

Then he strolled up to them before looking up at the sky. "What Young Bakugo said was right, Young Midoryia's power is not his own, it's mine."

Amari's eyes widened all at once, trying to process what he was saying. Someone couldn't just pass down their quirk like that, it had to through blood. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Are you, his dad?"

At that, everyone faces dropped, Midoryia remembering what Todoroki accused him of back at the sports festival. He thought the boy was All Might's secret love child also. He supposed that just showed how much the two were alike. "What, no no no! Why does everyone keep thinking that?! I mean I really look up to him as a father figure but he's not my actual dad."

Although that didn't make any more sense, the girl frowning. "Then what do you mean you got your quirk from All Might? Hold on, a minute. Is that why you were quirkless before but now it's different?"

Nodding his head, the man sighed. "Yes, I passed down my quirk, One for All to him the day you were all attacked by that sludge villain. It's been a closely guarded secret between the two of us, that is until Young Bakugo figured out his power."

She narrowed her eyes then before locking gazes with her brother. Is that why he was so silent and irritable the last couple days? "You knew all this time..?"

Scoffing back, Katsuki replied. "When he told me after combat training I thought he was just spewing some bullshit. That's until I put the pieces together.."

The girl nodded her head in acceptance before another thought appeared in her mind. "So if this is such a closely guarded secret, why did you decide to tell me?"

All Might thought about this for a moment, flashing to his previous conversation with All for One. Truly he was worried about the girl but somehow he knew he could also trust her with this. "With the path you have decided to take, I know that the struggles you will face will be equal, if not greater to his. With this information I hope that you will be able to confine and support each other in your climb to be what you always wished to receive."

Amari thought about this for a moment, not understanding the weight of his words but feeling a sense of pride in them. Of course she would support Deku, that was obvious. "I would be honored to, but why do I feel like your words have an ominous omen to them though?"

That's when All Mights face fell, giving her a knowing look. That confirmed it, he was hiding something from her. "Never mind that now Young Bakugo. Just stay on your path."

She nodded her head in confusion, now dropping the topic for now. It was obvious that he had something on his mind regarding her, and she was now determined to find out what it was.

But because of her respect for the man, the girl only smiled back, for now at least. "That's what I plan on."

* * *

Through the darkness, the computer screen next to a large desk flickered, the static images blinking to life on the screen.

Tapping his fingers on the surface, the man narrowed his eyes before picking up the nearby file and reading the contents.

Then he touched a nearby vial, seeing the blood dance around in the container. What an interesting creation All for One had made.

Slapping the file back down on the table then, Overhaul smirked at the discovery. Yes, she will do nicely.

The light flashed toward the file then, revealing the contents of the object.

Inside was a small photo, and a large portfolio labeled_ Bakugo Amari: Nomu Experiment #12. _

* * *

So I know that this happened in S3 but since I skipped around a bit I thought it's best to add the end of the season 3 in here as well. Sorry for the skipping but it will all fit together I promise!

We have set up, poor Amari is remembering her time in America and is fighting the idea of being a weapon against heros. She's got a long way to go.


	54. S4 Chapter 4

Taking a sip of her water bottle, Amari wiped the sweat from her forehead before overhearing the TV on her left echo out an assortment of words. It seemed to be some kind of new report. "It's not that I don't like Endeavor, I just can't help comparing him to All Might."

Smirking under her breath, the girl then turned her head to the hero in question, teasing him a little bit. "You hear that? Seems like you're not very popular. Oof that's rough."

The man frowned back before forcibly grabbing the remote out of her hands and turning off the object. "Would you focus on the important matters? What those people say don't concern you."

Crossing her legs in front of her in interest Amari leaned forward and saw the lowered brow across his face. He couldn't fool her, it was obvious he was worried about the public reception. Although it's not like she could blame him, the man did have large shoes to fill after all. "Aww don't be upset Endeavor. If it means anything to you, I think as a hero you aren't the worst person ever.."

Unsurprisingly though, the man didn't feel reassured. "That doesn't mean anything."

Lowering her water bottle then, Amari just sighed. "Rude, and here I was trying to help you with your image. You know, maybe if you stopped going around with that annoying scowl of yours all the time people wouldn't be afraid of you. But hey, don't take my advice, I'm just a stupid kid."

She raised herself up after that, stretching her arms out as Endeavor eyed the girl with disdain. She really was a pain in his ass, but he couldn't help but think she had a point somewhere. He had to get the public to like him somehow.

But of course he wasn't about to ask advice from a child, so instead the man decided to change the subject. "You reached up to fifteen precent today without repercussions. Your improvement is noticeable now. Have you experienced any more flashes?"

Noticing the change, Amari's face fell then. "No, I haven't. It's weird but ever since that day I've been fine. Maybe it was just some sort of freak thing."

And what she said was true. Ever since she had that weird flashback a couple weeks ago, Amari was perfectly fine. It was like the thing never even happened, and that's what she was hoping for.

Although Endeavor didn't seem convinced, knowing how she was that day. That wasn't any accident. "Don't be foolish, you must be on guard, especially when using your quirk. Haven't you forgotten what I said before. If you push yourself past your limit…"

Amari couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. "Yeah yeah I know. I'll die. Trust me, I heard you the first fifty times. I'll be careful. Don't want you worrying about me too much."

To that, Endeavor shook his head. "I don't worry, I'm only concerned about the mark you will make on my agency. Because I have chosen you as a trainee that means you now represent the Todoroki name. I will not have you slander that name with your negligence and reckless behavior."

Although once he was finished, the man looked up only to find Amari yawning, like she hadn't heard him at all. "Are you even listening?!"

To which she only shrugged. "To be completely honest I only listen to half of the things you say. The minute you start monologuing about how great you are I lose interest."

Balling his fists in anger, Endeavor growled only for the girl to notice his annoyance and laugh. That's when he realized she was messing with him. "I'm just kidding, you don't have to be so serious all the time. That's exactly why the public doesn't like you, you know."

Then she placed a hand on his shoulder before narrowing her eyes, all of the girl's playful attitude now going out the window. She looked serious. "I promise to not let your training go in vain. You were the only one to give me a chance, and I will show you just what kind of hero I can be."

Just then her phone started beeping and Amari gasped, her serious demeanor turning back into something frantic. "Ah crap crap, I'm going to be late, and at the start of a new semester too!"

Running over to her school uniform, the girl then began to throw her shirt over her tank top, frantically buttoning each button before waving to the number one hero. "See you Endeavor, wish me luck!"

She got halfway out the door before she heard his voice echo through her core, stopping her completely. He sounded exhausted, like he was over her antics. "Bakugo.."

Turning back, she was about to question him before noticing a very familiar school blazer in his hands. Oh shoot, she almost forgot her jacket! "AHH thank you! How could I almost forget that!? Okay, now I'm leaving!"

Then just like that, the girl ran out of the room causing the man to sigh in exasperation. Why out of all people had he agreed to train this girl? She was a real piece of work. That girl would probably lose her head if it wasn't attached to her body.

Although he couldn't help but notice that fire behind her eyes sometimes though, the fire that made her interesting.

* * *

Running towards the gates, Amari huffed out a breath before running straight into another student, their large body colliding with hers almost immediately as she fell to the floor. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was.."

Although then she looked up, she found a pair of very familiar eyes staring back at her. "How many times are you going to not watch where you're going? I swear, you are such an airhead sometimes."

Brushing herself off, Amari then gave a goofy smile. "Sorry Shinso, I guess I'm just really excited about this semester. I mean, this is my chance to show U.A. that I belong back in the hero course!"

She fist pumped the air as the boy shook his head and her antics. "Yeah well, you're going to have to learn to walk first. No one wants you killing yourself like last time, plus don't think you can get too ahead of me short stuff. I'm taking this seriously too."

Nodding her head in agreement, Amari then paused when she noticed something different about the boy. "Hey, by the way you look different."

Shinso felt her gaze on him and turned away, now feeling slightly self conscious about her eyes boring into him. "Yeah well actually.."

Although before he could even finish the sentence, Amari placed her hands on top of his chest in question, now feeling solid muscle beneath his shirt. "Whoa! You've really been training hard, haven't you? You're not all bone anymore!"

At the action Shinso felt his face burn, throwing her hands off of him and shouting back, a slight crack to his voice. Why did she just touch his chest?! "What are you doing?! Don't touch me like that.."

Amari blinked in confusion, not really understanding his issue but still respecting his space. "Oh sorry, I didn't think you'd be bothered by it. I'm just impressed, that's all. Please don't be upset.."

She leaned forward then and her red eyes caught his, now pushing her away from him and muttering back softly. "It's fine, just stop staring at me like that. It's uncomfortable."

Nodding her head, the girl withdrew before standing up and gathering her books. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. But I guess that goes to show how serious you are, right? Looks like I have some real competition ahead of me if I wanna claw my way back to the top."

She laughed back and Shinso decided to stand as well, placing a nervous hand to his neck. He really needed to stop acting like such an idiot in front of her.

The girl had Todoroki, he needed to get over this annoying feeling quickly, knowing nothing would come of it. Amari was completely oblivious to him anyway. She had struggled enough as it was, not wanting to burden her with anything else unpleasant.

Maybe that was for that best.

* * *

Deku and the other classmates settled into their seats before the boy let out a heavy sigh. Because he had decided to fight with Kacchan that meant that they were on a three day house arrest from class. Luckily Amari was able to get out of that punishment though, seeing that she was only trying to stop the fight.

Bakugo wasn't as lucky though and earned himself an extra day of suspension for starting the entire thing. Although he couldn't deny the class was quiet without his yelling.

Aziawa walked in then, sighing to himself before pointing towards the door. "Alright, since most of you passed your provisional exam, that means that you are eligible for work studies now. It will be just like your internships except you will be doing more actual hero work."

The class cheered at the news, excited to be able to start their work as actual heros when the man continued. "Because of that, I asked a couple third year students to explain how work studies differ from internships. They rank at the top of the all student body.."

Just then the door opened and three students stepped in, two males, one with blonde and one with black hair, along with one female. They walked to the center of the room and everyone couldn't help but gasp. They would know these students anywhere.

These were the big three.

* * *

After a short introduction, the blonde haired male Mirio suggested that the entire class fight against him, which was a shock to all the students. Was this man crazy? Taking down all of them was going to be nearly impossible.

But much to their surprise, Aziawa agreed to the fight and soon enough the entire class were standing on the grounds inside the school. How did it even come to be like this?

Mirio stretched his arms out lazily before the door to their left opened, now seeing Aziawa walk in with Bakugo trailing shortly behind. "Because this will be a lesson for all of you I've allowed Bakugo to watch the match, although he is forbidden to participate given his house arrest."

Katsuki frowned back as Mirio eyed the new boy with interest, walking over to greet him. "Why hello there! You must be the other problem child they talked about at opening ceremonies!"

As much to expect, Bakugo didn't take that well. "What the hell did you say? Problem child my ass! What kind of extra do you think you are?!"

The blonde haired blinked in surprise then just as the female, Nejire, answered back. "Oh wow, you're an angry one! So fascinating, I wish you could fight today also. I'd love to see how your quirk works! Hi, I'm Nejire by the way!"

Her peppy personality made him grimace, now reminding him of a very familiar twin of his. "I don't care who you are, all you need to know is that I'm going to beat you."

The girl blinked in surprise as another voice overheard, this time being Tamaki as his meek voice traveling through the space. "He does seem problematic."

At that Bakugo's hands rose in heat, already trying to make his way over to the man facing the corner. "What did you just say?! Screw you, I would wipe the floor with all of you if I could fight."

Because of his tone, Tamaki squeaked, turning his face even deeper into the corner. "Scary.."

Seeing his shiver, Mirio then threw an arm over the boy, excitement in his features. "I would love to fight you! Just the thought gets me all excited! Yes, let's make a plan to do that after all this is over. I'm sure your skills are quite impressive with that abrasive personality. Now before that though, let's get down to business shall we?"

Then before Katsuki could throw his hand off of him, Mirio let go, now gazing towards Class 1-A as they prepared to attack them.

The class seemed pretty confident at this, now springing into action. They have fought villains and other pros before, this should be easy.

They quickly began to realize how wrong they were.

In almost a couple minutes, the entire class was down, groaning on the floor as Mirio looked at his work. He had some kind of quirk that let him phase through objects which made it almost impossible to land a hit on this guy. He was something else. "That was fun!"

Although the class didn't see the fun, Deku shakily getting up to his feet. Even Bakugo looked kind of imitated by this boy, and he hadn't even fought him.

Just then, the door to the training area opened and Amari popped her head in, surprised to see everyone staring at her. The bell had rung but maybe she had interrupted? "Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were over. I'll go wait outside.."

Although Aziawa put his hand up, stopping his former classmate. "It's alright Bakugo. We were finishing up anyway. Everyone, you are dismissed."

Nodding her head, Amari then turned around only to find a strange face staring back at her, Nejire screaming with glee. "Oh, who are you? You are so cute, I'm gonna die! Mirio, look at how cute she is! She kind of looks like the angry one!"

Not really understanding, the girl put her hands out, now feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Uhhh.."

But before she could even finish her sentence, the poor girl was lifted up into the air, being twirled around in circles by Mirio. "Oh, you're right! She's so small and lightweight!"

Swirling around, Amari gasped in surprise as another voice entered the space, Tamaki glancing at the poor girl that had been caught by his friend. "Mirio, you're making her uncomfortable."

He seemed to realize the situation then, quickly putting down the girl before speaking. "Oh, sorry about that! I just got really excited to see a new face. Hello, I'm Mirio Togato, a third year here. It's nice to meet you!"

Putting a hand to her head to stop the world from spinning, Amari realized who this man was. It was the talk of the school after all. "Wait, aren't you a part of the big three?"

He nodded before pointing to the other two strangers. "Right you are, in fact we all are part of the big three! We were just showing Class 1-A what hero studies will be like. And who are you, if I might ask? You're not part of this class are you?"

The term work study sounded interesting, knowing she'd have to ask Bakugo later what exactly that was. She hadn't heard of that before.

Then she thought about that boy's question. A long time ago she would have regretted that question because it meant having to reveal her last name, and her brother's disgust. But now, now she was proud of it. "Uhh well, I used to be. My name is Bakugo Amari. It's nice to meet you as well."

At her name Mirio's eyes widened before looking towards Bakugo and Amari at once, connecting the pieces. "Did you just say Bakugo?"

Nodding her head, the girl then pointed towards her brother before smiling. "Yeah, I'm his twin."

Tamaki couldn't help but shiver in the corner at that, now even more afraid than before. "There are two..."

At the word twin, Nejire's face lit up with excitement, scanning the small girl all at once. "Oooh so that's what it is! I would have never guessed! You two don't even act remotely alike. Are you sure you're really twins?"

She laughed at her joke but Katsuki couldn't help but watch Amari's face with concern. That sounded like a kind of thing he used to make fun of her with, and the last thing he wanted was for her to experience that again.

Stomping over to the group, Bakugo then raised his fist, anger evident in his eyes. "Say that again, I dare you!"

Nejire's face dropped, now seeing the pure intent behind his words when Amari placed a warm but firm hand on his shoulder, stopping her brother's actions. "Katsuki, it's okay. I'm okay."

Katsuki frozen then as Amari only smiled, turning back to the group smoothly. "It's true we don't act or look alike but I'm still his sister. I spent most of my time in America so that's why our personalities are a bit different. Although don't get it wrong, I'm still a Bakugo, through and through!"

Grinning back, Todoroki and Bakugo couldn't help but notice the change in attitude from the girl. Before she used to just sadly admit their differences but now she seemed proud of them. It made them glad to see that.

Because she was speaking with such pride Mirio couldn't help but be infected by it. "Well it's nice to meet you, angry one's sister!"

At the nickname though, Bakugo hissed back. "I have a name you know, dumbass!"

Although Mirio only laughed, Tamaki watched the altercation and wondered just how two polar opposites could be siblings. But of course then he thought of Mirio and himself. They were as different as they could be so maybe it wasn't impossible.

Narrowing his eyes in frustration, Katsuki was about to shout back when he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes, now spinning his sister around to face him. "Hey idiot.."

Not understanding, Amari replied "Yeah?"

That's when Katsuki reached down and touched her tie, already undoing the terrible knot. "Did you tie your tie in the dark today or something? It looks like shit. Here.."

The entire watched silently then as Bakugo redid her tie carefully, everyone realizing that the boy really did have a soft spot for his sister. Even the big three seemed to realize their bond.

Once he was finished, Mirio could only smile back. "So angry one can also have a soft side? How sweet.."

At that, Katsuki's face turned into a frown, pushing his sister away in anger. "Shut up! I'm just trying to make her look like less of a dumbass! She does enough of that already! And you, what are you doing here anyways?"

Amari's face changed then, realizing why she came here in the first place. "Oh, right! Well Class 1-C is having a sort of mock battle next period for the new semester and I wanted to see if you and Shoto wanted to watch me fight?"

She waited for their responses but the one who answered first wasn't Todoroki or Bakugo, it was Mirio for some reason. "Ooh I want to watch!"

Turning around slightly, Amari turned her brow in confusion. She didn't even really know these people. "Uhh I mean, you can if you want to? It's opening viewing after all."

The third years clapped in excitement then, now seeing Nejire do the same, all while holding Tamaki hostage. "We'll all go! I'd love to see the new number one hero's trainee in action!"

Amari laughed back nervously then, nodding her head. Endeavor's trainee, that had some weight to those words. "Uhh yeah sure."

The two cheered as she felt a heavy weight in her stomach then. Having her brother and Shoto watch was one thing, but now the big three wanted to see her fight? That made her nervous.

Letting out an anxious sigh, she paused when she felt Todoroki's hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there as well so don't feel nervous. Just do your best."

Amari smiled to herself then, hearing Katsuki grumble behind her as well. "And If you think I'm going to miss seeing my sister kick some ass then you are sorely mistaken."

The smile stretched wider then as the girl nodded her head. She could do this, for Todoroki, for Bakugo and for herself.

* * *

The crowds around the training arena were fairly large for a general studies class, mostly because of two things. The first being that the big three had taken interest in such a low level class, and the fact that the new number one hero's protege was supposedly here as well.

Everyone watched the battles with interest as Bakugo and Todoroki stood next to the big three, silently worrying about Amari. This was the first time fighting without her pills so publicly. They hoped she would be okay.

After the last round finished, the teacher came into the ring before speaking loudly so everyone could hear. "The next battle will be between Hayate Aki and Bakugo Amari. Please get to your corners and wait for the bell."

Strangers mumbled to themselves then, hearing the names of the two enter the air. "That's her, that's Endeavor's trainee. Oh man, she has to fight Aki? He's top of the class."

Just as they said that though, Amari made her way out into the ring, absentmindedly touching Todoroki's bracelet before making her way to the corner. She could do this, she just had to remember her training.

Mirio watched the girl with interest, the bell ringing beside them and immediately saw her expression change from a carefree girl to something far more serious. Oh, so that's how she was.

The two ran at each other, Aki biting his skin on his thumb before a long strand of blood appeared. Blood manipulation was his quirk, and Amari knew it very well. "Let's finish this quickly, 1A reject."

Frowning back, Amari evened her stance before taking a deep breath in, the heat started to emerge from her fingertips. "Yes, l agree. Let's finish this so you can see just how much this 1A reject goes back on top."

The boy then threw down his blood strand, although the girl was quicker, dodging under his attack just in time._ That's it, nice and easy. Start out at two percent so you can breathe._

Sliding back, Aki just looked displeased. "Running away, that's your strategy?"

Although the girl could only smirk back, seeing another attack coming and this time blocking it the gold matter that covered her hands. _Raised to five percent_ "Not exactly."

The gold began to fade quickly though, and Amari knew she had to bring it up a notch, throwing his blood strands away and taking a step forward before talking to herself. "Alright Endeavor, hopefully this works.."

That's when she ran at the boy before expanding her quirk to ten percent and creating a shield to block his attacks and muttering to herself._ Good, now lower it down to five before I die.. _

Feeling her breathing pick up, the girl then dropped the level of power so she couldn't feel the stain, now sliding under his quirk to end up behind him. Okay that should be enough rest. Time to bring it up again.

He turned around then just in time for Amari to throw her hands out, a sparking and popping sound echoing from her fingertips._ Fifteen percent. _

That's when she let out a medium sized explosion, shaking the arena slightly as the crowd gasped from the small amount of smoke. What had just happened?

Mirio watched the fight with interest as well, knowing exactly what she was doing. It was like looking in a mirror. That girl, she was exerting and reserving her power carefully, planning every action so that her body didn't give out. That was extremely hard to do and he knew it, because that was the same thing he had to do to get on top.

This made him question so many things at once. If she was reserving her strength then did that mean her quirk had some kind of defect? Who was this girl? Why was she only in the general studies? She was clearly skilled.

Just then he heard the students whisper next to him. "Whoa, this is crazy. It's obvious she's not the strongest in the class but just based on strategy, she's insane. No wonder she was in the hero course before."

The smoke began to clear, as Amari stumbled slightly before making her way towards her opponent who was lying on the ground in a heavy groan. Her eyes, they were filled with such passion and intent, almost like her brother. "Just because I dropped out of the hero course doesn't mean you shouldn't take me seriously. Just wait, I'll get back in that class soon enough. Just watch me."

Before the big three silently wondered how the two twins could be so different but looking now they realized that they were wrong about that. Her stern voice, the passion in her stance. Here, she definitely looked like that Bakugo kid.

A voice entered the space then, the teacher calling the match. "Winner is Bakugo Amari."

Everyone cheered at her win, Amari looking around with pride before falling to her knees in a heavy pant, clutching her heart and now focusing her breathing. She did it. She was able to win without her pills for the first time. It was a start.

A student next to the group gasped at the sight before he questioned out loudly. "Whoa, who even is that girl?"

Looking down at her accomplishment, Bakugo could only smile warmly, the pride evident in his voice. Suddenly he wanted the whole entire world to know. "That's my sister."

* * *

Finishing her third bottle of water, Amari let out another shakily breath before sighing to herself. She did win but her body was not having it, now feeling the repercussions. She supposed she just had to get used to it now. This is what she had to deal with.

She shook her head and looked to the left only to jump ten feet in the air, now seeing Mirio's face embedded in one of the walls. "Hey, it's you!"

Clutching her heart in surprise, the girl screamed. "AHH what the hell?! Seriously, you're going to give me a heart attack."

He blinked in confusion before his entire body entered the space as well. "Oh, sorry about that. I tend to scare people sometimes without meaning to."

Finally feeling her heartbeat go back to normal, she gasped again only to find him a couple inches from her face. "Hey so, I've been meaning to say this but you're really interesting! The way you fought back there, your strategy was extremely risky and difficult. Why aren't you in the hero course again?

Amari looked down at the floor in response. The compliment felt strange to her, now ignoring the last part of this question. "Yeah well, it's the only way I can fight without dying so I work with what I have. Thanks though."

Mirio froze at that. "What do you mean?"

That's when the girl realized she said more than she meant to, groaning back. "Ugh me and my big mouth. All well, since I already said it then I'll tell you. My body can't handle my quirk so I have to work it up one step at a time, too much power and I'll die."

Sitting down next to her then, the boy frowned. "Wow, that's rough. I think I can understand better than anyone though. I'm the same way."

The girl narrowed her eyes in confusion then as he continued. "My quirk was really weak also when I started out, but I learned to become stronger, one step at a time, like you're doing. I worked for years until I got the title of being part of the big three, so you just have to keep going too!"

Not really knowing much about this guy, Amari couldn't help but be interested. "Really? I didn't know that. I always thought the big three were just naturally strong"

Shaking his head, the boy replied. "Nope, well at least not for me. Some people are born with the easy road, but people like us have to fight for our spots, and I'm thankful for it. If I haven't worked hard then I wouldn't be the person I am today. Our experiences shape us, and I'm glad to have worked to get here."

Amari always thought that this guy was just a weirdo but looking closer, she couldn't help but see herself in him. Because of that, it made her want to share more with him.

Taking a small breathing, the girl spoke. "You asked why I'm not in the hero course anymore. It's because back then, I decided to become a hero for the wrong reasons, using unnatural methods to become stronger quickly because I hated my real quirk. But now that all that's been taken away, I've been bumped back to the bottom. I have the experience but not the body or power. It's like I have to start back at step one."

Mirio listened to the girl before replying. "Isn't that a good thing though?"

Raising her brow, Amari frowned. "What do you mean?"

That's when the boy looked up at the ceiling, thinking about something particular. "I think the best kinds of heros are the ones that see the struggle and the work that goes into everything. It's like we really understand the kinds of people we are saving."

Amari had never thought of it like that, seeing the pure joy in the man's eyes at the idea of saving people. He was a true hero.

He lowered his head then, meeting her eyes before letting his face curve into a warm smile. "And who knows, maybe in a couple years, you'll be a part of the new big three."

That's when the girl's eyes widened. "I don't know about that.."

Although Mirio could already see her potential, already excited to see just what kind of hero she was going to be. "You'd be surprised what can come out of the ashes."

* * *

Awww their friendship is so wholesome! I love that Mirio sees himself in Amari as they both had to work their way up from being weak. He really sees her potential. Also once again I know this is S3 but we kinda need the hero study arc for S4 so I slipped it in here. Also also cute brother sister fluff a little bit in here as well. It just shows how much everyone has grown.


	55. S4 Chapter 5

Walking into the common area, Bakugo and Todoroki glared at each other, their school bags flung over their shoulders in an angry fashion. Because they were the only two that failed the provisional exam that meant they had to attend extra classes over the weekend, which neither were thrilled about.

It was true that the boys were less hostile towards each other now but that was only because they shared a common interest, Amari. If she wasn't there then that just made them have no reason to get along. Besides, hearing everyone talk about their upcoming work studies was frustrating enough without having to tolerate each other. It was honestly a recipe for disaster.

Although Todoroki and Bakugo quickly perked up, now seeing Amari running towards them like a small dog, excited and jumpy like they had come to know. "Hey guys! How's your extra classes going?"

Yet because she was running quite fast, the girl seemed to slip on the newly washed floor, falling forward before saving herself with one foot, much to the boys dismay. "Whoaa, It's okay! I'm good. Oops, I better watch myself more."

She giggled to herself as the two shook their heads. Yep, same old Amari.

Bakugo seemed to speak first though, annoyed at her carefree demeanor. "Just how much of an idiot can you be? Seriously, watch where you're going stupid."

Todoroki also seemed concerned, putting his arms away since he was planning on catching her. "Bakugo is right, you should be more careful."

The girl didn't seem bothered though, just replying back smoothly. "Right, sorry. I guess I'm just excited to hear how everything's going. With Endeavor training me so much I feel like I'm missing out on important things, you know?"

Bakugo did know, in fact he hadn't seen his sister in days. It didn't help that they weren't in the same class anymore. "Whatever, although it's nothing to break your neck over."

That's when the girl leaned forward in an excited fashion, eager to hear around their lives. "Sooo, how's it going?"

The two boys looked at each other then, Todoroki answering first but sugarcoating his response. He didn't want to mention their arguing as the girl loved her brother so much. "It's alright."

Although Katsuki didn't share the same intentions, just shouting back. "Oh shut up half and half, tell her the truth. These last few days have been hell! I swear, this bastard is trying to piss me off every chance he can get!"

Todoroki couldn't deny that fact, but didn't want her to know it. He couldn't help but find Amari's brother impossible at times. "Maybe it's because you keep making such rude remarks. I wouldn't respond if you didn't say them in the first place."

That's when Katsuki got furious, reaching forward to grab the boy's shirt. He really was trying to piss him off. What did Amari see in his guy anyways? "You wanna die?! Say that again to my face, you bastard!"

Although that's when they heard Amari laugh in the corner, causing the two to pull apart. "So it's going about as well as I imagined. Well, at least you two haven't killed each other yet. I should be grateful for that at least."

Todoroki decided to forget about the boy then, focusing on more important matters. "How has your training with my old man been going? He hasn't been harassing you, has he?"

Clutching her bag in her hands, Amari couldn't help but smile to herself. "As if I'd let him do that. To tell you the truth though, I think I've been the one harassing him."

He couldn't help but smile at that, knowing how she didn't take any of his crap. True fully Todoroki was against her training at first, knowing how his father was, but he couldn't deny how happy she looked because of it.

Although, if that scumbag ever ties to lay a hand on her then all bets would be off. But for now, he would endure for her happiness. "That's good to hear. Are you heading there now?"

Nodding back, Amari sighed. "Yeah, I gotta work really hard if I want to make it into the hero course with you all. Just because I'm knocked down doesn't mean I can take it easy. I refuse to fall even more behind."

The passion in her voice was inspiring, mostly to Bakugo. Because of his house arrest following the fight along with failing his exam, the boy knew he had to catch up soon as well. As if he'd let his sister beat him. "Just watch yourself stupid. Like we need you pushing yourself again."

Feeling the concern in his voice, Amari couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry Katsuki, I'll be careful. Now, I should get going. Try not to kill each other, okay?"

The two boys grumbled at that only for the girl to play her trump card, now blinking in a pleading fashion. "For me?"

That's when they both caved, Todoroki speaking first and placing a loving hand to her cheek. "Of course. It will be a feat, but I can tolerate anything for you, even Bakugo."

Although Katsuki only slapped his hand away a second later, shaking his head in disgust. "Shut up icy hot. If you try to start something though, all bets are off!"

Because that meant yes in both Todoroki and Bakugo speak, Amari was now satisfied, walking towards the door with pride. "Thanks you two! See you later!"

Although her carefree attitude was about to be short lived

* * *

Walking into his office, Amari found Endeavor seated at his desk, looking at a couple files on his desk as she approached. "Hey Endeavor, why did you want me to meet you here today? I thought we were training?"

Although the man didn't seem interested in her words, closing the file next to him and stacking them in a pile. "I have something else for you today Bakugo."

The man then picked up the files before reaching them out to her. "I need you to drop off some paperwork at Sir Nighteye's agency before we start."

Shrugging her shoulders, Amari picked up the papers in confusion. "Uhh okay? I mean, I can do that but are you working on something with his agency? This is the first I've heard of it."

Endeavor thought for a couple minutes, not sure if he wanted to relay this information with a girl but knew it would come up in conversation sometime. Better to do it now before she digs her nose into the case herself.

Pushing a paper towards her, the man explained. "Our agency has agreed to aid theirs in the investigation of a suspicious Yakuza member that's been making the round recently."

Amari then narrowed her eyes as Endeavor pulled out a photo and handed it to the girl. On further inspection the picture displayed a young man with a strange bird mask, gloved hands, and a green and purple coat. The look in his eyes kind of made her shiver. Who was this man?

She got her answer soon enough though. "His name is Chisaki Kai and he's the second in command in his organization. Reports have seen him acting suspiciously but since there is no evidence of a crime, it's been impossible to label him as a villain. Our agency along with others have been assigned to keep an eye on his activity."

Nodding her head in understanding, Amari frowned. "So this guy is working around the system so he won't get caught? That's very clever, I gotta say.."

Endeavor stopped her thoughts then. "And also very dangerous. That's why us heros are keeping an eye on him. The files you are dropping off contain the current intel we have on him. That's why I asked you to deliver them personally."

Everything seemed to make sense now, the girl clutching the file tightly. "Aww Endeavor, is it because you trust me? Is that why you're giving me such an important mission?"

Although the man only shook his head. "No, it's only because our other intern is absent today and everyone else is busy. You were the only one left."

Amari's face dropped then, realizing that she wasn't special. "So I was the last choice, of course. But it's okay cause that means you trust me, even as a last resort. I won't let you down Endeavor!"

Yet the man didn't seem thrilled in the slightest now focusing on other things. "Just get it delivered before dark, and don't get distracted."

Amari nodded her head before heading out, Endeavor watching the girl as she went.

The truth was that he lied. She wasn't the last resort. In fact, that girl was the first person he asked to deliver the classified information. He just wanted to test her, to see how she'd handle working with other companies.

Of course, it's not like he'd ever let her know that.

* * *

After delivering the papers, Amari confirmed that Sir Nighteye was a weird guy. The minute she told him that she was from Endeavors agency, all the man wanted was for her to tell jokes to him. It was a really strange experience.

Sighing to herself, the girl exited the doors before staring at the city ahead of her. At last she was finally able to break away from that guy. She wondered if Endeavor would have problems dealing with him as well.

Amari then stretched out her arms only to see a familiar shade of green out of the corner of her eye, now calling out to it. "Midoryia?"

Turning around Deku gasped in surprise. "Amari-chan! What are you doing here?"

That's when she pointed at the building behind her. "Oh, Endeavor wanted me to drop off some paperwork for Sir Nighteye. What are you doing here?"

Smiling to himself, the boy beamed. "Well, I'm taking my work study here, along with Mirio. It's so great to run into you. I hope everything is going okay with training…"

Amari was about to respond when another voice entered the space, his joyful attitude beaming around the area. "Oh, it's you! Hello angry ones sister! So wonderful to see you again!"

Looking back at Mirio, the girl replied. "You can just call me Amari if you'd like, and yeah it's good to see you too. Looks like your work study has been going pretty good."

The boy nodded back, giving her a thumbs up. "Of course! Midoryia, ah sorry, Deku here is a natural! We are just out here doing some protrolling. You know, gotta keep the city safe!"

His joy was infectious, seeping into the girl and earning a smile. "Sounds great. You know.."

Although Amari was cut off when suddenly a little girl with white hair appeared from the alley next to them, panting and huffing as she crashed into Deku all at once. "Whoa, I'm sorry. You took a tumble. Are you okay?"

He reached his hand out then, causing the girl to shrink away in fear, Amari's eyes widening and slapping Deku's hand away. Something wasn't right here. "Hold on.."

Kneeling down to her level, Deku then reached out again only for the girl to flitch, now growing closer to Amari. This girl, she was terrified for some reason.

Amari then noticed the bandages around her arms and legs, putting her hands up in a defensive position to show she didn't mean harm. "Hey, it's okay. He's not going to hurt you, and neither will I. See, I'm here to help."

Suddenly a male voice entered the space, causing everyone to jump at the sudden noise. "You should be more careful Eri. We don't want to cause trouble for the heros."

Everyone turned and couldn't help but widen their eyes in fear. Now standing in front of them was the very man Amari had just learned about, Chisaki Kai.

At his voice, the little girl flinched again before burying her face in Amari's chest, almost scared to look in his direction. What was going on? "I hope you'll forgive my daughter here. I don't know what to do with her. Always playing rough and bumping into things."

His eyes seemed playful but everyone couldn't help but get a chilling sensation, Deku included. This girl was his daughter? Then why did she look so scared? "Your daughter?"

Although just as he said that, Mirio let out a small laugh, easing the area. "Sorry, that was our bad also. Come on up buddy, we have some more protolling to do before lunch."

Deku realized what he was trying to do almost immediately and the man was right. He couldn't bring suspicion to the case. They had to act like everything was normal. "Alright.."

Yet as he was trying to raise up, Amari felt the little girls hold tightened like she petrified to be alone with this man. "Please, don't go.."

Narrowing her eyes in anxiety, Amari then put a protective hand to hover over the girl before looking up at Chisaki with a glare. "If she's really your daughter then why is she so scared?"

The man frowned then, not liking her tone. "A reaction to being scolded."

Amari felt a warning bell in her mind though, sensing a sort of deja vu from Eri. "What kind of scolding leaves her like this? She's all bandaged up. Did you think we wouldn't notice?"

That's when she felt a hand slap her on the back, Mirio eying her with a frown. She knew what he was trying to do, but leaving Eril with this man wasn't an option anymore for her. This child was petrified, which meant that he was probably abusing her in some way. As if she could leave this.

Chisaki didn't like her defiance though, narrowing his eyes. "You're Bakugo, right? Endeavors new trainee. How interesting"

Widening her eyes, Amari replied. "How do you know me?"

He stared at her for a couple moments, unsaid words passing through each other before he answered light heartedly. "The news outlets seem very fond of you now. Your name has become common knowledge nowadays."

That should've made her feel at ease, but unfortunately it didn't. Why did it feel like he was lying? His eyes had a sort of mockery to him as well, like he was making fun of her.

Deku also seemed to share Amari's mindset, now placing a hand in front of Eri as well. "Tell me, what are you doing to this girl?"

The man stared down at them then, a shiver going up everyone's spine. That is until he shrugged. "Very well, although since it's a private matter I would prefer to discuss it where we won't be overheard."

He started to walk away, expecting them to follow, although Amari could only feel the danger. "Hold on, you want us to walk into an abandoned alley? How stupid do you think we are?"

Although she stopped when Mirio lifted her off the ground, the little girl clung to her as she raised. "Alright, we'll listen to you. I'm sure this is all one big misunderstanding."

Then he began to push her towards the alley, all while giving her a knowing look. They had to follow him or the investigation would be ruined. Although, it was harder to keep her cool knowing the little girl was shaking underneath her.

They reached halfway into the alley before Chisaki stopped, giving Amari a knowing look. "You know Bakugo, you seemed to have attracted the attention of some very dangerous people. Exposing villains' plans and betraying others, many are unhappy with your choices."

Frowning back, Amari replied. "I did what I had to do, and I'm doing the same now. Something is wrong here, and I won't let you take this girl without knowing what it is."

The man only seemed amused though. "Such noble words when just a couple months ago you were planning on killing your loved ones in that battle with All for One."

Amari took a step back then, fear on her features. The media wrote that attack off so there is no reason to bring it up now. "That was all part of the plan to spy for the league. It wasn't real."

Although that's when Chisaki smirked through his mask, locking eyes with the girl in a threatening manner. It was like he was playing with her, like he knew something she didn't. "Or was it?"

Her eyes widened then, knowing that this man had caught her lie. How did he know that her actions were real, that back then she really did try to kill her friends and family? This man, he was terrifying. "W-What are you trying to say?"

The man only shrugged though, coaxing her more. "Nothing really, just that heros can manipulate the media well, can't they? It's an interesting theory to think about, right Bakugo?"

That proved it, somehow this man did know about her connection to All for One, and that scared her, now feeling Eri's hold tighten on her leg.

Deku seemed to notice her terror as well, speaking back. "We are getting off topic. Tell us what you've been doing to this girl."

Chisaki stopped then, throwing his hands out in exasperation. "Hard to admit that you can't control your own child. But lately, Eri defies me no matter what I try."

Mirio laughed back at that, trying to ease the mood again. "Parenting man, sounds rough."

Nodding his head, that's when the man reached down and touched his gloves, threatening to take it off as he silently dared Eri to stay. "Yes, children are tricky, thinking they can do whatever they want."

Eri gasped in fear then, not wanting these people to die, and quickly detached herself from Amari before hurrying back with the man.

Everyone found this strange, especially Amari. "Hey, wait.."

Clinging to Chisaki's leg, the man patted her head only for the girl to flitch. "Are you done with your temper tantrum now?"

Eri nodded her head and Amari felt a large pit in her stomach, now stepping forward as Mirio stopped her. He couldn't have her raise any more suspension. "Bakugo, stop it. Let them go."

Although Amari had other plans. No, she couldn't let this man take her. For some reason, she felt something familiar about that girl. Her eyes, they were crying out for help. "Hold it right there! If you think I'm going to let you take her then you have another thing coming to you! I don't care if you're Yakuza or whatever, just get away from her!"

Shaking his head, Chisaki then reached for his glove again just as Eri ran in front of him, shouting back with tears in her eyes to the blonde haired girl. "No! It's okay, I'm okay now. You don't have to worry about me!"

Amari's heart broke then as the man patted her head once more. "There, see? She wants to come with me. You are overreacting."

Although Amari was not convinced in the slightest, seeing Mirio give her a stern look and pull her back. "Sorry about that. This one can get like that sometimes! Hope you have a great day!"

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she watched them go, that is until the man turned around once more, his gaze boring into Bakugo's sister with intent. "By the way, why are you so intent on Eri?"

That's when he narrowed his eyes, malice clear in his voice. "Is it because you see similarities in each other, Bakugo?"

Amari gaped then, feeling a slight shake enter her hands. Wait, how did he know that she was sensing deja vu with the girl? Her white gown, the bandages around her arms, the look in her eyes, it seemed almost the same to herself a long time ago. There was no way he would know that though.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Chisaki then lowered in voice, his next words shaking to her core and making her breathing stop. "Or should I call you number twelve?"

At that terrible name, Amari breathing picked up. No no, it couldn't be. The only ones that would know that were the villains that experimented on her. Number twelve, that was her label in America. How did he know about her? What was happening?!

Suddenly something entered her mind then, hissing in her ear like poison. Another memory, another voice. _**Number twelve, it's time to begin..**_

Shaking her head, the girl began to cover her ears before muttering back. "No..stop it.."

Chisaki seemed to enjoy her state though, smirking under his mask before turning away. "You don't look so good, if only you had pills to help."

His words were cruel and calculating, like he was toying with her. This man wanted her to know that he knew about her secrets, her pills, her past..

Deku noticed her breathing and quickly put a hand to her shoulder just as the man walked off, trying to calm her down. "Amari-chan? What's wrong, are you okay?!"

Although his touch didn't bring her comfort, only flinching away in fear just as Eri had done before. "Don't touch me!"

Reeling back in shock, he then watched tears rise up in her eyes. "I'm sorry..I..have to go...I can't be here…"

Then before he could question it, Amari ran out of the alley and down the street, much to Deku's dismay. What was going on, and why did she look so afraid? Now that is thought about it, she kind of looked like Eri in that moment. They had the same kind of fear in their eyes.

Leaning against a nearby wall, Amari then clutched her head in pain as a new memory made its way to the surface.

Suddenly she was sitting in a large chair, strapped down as bright lights shined in her eyes, her small voice ringing out as the memory slammed into her mind.

* * *

_Blinking back in confusion, little Amari looked towards the doctors before speaking. "Having a quirk will make my brother love me?"_

_One doctor touched the straps on her chair before replying. "Of course, but you'll have to work really hard for that to happen. In order to do that you have to listen to what we say, okay?" _

_Amari nodded her head then, watching the doctor move other to the corner, now hearing him mutter to another older man. "Are you sure this is the child you recommended? She seems like she would die right away.." _

_All for One only smiled though, locking eyes with the child. "I have a good feeling about her. The passion she has for her brother is promising. If she survives make sure you use that." _

_Nodding his head, the doctor opened the briefcase next to him, revealing four vials of bright red liquid, the color of blood. "Hopefully this one won't die instantly like the last one. They didn't even put up a fight. What a pity." _

_All for One seemed to share his disappointments. "Eleven useless attempts so far. It seems no one is strong enough to survive the process thus far. Perhaps she will be different though." _

_The Doctor only nodded his head before bringing the syringe back to the girl. "Nomu blood is complicated after all." _

_That's when the man turned back to the girl before tapping the vial. "Alright number twelve, it's time to begin…" _

_Using the tip of the needle, the man then injected the substance into the girl 's neck before looking at his clock. "Now listen kid, don't disappoint us, like with your brother. If you want to be strong then prove it. " _

_Almost immediately, the drug burned through the little girl's insides, the doctors watching her screaming writhe in pain with absolutely no emotion, just writing stats and data down from time to time. _

_Amari felt like she was getting ripped apart, her chest crying out in an agony she had never felt before. It was like the drug was cutting through each of her cells, one by one, changing them into something different, something not human. _

_It became so unbearable that she found herself brokenly crying out for comfort, for anyone to stop this pain. "Brother..please...stop it...it hurts..!" _

_Although the Doctor's voice returned next to her ear, cruel and low. "Your brother isn't here, he abandoned you." _

_Shaking her head, Amari seized underneath them, suddenly wishing for her family back. "I want to go home…!" _

_But once again the man's voice coaxed her back. "Have you forgotten, you have no home. They sent you away because you were a burden on them. You don't want to be weak anymore do you? Because if that's the case, then you can just die right here." _

_The sensation lasted forever, Amari feeling herself growing weaker by the second as her screams turned into a drowning mess, willing her to go to sleep and give up. _

_Although the girl knew she couldn't do that, now remembering her brother's disgusted face, how ashamed he looked to see her weak and fragile body and the cruel words he said to her that day…"No!"_

_No, she wouldn't give up. If she wanted to be a Bakugo then she couldn't. _

_Because Bakugo's were the strongest of them all._

* * *

Snapping back into reality, Amari heaved out a breath before sliding to the floor, a sob now etched in her throat. She didn't want to remember this, the first time they enhanced her quirk, this pain that she had to go through, she didn't want to know any of it.

The pain of the memory still tore away at her chest, now fully remembering the events she had just seen. They were terrible and gruesome, Amari now silently fearing for what else she might uncover.

Hugging her shaking arms, the girl cried into her knees silently, wishing the memory away all at once.

That girl, Eri, was she experiencing this kind of thing also? Amari sure hoped not.

* * *

That night, Amari stared up at her ceiling and dreaded the idea of closing her eyes and seeing another memory. It's like they were haunting her, messing with her and making her go insane.

So much so that somehow, she found herself in front of her brother's door for some reason, now banging on the surface twice.

Katsuki opened the object roughly, grumbling half asleep in the process. "Who the hell..?!"

Although he paused when he saw his sister in front of him for some reason. "Amari, what are you doing here?"

Looking down at the floor for a second, Amari smiled back. "Oh you know, I just wanted to see what was up with you?"

Bakugo didn't seem pleased though, now slamming the door in her face. "Go back to bed stupid. It's too late to deal with you right now."

He paused though when Amari reached out her hand, desperate for something. "Wait! Please don't go.."

Frowning back, the boy then crossed his arms. There was something weird going on with her. "You have five seconds to tell me the reason why you're pounding on my door in the middle of the night or I'm going back to bed."

The girl played with her sweatshirt ties in response, muttering out something before actually thinking about her words. "Could I sleep with you tonight?"

Her question was certainly unexpected, Bakugo now blinking in surprise. "What are you five years old?"

Then as soon as she heard his response, Amari began to backtrack. How could she be so stupid? Of course he wouldn't want that. She was being a baby. "Sorry, forget I said that. Of course you would say no. It's okay, you can go back to bed, I'll leave you be.."

She tried to turn away from her own embarrassment then, only for Katsuki to grab her arm to stop her. "Hold on, why the hell would you even ask that? Did something happen?"

Although Amari only shook her head, thinking about the events earlier and muttering. "It's nothing.."

Bakugo looked at his sister then, definitely sensing something wrong with her. In all the years they were together, she had never asked to sleep with him. It's like she was afraid of something, something that was really messing her up.

Kicking his door open, Katsuki then stepped inside only for Amari to question. "What are you doing?"

The boy only groaned in response though. "Get your ass in here before I change my mind."

The girl's eyes widened at that. He couldn't be serious, Bakugo Katsuki was actually agreeing to this? Impossible. "Uhh no that's okay. I don't want to trouble you.."

But Bakugo had already decided, pushing her into his room roughly so she didn't have a choice in the matter. "Just shut up and get in already. I swear, you are such a pain in my ass."

He slammed the door behind them as Amari looked around her brother's room before grabbing a blanket off his chair and placing it on the floor next to his bed. "Sorry I'm annoying you. I promise you won't even notice I'm here."

Although as she crawled onto the floor, Katsuki shook his head in annoyance. "What the hell are you doing now? Get off the damn floor."

Amari didn't seem to understand though. "It's okay, I'm already asking for a lot of you, I'm fine here.."

But Bakugo wasn't pleased at her sacrifice, only feeling annoyed about it more than anything. As if he'd make his sister sleep on the cold floor when she was clearly asking for comfort. "Listen here, you have three seconds to get on that bed before I pick your sorry ass up myself and drag you there!"

Twisting her features into confusion, the girl only shook her head. "I told you I'm fine. You don't have to do that..Hey, what are you doing?!"

But because she didn't listen, Katsuki reached down and quickly scooped up his sister before throwing her roughly onto the mattress. Then he grabbed one of his blankets and shoved it over her head. "Just shut up already. God, you're so fucking annoying all the time. I offered for a reason dumbass, so just be grateful and take it."

Lowering the blanket to her chest, Amari then watched as Bakugo unhappily stepped over her to the right of the bed before turning away from her and facing the wall. "Now go back to bed, idiot."

The girl honestly couldn't believe her eyes, knowing that she was now sharing a bed with her brother. She thought she'd never see the day, although Amari was thankful for the moment. She felt even more at ease just seeing his back facing her. "Katsuki…"

He grumbled in response as Amari smiled under her breath, remembering something from a long time ago. "This kind of reminds me of the time you stayed with me at the hospital after we marathoned all those All Might DVDs. Even though it was past visiting hours, the nurses still let you stay…"

Staring at the wall, Katsuki thought about that same memory. The two didn't have many interactions but the ones they did have were small. He had almost forgotten about it until Amari mentioned it just now.

She continued then, a finger tracing down the mattresses in memory. "You crawled up on my bed and we talked for hours and held hands until both of us fell asleep, dreaming about what kind of quirks we would have, what kind of heros we would be. Funny how things ended up turning out though."

Laughing to herself, the girl sighed then, a hole appearing in her brother's heart at the action. "Sorry, you probably don't remember that. I guess I'm just being nostalgic."

Suddenly she felt Katsuki shift his body until they locked eyes, a sad look on his face. How could she even say that? Of course he remembered that. "You idiot, your stupid face wouldn't shut up about how much you wanted to be like All Might after that tape, and I told you that we were going to be even better then him, the best of them all."

Amari's eyes widened then, remembering his words just as he said them. He did remember. "Yeah, the unstoppable Bakugo twins. I always liked the sound of that."

She chuckled at the thought before her eyes grew into something more serious. "Katsuki, I've already decided. I'm going to take the provisional license exam with you in April, and then we can both become real heros together."

Bakugo was certainly surprised at her declaration, knowing that what she wanted wasn't going to be easy. She was already far behind as it was, but also knowing her, the boy knew she could do it. "I'd like to see that, nerd."

Smiling back, she nodded her head as Katsuki changed the subject then. "Amari, is there something you're not telling me? Because if there is, you better spit it out right now."

Amari's face dropped then, thinking about the Chisaki encounter with that little girl, now shivering a little bit. "I just, ran into something unpleasant today."

Her brother didn't feel at ease with that though, already itching towards her. She looked afraid. "What the hell does that mean?"

Shaking her head, the girl replied small and quiet before pointing to the cruel scars on her neck and back. "Remember when you saw my scars and I told you that they were from America?"

Bakugo nodded his head only for her to look away in shame. "Well a lot of those memories aren't really great and for a while it was easy to just ignore them. But now, it seems that isn't the case."

She hugged her body then, a flash of memory coursing through her as Bakugo eyed his sister with concern, now quickly reaching out to touch her for some reason. "Amari, what the fuck happened to you back then?"

As his fingers touched her skin though, Katsuki's eyes hollowed as she flinched away, her voice echoing back softly. "I don't want to talk about it.."

He pulled back as she took in a shaky breath, her brother now seeing a glimpse of the damage she had suffered. Those bastards in America didn't torture her or something, right? Although with her flinching, those thoughts couldn't help but stick to his mind.

Bakugo wanted to pry but seeing her scared expression made him falter. It seemed she wasn't ready to face this kind of thing yet. Although the worry was making him crazy, the boy was just happy that she wasn't hiding this from him. "Hey.."

Then before Amari to reply, Katsuki wrapped his arm around his sister before giving her a warm hug, her voice squeaking out in surprise. "Katsuki, what are you..?"

Shaking his head, the boy only mustered back. "Shut up. I get it already. You don't have to say anything, just don't think you can keep this shit to yourself, alright?"

Taking in his scent, Amari closed her eyes at the warmth of her brother's embrace before he pulled away a couple minutes later and turned back towards the wall roughly. "If you talk about this to anyone, you're dead."

She blinked in surprise for a moment before letting her lips curve into a small smile, her body returning back to normal temperature. "Hey Katsuki?"

Grumbling back, the boy angrily muttered back. "What is it now?!"

Her voice returned small, and unsure. "Can we hold hands like back then?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes in annoyance before shaking his head, Amari's eyes falling at the idea. Of course he wouldn't want to do that. "You're so stupid.."

Although the girl gasped when he felt her brother's hand intertwine with hers, the boy still facing away from her though. The contact made her heart pound with joy, squeezing her palm into his before smiling softly to herself.

That night, Amari didn't have any nightmares.

* * *

The next day, Endeavor heard a knock on his office door and a couple seconds later, it opened to reveal Amari. That was strange, they didn't have a training schedule for today so he thought he didn't have to see her face. "Bakugo, what are you doing here?"

She silently made her way up to him with a serious expression, eyeing the files of Chisaki Kai on his desk. He must have been working on gathering intel. "Endeavor, I have a favor to ask.."

Frowning back, the man didn't get where she was going with this, watching her hands curl up into a small ball.

Although the girl knew exactly what she was doing. If that little girl was truly experiencing the same thing she had as a child then Amari couldn't let that slide. The look in her eyes back in that alley was so familiar, so haunting to her past. It was like she had to save her.

That's when Amari dipped her head into a bow, earning a surprised look from Endeavor. That girl was always so prideful, he had never seen her bow before.

His voice rang out, then filled with a newfound determination and absolute intent. "Please let me help with the Chisaki case."

* * *

Oh boy, lots to unpack here. I loved writing this chapter, the suspense, the fluff! Because of her experiences, Amari sees Eri has a past version of herself, that's why she's getting flashbacks to her time in America. Also writing Chisaki's dialogue was so fun, the way he plays with Amari because he knows about her being All for One's masterpiece. I wonder how that will play out?

Also we get a small glimpse into Amari's past and the way those villains twisted her mind into thinking her brother didn't love her and that she was weak. Because she was so young it was easy to psychologically manipulate her like that. We'll see more of that later as well.

Thanks for all the wonderful messages and comments lately, your love for this story makes me inspired to write more! 3

Next Chapter: Amari is on the Chisaki case with Endeavors agency.


	56. S4 Chapter 6

Hello, future Ashley here! I totally forgot to post a couple chapters on this site so the upcoming spam is basically me catching up with other sites. Enjoy!

* * *

Walking into the teachers lounge, Amari narrowed her eyes before seeing a small sofa in the corner with All Might seated in one of the chairs on the right. On further inspection he seemed to have a solemn expression on his face with his hands touching the middle part of his forehead in anxiety. Was there something going on that she didn't know about?

She felt bad about interrupting his concentration and decided to stand still but after a few moments, the hero realized she was there and all the worry seemed to melt from his face. Either that, or he was covering it up well. "Ah Young Bakugo, there you are. Sorry to call you here so suddenly. I'll try to not make it a habit."

Shaking her head, the girl didn't seem bothered, although she couldn't help but notice the heavy presence around her. "No it's okay, but if I may ask, why did you call me in here? Is everything okay?"

All Might stared at her for a couple seconds, like he was searching for something before smiling back. "Oh yes, everything's quite alright. I suppose I just wanted to see how your hero training with Endeavor has been going. I know he can be very brash."

This made no sense to the girl. Not once had the hero been that concerned about her, well expect when she was made to be a criminal. Something wasn't right. "Oh, uhh it's been good. Endeavor is a pain in the ass most of the time but his teachings aren't bad. By the way, thanks for giving me the chance to stay at U.A. back when everything happened. You could've very easily handed me off to the authorities but you didn't. Sorry I was too selfish to thank you back then. You even helped cover for me.."

Nodding his head, as if to himself, All Might stopped for a moment before letting his eyes fall, a serious atmosphere in the air now. "It's not a problem. It is slightly my fault as well for not noticing your struggle. As a teacher and a hero, I should've been there for you more, and for that, I'm sorry."

Amari thought about his sentence before disagreeing wholeheartedly. "It's not your fault All Might so don't beat yourself up about it. All for One is the one who messed with my mind, it's his fault."

At the name, the hero felt a chill in the air. "You know Young Bakugo, a couple days ago I met with All for One in prison, and he told me something."

The air in her lung seemed to stop as the girl absently mindedly grabbed the sofa behind her in anxiety. Whatever that man said couldn't have been good. "W-What did he say?"

A small silence appeared then before All Might replied, low and uncertain. "The time that you were with him in America, do you remember it?"

Amari's eyes widened at this, knowing that the villain talked about her memory gaps. Crap, she didn't want anyone to know that embarrassing detail. So much so, that she tried to laugh it off "Oh, well actually not really. I don't remember most of my time from America. It's like small flashes but that's about it."

At that, All Might let out a huge breath of relief before placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's good. Young Bakugo, don't concern yourself with that. Just focus on your hero training."

Why did his words sound like he was trying to keep her from her memories? She knew they weren't pretty but something about this wasn't right. He knew something. "All Might, do you know what happened to me?"

At that, the man's eyes widened as well before shaking his head. "Of course not. I suppose I was just curious, that's all. I wanted to confirm his words for myself. He seems to think that you will go back to your villain ways but I know for a fact that All for One has been mistaken. For, I see nothing but a hero in you Young Bakugo."

His pride made Amari slightly flustered, stepping back in embarrassment. "That really means a lot coming from you. You know, Katsuki and I really looked up to you as kids so hearing you say that, it makes me even more determined."

Placing his hand back on her shoulder the man couldn't help but smile. "I already know that you will do wonderful things, Young Bakugo, just hold onto that dream as hard as you can, for the path you walk may not be easy."

The girl couldn't only smirk at that. "I always welcome a challenge."

All Might nodded his head at that, before removing his shoulder and pointing to the door. "Very good, well I'll let you head back to class. If anything else happens please be sure to tell me."

Nodding her head, Amari then smiled before turning towards the door, pride in her steps. "Thanks All Might."

He put his hand up as a goodbye and watched her leave before letting his face fall back into that state of anxiety. That girl, she seemed okay for now. He hoped that would last.

Just then, the phone began to ring in his back pocket, the man picking it up roughly. "Did you find the rest of them?"

The man on the other end replied back shortly, causing the hero's skin to crawl. "Yes sir, all records of Bakugo Amari have been recovered from the All for One hideout raid. When would you like me to send them?"

Shaking his head, All Might then placed two fingers to his temple before sighing. When All for One mentioned something about a band-aid on Bakugo's mind, he never thought it would've been something like this. He had only read one file so far since that was all they could find, but even that was unsettling.

The man was looking for answers but it seemed instead he found something darker, something he hoped that poor girl would never remember. "Immediately."

* * *

Deku, Mirio and the rest of Sir Nighteye's agency sat in their office, patiently awaiting Endeavor and his sidekicks to appear so that they could start talking about the upcoming case together.

Deku seemed more worried than usual, only meeting Todoroki's father a couple times but never getting a good vibe from him. He just couldn't help but be nervous in front of the ominous man, although Mirio didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

After a couple more moments, the door swung open and a couple people filed in, one being Endeavor himself. "Sir Nighteye…"

The man in question then eyed the number one hero before reaching his hand out for a shake, disdain in his eyes. He couldn't help it, knowing that their rivalry between All Might and him was a long history. "Endeavor.."

Pointing back towards him, Endeavor then spoke evenly, getting down to business. "I have brought the most capable of my team to help with the investigation. Rest assured, we will find out what Chisaki's plans are soon enough."

Sir Nighteye seemed pleased with this, now gesturing to his staff and two trainee's. "I as well have put my very best into this case, along with a couple work study students from U.A. They are witnesses of the encounter we spoke about."

Endeavor locked eyes with the boys then and Deku felt a shiver run down his spine, now bowing. "Hello Sir, it's nice to see you again! I look forward to working with you!"

At his words, the man only frowned before realizing just who he was. "You're that boy that lost to my son during the sports festival."

Gasping in surprise, Deku cried back. "Oh uhh yeah that's me! I know I probably didn't look like much back then but I promise to give my everything into this case!"

His excitement seemed familiar to him, like a certain blonde haired child he knew. Of course he'd get stuck with another one. Just his luck. "Let's just hope you aren't as difficult as her."

Deku turned his head in confusion, not knowing exactly what he was saying. He never mentioned anyone's name. "I'm sorry?"

But Sir Nighteye interrupted, already making his way to his desk. "Well then, enough playing around. Since everyone is here…"

Although Endeavor put his hand up at that, stopping the man all together. "Actually, there is one more member to the investigation."

Sir Nighteye put his brow up in confusion when suddenly the door to his office slammed open as someone ran inside, her breath labored and frantic as Amari cried back. "Sorry I'm late! Endeavor didn't give me clear instructions so I got a little lost. I hope we haven't started yet.."

The man just stared at her, only for Deku and Mirio's eyes to widen. "Amari-chan?! What are you doing here?"

Smiling back, Amari just placed her hands on her hips before walking up to Sir Nighteye. "Hello Sir Nighteye, I believe we've met before when I was delivering that paperwork a couple days ago. Let me formally introduce myself though, I'm Bakugo Amari, hero name Ember. It's nice to meet you."

She lifted her hand out in a greeting only for the man to stare at it in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke Endeavor?"

Noticing his tone, the girl frowned. "I'm sorry, is there a problem with me?"

Although the past sidekick only glared, stomping up to Endeavor in pure frustration. "Of course there is. You allowed a child onto this investigation? Endeavor, do you know how many liabilities this is?"

Amari's throat ticked in annoyance before pointing to her friends in the corner. "Midoryia and Mirio are the same age as me and they have been allowed on the investigation. I hardly think that's fair."

Yet the man still wasn't pleased. "Those two have already passed their provisional license exams so they are able to engage in combat legally. The same can not be said for you. If you were to get hurt, both of our agencies would be in ruin. I will not risk that."

Balling her fists, Amari tried to keep her cool, knowing that Endeavor could pull her off this case anytime he wanted. She needed to stay calm and level her head, although it certainly was hard.

Yet before she could speak out, Endeavor beat her to it. "I take responsibility for Bakugo's safety. She requested she be put on this case so she already knows the risks."

Amari turned in disbelief at that. Was he actually sticking up for her? That was certainly new. The girl didn't know how to take it.

Shaking his head, Sir Nighteye just rubbed his temple. "Endeavor, now is not the time for a charity case just because the girl wants to prove something foolish. I understand you like her but there are rules…"

At the word charity case, Amari's eyes grew in fury, taking a step forward. "Charity case?! Now hold on you little…"

But luckily, Endeavor put his arm out to stop her, speaking over her. "You misunderstand Sir Nighteye, I don't like her. I think she's reckless, disrespectful and overly brash most of the time, but she's my trainee and I've already accepted her request to work on this case. I will fully accept the repercussions if they should occur.."

A hard ball of emotion entered Amari's throat, knowing that Todoroki's father had her back on this. Yeah he was a pain most of the time but Amari had never had someone believe in her like this before. Usually they would write her off because of her size or appearance. As much as a jerk he was, she was glad he was doing this for her. "Endeavor.."

Sir Nighteye looked between the girl and the number one hero for a moment before sighing heavily and muttering. "I take no responsibility for her safety, it's her death.."

Amari felt her lips curve into a soft smile then, watching the man walk away from them. Did this mean she could work on the case, that she could save Eri? The thought alone made her more determined than ever.

Turning back to the man in question, the girl spoke. "Why did you just do that for me?"

Although the man only sighed, already regretting his decision. "There is something you have to accomplish here, isn't there? I can't think of any other reason that would make you bow.."

Squeezing her arms tightly, Amari smiled softly. "Thanks Endeavor."

Endeavor only nodded slightly though before replying. "Just don't make me regret my decision. I can pull you off this case anytime you act out of line. There is too much riding on this to play around Bakugo."

Understanding his words, the girl replied shortly, a newfound fire in her eyes. "I know, I don't intend to play around anyways."

* * *

Bakugo and Todoroki had just returned from their mandatory extra classes just as the sun was about to set, the boys looking even grumpier than ever. Having to spend the day with each other was starting to get on their last nerves.

Walking with his hands in his pockets, Todoroki moved in front of Bakugo only for the boy to shout back, already hurrying up to meet his pace. "Screw you icyhot! You better walk behind me!"

Although Todoroki wasn't pleased, shaking his head. "I'm not even doing anything. You could really stand not to get so annoyed with everything."

Katsuki grumbled at that, pushing the boy back a couple steps. "And you could stop being such a little bitch about everything and just do what I say!"

Narrowing his eyes, the boy pushed Bakugo back only to be stopped by the figure in the distance, waiting by the dorms in silence.

They noticed the man immediately, his skinny physique hard to miss. "Young Bakugo, Young Todoroki. How are classes going?"

Walking up to All Might, Katsuki spoke first, pointing aggressively towards his classmate. "I swear, if I hear one more passive aggressive response come out of this bastards mouth, I'm going to lose it!"

Todoroki only glared back though. "You do end up walking into most of them. I can't help that you don't realize that.."

Katsuki twitched his eye only for the hero to laugh at their banter. "My, such lively boys. Don't worry you two, it will all be worth it in the end. Just keep pushing on.."

Amari's brother only frowned in response as Todoroki looked around the building. "If I might ask, what are you doing over at the student dorms?"

That's when All Might's face began to drop before turning to Katsuki solemnly. "I was actually waiting for you, Young Bakugo. I was hoping if you weren't busy, we could talk about something.."

Bakugo raised his eye at that. What could All Might what to talk to him about? That is, unless it had something to do with that damn Deku and his quirk. He really hoped not. "If it's about that damn Deku then I'm not interested.."

He began to walk away then just as the hero spoke again, stopping the boy in his tracks. "It's not that, it's about your sister."

Turning back around, Katsuki then moved up to All Might before a small bit of anxiety entered his throat. Suddenly, he was interested "What about her?"

That's when he gave the boy an unknown look before pointing back to the school. "It's rather urgent but let's discuss this somewhere else."

Just then, Todoroki stepped forward, fear in his features. "Is everything alright All Might?"

The man didn't answer that though, just shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but this information is only for Young Bakugo. I would hate to rely such personal information without her consent."

His words sounded cryptic and ominous, causing Todoroki's body to give off many warning bells in his mind. Something wasn't right, and he wanted to know. "Will all due respect All Might, if something is happening with Amari then I want to know what it is.. I know I'm not family but if she's in danger.."

All Might looked rather sad then, ready to tell the boy he couldn't know this information. That is, until Katsuki spoke up. "It's fine. Icy hot should come also. As much as I hate it, he deserves to know what's going on with her just as much as me.

The man seemed surprised at that, never knowing that Bakugo could be so easily persuaded. He supposed that just showed how much the two cared about her, able to tolerate each other for the sake of Amari. "Normally I would reject that kind of offer but I've seen first hand how much you two care for her. Very well, follow me.."

Looking between each other, Todoroki and Bakugo then shared a look before following the hero into the school, not knowing what exactly they were about to encounter.

* * *

Once they reached All Might's office the man gestured to the chairs next to him before sighing. "You may want to sit down before I give you this information. It's not for the faint of heart."

The boy complied, both feeling worry in the back of their minds. Why was the air in this room so thick? Bakugo especially wanted to know. "So why did you bring us here anyways? What is this about Amari?"

All Might looked down for a moment before picking up a file next to his desk and speaking. "A couple weeks ago I visited All for One in his cell and I inquired about his plan for Young Bakugo. He seemed to believe that she would turn back to him in the future, even though I told him that she was now on the hero path.."

Shaking his head, Todoroki already didn't like where this was going. "Amari would never be a villain. She already proved that when she conspired with my old man to bring those villains down."

Nodding back, All Might seemed to agree. "I expressed that, but he seemed to think that it didn't matter and began to talk about some sort of band-aid on Young Bakugo's mind, keeping her from remembering certain events or experiences."

The boys couldn't help to recall a familiarity to those words, Bakugo shaking his head. "Now that you mention it, she did say something but not being able to remember something, but she wouldn't tell me shit about it. She even looked scared even when I tried to reach out to her last night. She goddamn flinched for some reason."

Nodding his head, Todoroki continued. "She told me something about that as well, saying that her memory loss was a side effect of the pills she was taking. When I tried to talk to her about it, she also seemed uncomfortable so I stopped prying."

All Might looked down then, holding the file in his hands before making his way over to the boys. "Because of his claims, I had a couple sidekicks recover as many files as we could out of All of One's old hideout, and we found this…."

He lifted the file up then, letting the two boys read the detail with dread. **Bakugo Amari Experiment #12**

Shaking his head in disbelief, Todoroki rose from his seat first before taking the file apprehensively. "What is this?"

The hero's eyes fell then, speaking back small. "It's the memories she forgot, all documented and explained in detail. These are the things her mind doesn't want to remember.."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that as Bakugo ripped the files out of his hands before opening the contents and gasping in utter horror and shock. What, what even was this?!

* * *

_Test #2: After 5 oz. of blood is administered, number twelve is able to hold breath for three minutes before losing consciousness. _

_Test #7 After 10 oz. of blood is administered, number twelve is able to sustain heat of 75% and up to five minutes before starting to receive permit damage. _

_Test #12 After 15 oz. of blood is administered, number twelve is able to withstand up to ten volts of electricity before seizing and falling unconscious. _

_Test #20 After 5 oz. of blood is administered, number twelve completed training course in five minutes, suffering from four broken ribs and minor internal bleeding. _

_Test #56 After 10 oz. of blood is administered, number twelve completed training course in three minutes, suffering from a broken hand, nose and two stab wounds on chest and back._

* * *

There were hundreds of tests on that paper and reading them made bile rise up in the boys throats at the terrible information. What kind of horrible and cruel things had those villains made her do, what had she lived through..?

Todoroki spoke first, his hand moving to his mouth in order not to become sick. "Oh god, this was her life in America?"

Katsuki seemed to share the same feeling, tightening his hold on the papers as a hard ball of emotion echoed in his throat. She really suffered. "Those bastards, I'll fucking kill them!"

Shaking his head, All Might then handed the boys another file instead, although this one seemed to be a book of some sort.. "We also found this journal documenting a couple instances. There were only a couple at the scene though so the others are still out there somewhere."

Todoroki shakily took the book from the hero before staring at the cover for a couple moments, dreading the information that was inside. Although somewhere in the back of his mind, the boy needed to know.

Turning the cover open, the boy then began to read the contents, his eyes growing hollow during each word.

* * *

_ January 5th_

_Experiment number twelve seems to have reacted to the Nomu blood exceptionally well today, only suffering from a brief flash of pain before falling unconscious. Tested abilities out on the training course and number twelve was able to complete the course in twenty minutes. Slight resistance was recorded but mentions of her brother and being weak/useless remain to be important triggers for her to continue fighting. Make note to use those methods further as we continue with future tests_.

* * *

These villains, it was like they knew what drove Amari to keep fighting, what her insecurities were and used them to shape her mind and conform to their desires. The very idea was disgusting to Todoroki, now looking at Katsuki with anxiety. He couldn't let him read this, because then her brother would know how they used his name to torture her. He would blame himself for her pain.

Although as they met eyes, Bakugo growled, already trying to take the book out of Todoroki's hands. "What, what is it?! Let me see you bastard..!"

The boy turned away though, slapping the book shut and hiding it behind his back. "I don't think you want to read this Bakugo."

As expected though, Katsuki didn't like that idea, already taking a threatening step closer. "If it's about my sister then of course I want to fucking know! Now give it here icyhot before I set you on fire!"

Shaking his head, Todoroki's hold tightened on the book as All Might interrupted them. "I understand your concern Young Todoroki but this is something Young Bakugo needs to see in order to protect her."

The boy stared down at the object then before sighing heavily and handing it to Bakugo. He knew the hero was right but it also seemed like an incredibly cruel this to do. He already thought her condition was his fault, what was he going to do when he found out this terrible information?

Katsuki roughly grabbed the book before opening up the same page Todoroki had just read, his heart dropping into his chest all at once. These words, they couldn't be true. His sister had to live like this the entire time?

At the mention of his name in the report, Bakugo felt tears well up in his eyes. Those assholes made her believe that he didn't love her and when she came back home, he confirmed that fact.

How could he had been so stupid, so naive. Katsuki proved her twisted mindset one cruel word at a time. "They are the reasons her brain is so fucking broken, and I helped them in their lies. I'm such a goddamn idiot!"

He slammed the book down on the ground only for All Might to speak over them. "I am showing you this information because someday, Bakugo will remember these events, and when she does, she will need someone to help her. Of course, I'll be there but I believe she also needs someone she can trust to look out for her. I was hoping you boys could do that."

Nodding his head, Todoroki looked down at his hands before muttering softly. "Of course. I won't let her remember these kinds of things alone."

Bakugo shared the same feelings, balling his fist in frustration. "Those villains have another time coming to them if they think they can screw with my sister like that!"

The hero seemed satisfied at that, a small breath of relief echoing from his throat. "Thank you boys. It's my hope that Young Bakugo can rise past these terrible events and become a hero through her own strength, not theirs."

Todoroki and Bakugo then looked between each other before coming to a silent needed to work together on this so that Amari could be safe, and that was something they both agreed on.

Amari had just made her way towards the dorms when she noticed Todoroki and Bakugo out of the corner of her eye. They seemed to be coming from the school which was odd, given that classes were already over for the day.

Not noticing her presence, the girl called back, waving excitedly in their direction. "Katsuki, Shoto! What are you doing here? Isn't class supposed to be over already?"

At her voice the two froze before locking eyes onto the girl and all those horrible experiments and tests started rushing back to them. She was always able to smile so happily, even though she went through hell.

Katsuki was about to speak back when he felt Todoroki race past his side and run up to the girl in question before barreling into her with a firm embrace. The action almost knocked the girl off her feet. "S-Shoto..? Is everything okay?"

Squeezing her shoulders for a moment, the boy caught sight of her scars and muttered into her shoulder. "Yeah, I just missed you. That's all."

Amari smiled softly at this before patting his back as he squeezed on tighter. "I missed you too. I'm sorry I've been so absent lately. It's just this Chisaki case is really important to me."

The boy let go then before nodding his head. "I understand."

The girl seemed pleased at this only to find her brother staring back at her strangely. "Why are you staring out into space Katsuki? I'm surprised you haven't pulled us apart by now."

At that Bakugo blinked to life before crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing his sisters head roughly. "Shut up nerd. I was just busy thinking about something else."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari then locked eyes with her brother. "Oh, is it important?"

That's when Katsuki really took in the weight of her words. He already knew that he would be there for Amari no matter what, even if that meant being there for her throughout her journey. No way were those villains going to ruin her happiness. "Yeah, it's the most important thing to me."

* * *

So here we see how Amari's personality and twisted mindset started to reveal itself. Her past from America isn't pretty and now that Todoroki and Bakugo know just what she went through, well they aren't going to let her remember those kinds of things by herself. The villains were making a weapon for the heros after all, so it makes sense that she would be treated and manipulated like that.

Also can we just appreciate Endeavor for believing in Amari and putting her on the case? Cause like, in the past Amari has been rejected by everyone since they never gave her a chance, only seeing her size or health. But the worst father of the year sees something in her, and between you and me, I think she's growing on him a little.

Next Chapter: Shinso tells himself he's gonna forget about Amari but that plan changes pretty quickly. The Chisaki case pushes on.


	57. S4 Chapter 7

Dabi heard his name echo through the walls of his cell, beckoning him closer to find a guard staring back. "You have a visitor, let's go."

Frowning he had no other choice but to follow the man into the room only to meet those same annoying red eyes he had come to know. This girl was really getting on his nerves. It seemed she visited him twice a week now, and he was forced to listen to her constant ramblings.

Amari smiled from the chair though, like nothing was wrong at all. It was sickly sweet as usual too "Hello Toya, how have you been this week?"

The man groaned back before flopping into his own chair. "Would you stop calling me that. Now I regret telling you that piece of information. What could you possibly want now?"

Although the girl didn't seem bothered only replying shortly. "I already told you, I'm not going to call you by your villain name Toya, so you can forget that. And forgive me for being interested in your life.."

The villain only grumbled though, answering back sarcastically. "My life behind bars? Ah yes, it's very luxurious, thanks for asking."

Amari felt slightly guilty at that, knowing she was the one that put him there. "You know, you wouldn't have to deal with that if you decided to come home."

Dabi only chuckled in response. "On second thought, it's growing on me. I forgot that anything is better than that hellhole. By the way, what did my dear brother say when you told him I was alive? I'm curious how little Sho acted."

That's when Amari played with her hands before answering small. "He doesn't know."

To that, Dabi raised an eye. "Really? And what about coming to visit me all the time, have you told him that?"

The girl only put her head down, signifying that she had not told him. That made the villain even more amused. "Oh wow sweetheart, I didn't know you had it in you to lie to my little brother like that. You know, lying isn't something a hero would do.."

He was picking on her and Amari knew it, only shaking her head. She wouldn't call it lying, she was just withholding information. "It's not my business to tell him. It's yours."

They locked eyes then only for Dabi to shrug. "Then I guess he'll never know because I don't plan on telling him. That will only make him want to pursue me as well and I already have plenty of annoyance from you right now."

Frowning back, Amari had tried everything within her power to talk about her interactions with his family in hopes that it would make him nostalgic. That wasn't a case though. "So, I'm dying to know, what is this big plan you have for me anyways? What are you going to do to convince me to 'come home' as you say. Go on, tell me…"

She remained silently at that, causing the man to raise an eye. "Hold on, you don't have a plan, do you? You talk all high and mighty but I bet you're just forcing me to talk to you because you're lonely or something, right? Well, I hate to break it to you but small talk and some past family stories isn't going to change anything."

Balling her hands into a fist, Amari shook her head, knowing that he was right in a sense. She had no idea how to convince Toya to go back to his family. It seemed almost impossible, but for Todoroki she wasn't about to give up.

She then stood up from her chair roughly. "Don't you want to know what everyone is doing? About how Shoto is trying for his hero license again, or how Fuyumi freaked out when she found out he had a girlfriend, or Natsuo when he kidnapped me and told me how much he missed you, or how your mother tells me that she wishes for your happiness, or how Endeavor is training me even though I'm weak, how he's given me a chance to…"

At that, Dabi slammed his hand on the glass between them, causing Amari to stop speaking. His voice was dark and cruel, like he was mocking her words. "I'm going to stop you right there. I left that place for a reason, and I have no intention of going back. So you better be careful before I stop finding your attempts amusing and kill you myself.."

Her body wanted to be afraid of him, but now that she knew he was a Todoroki, Amari couldn't help but lean back onto the glass. "Then why haven't you done it already? You could've killed me so many times and yet you didn't. I know somewhere in there you want to know about your family, you're just too afraid to face them.."

Dabi's eyes widened then, disbelief across his features before settling back into his usual sarcastic gaze. She didn't know why her last words spoke to him in some way. "You.."

Although Amari didn't falter in the slightest "So it doesn't matter what you think of me, I will keep coming back here and I will keep talking to you about them until you have the courage to face them yourself, because I know for a fact they are waiting for you to come home also."

After her declaration, the boy remained silent as she continued, determination in her gaze. "Shoto deserves to have a family again, he deserves to have a home, and I'm going to do my damn best to make that a reality."

The villain couldn't help but admit that her words were powerful, it was obvious that she had a lot of passion behind them. Although, he knew better what she wanted to do. It would never work. "Your dream is a nice sweetheart but you're going to find out soon that families like ours never change. You can't just say a couple magic words and expect everything to be alright again. Things may seem alright to you now but don't forget what made them broken in the first place. They just aren't that simple, although you're too naive to realize that yet."

Amari took in his words although didn't completely understand the meaning. He was wrong, she had noticed a change in the Todoroki family over the last couple months, all she needed to do was talk to Endeavor and then maybe everything would be fixed.

Shaking her head, the girl replied. "There you go with your preachy behavior again. I won't decide it's impossible until I've tried. You don't understand Toya, your family has given me so much, I want to help them the best I can."

To that, Dabi only frowned. "Your behavior is definitely going to get you killed one day. Can't you just leave it alone? That family is beyond saving.."

Although Amari didn't listen to his words in the slightest, knowing that she couldn't just give up now. Not when she could possibly give Todoroki the feeling of happiness and love again. "We'll just see about that."

* * *

The next day, Amari walked with Endeavor into Sir Nighteye's building until they reached a large meeting room in the corner of the hallway. From his description, it seemed that the hero had put together a sort of strategy to get together many pro heros in the area. Because of that she knew she had to be serious.

Pushing open the door, the girl was surprised when she noticed a few familiar faces in the mix. For some reason along with Deku and Mirio, Kirishima, Asui and Uraraka were there as well.

As soon they noticed her though, the students' eyes lit up with both excitement and confusion. "Amari-chan, you're here also? It's good to see you!"

Smiling back Amari replied. "It's good to see you both as well. I'm glad that Sir Nighteye called all of you here also. To be honest I was getting kind of nervous, not knowing anyone here. It's nice to see some familiar faces."

They all agreed but Asui had another question on her mind. "Amari, why did the agency call you? You haven't taken your provisional exam yet, right?"

Rubbing her shoulder, the girl only muttered back softly. "Ah you see, there's a good answer for that. I kinda, forced my way onto the case? Endeavor let me tag along since its very personal to me."

They were about to question why it was personal but were stopped when Sir Nighteye spoke above everyone. "Alright everyone, take your seats so we can begin."

Everyone complied and his assistant Bubble Girl, got down to business. "So as you know, the Nighteye agency has been keeping our eye on a certain group of Yakuza members that have been making questionable decisions the past couple months. We were able to track their location to an abandoned warehouse were we believe that they made contact with the league of villains."

The league of villains? That didn't sound good to anyone in the room, especially the U.A. students who had to deal with them first hand. "It seems that their main source of income is through illegal drugs so because of that we requested help from heros that have knowledge in that field."

The room began to mumble to themselves as Amari thought about her words. Illegal drugs, the thought made her shiver. She couldn't but recall her pills when they said that.

Although one voice spoke out then. It was a hero to her left, looking less than pleased at the situation. "If that's the case, does anyone want to tell me why a bunch of high school kids are here? I don't care if they are from U.A., I highly doubt they have experience in this field."

Everyone frowned at that, only for another hero, Fatgum to reply, now pointing to his trainee's Kirishima and Tamaki. "Hey now! These boys have some valuable information for you all. In our fight Tamaki was shot with some sort of drug that destroys quirks. I've never heard of it before."

The heros gasped at the development. A drug that destroys quirks? That could be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. Tamaki seemed to alleviate some fear though. "It wasn't permanent though, I gained my quirk back as I slept."

They breathed a sigh of relief at that. At least it couldn't have been worse. Well that was until Fatgum spoke again. "When we had the drug tested out, the results came back with something that made me sick to my stomach. It contained human blood."

Amari's eyes widened at this, feeling her hands have a slight shake to them. That sounds an awful lot like the Nomu blood that All for one put in her pills. She couldn't help but make that connection, now feeling for the little girl more than ever.

Deku seemed equally disgusted although when he saw Bakugo's sister shake, he couldn't help but be concerned for her. "Amari-chan? Are you alright?"

Nodding her head half heartedly, suddenly the man that she had encountered a couple days ago flashed onto the screen in front of her. "The head of the Yazuka's clan, Chisaki Kai is known to distribute such drugs, and with his quirk Overhaul, he is able to break down matter, break down quirks."

Everyone gasped then as Dkeu and Mirio started to look sick. They had just let a dangerous man like that ago? What was wrong with them? But then, his daughter…

Just as they thought that, Nighteye continued. "Chisaki has a daughter named Eri although we have found no records of her birth, and when Deku and Mirio encountered her a couple days ago, they reported that she had bandages on her arms and legs.

The reality was starting to become sickening as that same hero called out roughly again. "As I just repeated, why do you have children here? If what you're saying is true, then that means that Chisaki is using his daughter's body to sell drugs."

That idea was absolutely horrible to everyone in the room, especially Bakugo who felt her fists tighten. She was so close to her that time, and yet she let Deku and Mirio pull her away. If only she was stronger, then she would have faced him in the alleyway…

Silence echoed again, as the man continued with his cruel words. "You know, it would have saved us a lot of trouble if these two amateurs just got the girl away from him."

Deku and Mirio both looked down in shame then. He hadn't reported Amari at the scene so the hero didn't know that she was responsible for it as well. This hero didn't know anything about that time.

So much so, that Amari couldn't help but speak out on her friends behalf. "Forgive me, but you weren't there that day. Chisaki clearly was about to show violence if we didn't let her go. Those two were just trying to stop an unnecessary amount of casualties. I wouldn't call that amateur at all sir, in fact I call that smart."

Deku's eyes lit up at that, feeling a small ball of emotion to his throat, "Amari-chan.."

Mirio also seemed stunned at the fact that she would speak so boldly in front of a pro like that. Although, she was angry one's twin so he supposed that made sense.

At her words, everyone turned to her though, the man narrowing his eyes. "And remind me who you are again?"

Amari then opened her mouth only for another hero to answer for her. "Wait, I know who she is, she's Endeavor's trainee, the high school girl that went undercover for the league of villains."

Taking in their response, the man didn't seem pleased. "Great, first we have a couple of high school kids and now we have a licenseless girl that isn't even in the hero course anymore. What kind of meeting is this Sir Nighteye?"

Sir Nighteye glared at the girl only for her to answer first. "Sir Nighteye didn't put me on this case, I asked to be put on. You wouldn't understand but this is something I need to do. I want to help save that girl."

At that the man shook his head in disapproval. "All the hero's here either have experience in the field or knowledge about the topic at hand. But what about you, what use could you be then?"

Amari remained silent, knowing exactly why she had to be on this case but being too afraid to say it. Deku seemed to notice this as well, calling out to her. "Actually, she.."

But the man cut Deku off roughly, slamming his fists on the table. "If we aren't going to get rid of the high school kids, then I at least vote that we take this one off. With no hero license we could get into serious trouble.."

The heros around them seemed to mutter under their breath and Amari knew what she had to do, shouting back. "No, you can't do that! I need to be on this case!"

The man pushed further for an answer then. "Then give us one reason to keep a kid with no license on this case.."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari then stood up from her seat before slamming her fist into the table, her eyes causing a shiver to go down his spine. "Fine."

Then she quietly unzipped her jacket before throwing the object to the ground and leaving her tank top, much to the confusion of the other heros. Why was she stripping so suddenly?

That's when she spoke, slow and smooth. "When I met Eri in that alleyway a couple days ago I had this strong sense of deja vu, her bandages, the look in her eyes. It was like a cry for help, one that I knew all too well. You want to know my experience with this, why I want to rescue her…?"

Turning around to face the wall, Amari then took a hair tie from her wrist before slowly putting up her hair and revealing her scars and burns across her back for the entire room to see. The marks that those villains put on her, the ones she couldn't remember. They were all out there.

That's when she spoke, dark and sad. "It's because when I was abused by them, no one rescued me…"

Deku's eyes widened in fear, eyeing her scars with had never known that much about Bakugo's sister but torture? Villains had abused her in the past? No, he couldn't believe it. She always seemed to calm, so happy all the time. What was she hiding beneath that smile?

The room was silent, even that male hero was staring at her with shock as she turned back around, now gaining their attention. "I know I'm not the smartest or strongest hero out there, but I know how Eri is feeling right now. She is alone and afraid, and now is not the time to bitch about who is worthy enough to be on this team. So if you have a problem with me then fine, but I'm sure as hell not going to stop being on this case. I will rescue Eri and give her the chance of a childhood I never had, or so help me I will die trying. Any objections?"

The hero's all stared at her in surprise, never knowing that Endeavor's trainee was so explosive and passionate. Many wondered what this girl would be like but looking now, they could tell she was something special.

Endeavor himself sat with his head facing down, a small smile plastered on his face at her words. Yep, that was his trainee.

After a couple more moments, the man that was accusing her sat back down, giving up the fight. This made Amari slightly proud, now covering up her scars with her jacket as Sir Nighteye coughed. "Well then, after that outburst I'll assume we are ready to oversee the plans for each for you."

Nodding back, the man continued. "The idea is simple, go to your assigned area and start the search. We can't be too obvious or else Chisaki will know we are coming. If we want to save Eri like Ember has said, then we need to be smart and plan this out."

Everyone seemed to agree and Amari couldn't help but ball her fists with a small spike of adrenaline at her hero name being echoed through the hall. It felt right.. "Hold on Eri, we are coming."

* * *

Moving back to Endeavor's agency to get her stuff, Amari sighed to herself, knowing she didn't follow his orders exactly well. "So uhh, sorry for speaking out back there. I just needed them know I was serious about this.."

Although the man didn't seem phased at all, only shaking his head. "I already predicted you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut during the meeting so it didn't really come as a surprise."

The fact that he knew she would do something like that only showed closely they had been training, Amari letting her head fall. "I guess I dishonored the Todoroki name then, huh?"

Although what she realized was rather surprising, now seeing Endeavor smile to himself. "I wouldn't say that."

A sense of pride grew in her stomach then, finding herself smiling as well. He seemed almost proud of her outburst which was strange. Usually he would be the first to lecture her on that kind of thing.

That's when Dabi flashed into her mind and Amari wanted to know the answer to another question. "Hey Endeavor, why did you decide to train me anyways? I heard from Shoto that you refused to take anyone weak or lacking in any way. I'm like the definition of that, so why did you choose me?"

Endeavor stopped walking then, his expression was unreadable for a moment before looking down rather solemnly. "Call it a lack of judgement."

Amari stepped forward then, saying something that made the man freeze. "Is it because I remind you of Toya?"

He was silent for a moment before turning back to her, a fire now in his eyes. He looked kind of scary, so much so that it made Amari step back. "Where did you hear that name?"

Gulping back, Amari knew she couldn't tell him about Dabi, settling to dodge the question. "It doesn't matter where i heard it, it's the truth, right? You're using me as some kind pennace for him, right? It's not that I mind or anything but, I guess I was just curious. Our stories are rather similar after all. It would make sense."

Endeavor took a step forward then, fury in his stance. "Don't ever mention that name around me again or else I will revoke my offer to train you."

Although he wasn't denying her words, which made Amari hopeful. Maybe he did still love his son. "I'm not scared of you Endeavor, you can't threaten me like you do with your kids. You just don't want me to talk about him because you don't want to face what happened…"

At that, Endeavor shouted back. "How dare you try to assume things about my own children. You aren't even a part of this family so why are you poking your nose into things that don't concern you?!"

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "But they do concern me. Don't you think it's pretty shitty that Shoto can't even talk about his own brother? No one matter how you try to deny it, he existed Endeavor!"

At her words, the man felt a large wave of fury wash over him, now seeing Amari grab his arm in desperation. "And you miss him too, don't you?"

The touch reminded him of the past, Toya touching his arm and asking some sort of small question. This girl, she was too much like that boy. He knew that, and yet somehow the man kept torturing himself.

Because of the memory, Endeavor roughly pulled away from Amari's hand, slapping her arm away only for it to rise behind him naturally at the action.

Just then a wave of fire floated the room as a hand roughly grabbed Endeavors, now seething with absolute hatred and anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

Amari blinked in surprise only to find Todoroki standing in between them, disgust clear across his face. Why did he look like that? "Shoto, what are you doing here?"

Narrowing his eyes, the boy replied shortly. "I came to pick you up from training only to find his scumbag trying to lay a hand on you. Your methods for training haven't changed I see."

Endeavor looked down at his son before sighing. "Shoto, you are overreacting.."

But the boy was too blinded by rage to see that, now tightening his grip. "I knew having her train with you was a mistake. What else have you done to her?"

Amari then gasped, now trying to break Todoroki away from his father, cause it looked like he really wanted to kill him.

Then she realized why he was so upset, that arm reflex looked like Endeavor was going to slap her for a minute. "Shoto, wait! I'm okay, so just calm down. All of this is my fault anyways, I pushed him."

At that, Todoroki was livid, not knowing the context. "It doesn't matter, he always seems to find an excuse to slap someone around. I know from experience."

Endeavor only frowned at that. "Your training was to better yourself as a hero Shoto. I did that for you."

Throwing his hands up, the boy shouted back. "I didn't ask for that, I didn't ask for you to isolate me from my entire family or beat the hero into me! Quit trying to act all self righteous when we both know what a terrible father you've been to all of us!"

Todoroki then grabbed onto Amari's arm tightly before continuing. "You may have broken me but I will not let you do the same with her. Over my dead body will I let you hurt her."

That's when the boy began to drag her away from the scene, pushing past Endeavor roughly. "Let's go Amari.."

Feeling herself getting pulled, Amari watched herself exit the room only to catch a small glimpse of Endeavor's face before the door shut behind her. Although she couldn't forget that look in his eyes.

He looked devastated for some reason.

* * *

Pulling her outside, Amari stopped once they reached the bottom steps, calling back to his enraged state as she huffed. "Wait, Shoto, slow down!"

He remembered her weak immune then, immediately stopping and turning back in worry only to see her lean forward to take a breath. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Are you alright?"

Nodding her head, Amari then stood up only to see the hatred that was once there before. "Yeah sorry, I'm still working on the whole running thing."

Once he realized she was okay, Todoroki placed a concerned hand to her arm. "Amari, please stop training with my father. He's no good for you."

The girl blinked in surprise at that. She understood his concern but this was something she needed to do. "Shoto, you know I can't do that."

At that, Todoroki's face twisted into something unpleasant. "Why not? Amari, he tried to hurt you back there. I saw him raise his hand to you.."

Amari only shook her head though. "That didn't even happen! I touched his arm and he pulled back from me. It was just a reflex, he has never tried to hit me. You just saw it wrong."

Not believing his father, the boy huffed. "I know that scumbag like the back of my hand. He never missed the opportunity before, so why now?"

This caused a small ball of irritation to build up in the girls throat. He was becoming blinded by his own hate. "You just want to believe that's true because of who he is but the fact is even though Endeavor is a pain in the ass, he's also helped me more times than I can count. He got me on the Chisaki case, stood up for me and believed that I could be a hero. I'm not going to back down from that, I can't."

Todoroki understood in a sense, but couldn't help but feel worried with that man next to the girl he loved. He didn't want her to experience anymore pain. "Amari, I want to support you but my old man will never be kind. He must have done those things to further himself somehow. There has to be an alternative motive for him. He's probably using you."

Amari looked at the boy before sighing to herself. Maybe what Dabi said was right, trying to fix their family wasn't going to be easy. She could still see layers of abuse and hate in Todoroki's eyes. That was something that wouldn't be erased with a couple words.

Letting her head fall, the girl muttered back. "I'm sorry Shoto, but even if you don't support it, I have to stay with him. I promised myself I would become a hero, and your father is the best road for that."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes before turning his back to her. "I love you Amari, but you're right. If you chose to stay with my father, then I can't support it. Not after everything…"

The girl understood but it still hurt nonetheless to have him reject her choice to say with his father. Although no matter what, she knew she couldn't give up, not for herself, and certainly not for Eri. "Even so, I have to do this."

* * *

Oh boy, lots to unpack here. I spent all night writing this, in fact the sun just came up oops. I'll sleep after posting hehe. Lots of themes of abuse here with Amari publicly showing all those heros her scars (Pretty badass might I add) and then Todoroki still having issues with his father and his past abuse. Things like that are hard to forget, and even though he loves Amari, he just can't support her possibly getting hurt.

Next Chapter; Now, it's the Shinso chapter, sorry I got excited to write this one and I thought it fit the order of the story better.


	58. S4 Chapter 8

Deku stepped into the classroom before feeling a cold chill blow past them for some reason. It felt like the room had both metaphorically and physically dropped in temperature then what he was used to. That was certainly strange.

Stepping inside, the rest of the students eyed Deku as he spoke, now rather nervously because of the atmosphere. "Hey guys, umm is there something wrong? The air in here feels tense for some reason. I hope everything's alright."

Uraraka looked between her classmates before whispering back to the boy softly. "It's Todoroki. He seems to be in a bad mood today. I tried to ask what was wrong but he didn't answer. It seems only Amari can ever get anything out of him…"

At the boy's name, Deku looked towards the back of the classroom only to see Todoroki sitting down at his desk, his arms closed over his chest in deep thought. His eyes were closed but even Deku could see the unhappy frown lines on his forehead. He did look kinda upset.

Just then Denki pipped in, flopping himself onto Uraraka's desk before sighing under his breath. "If you ask me, the guy is always in a bad mood."

Aoyama gazed at his nails in response before adding. "Perhaps it was a lovers quarrel?"

Although as he finished saying that, Todoroki's voice echoed back towards them, an unhappy tone to it. Obviously he wasn't enjoying the conversation. "You do know I'm still in the room, correct?"

Everyone shivered as a cold chill blew through the entire room, causing them to shut up fairly quickly. A grumpy Todoroki was not fun at all. They needed to fix this and fast. If only Amari was here…

Just then Mina got an idea, now strolling up to Deku and placing a hand on his shoulders and pushing him in the direction of Todoroki. "Deku, go find out what's wrong."

Squeezing his eyes in confusion, the boy protested, not wanting to bother his friend. Although the pink haired girl already knew this would be the perfect plan. Who could possibly get upset with Deku, well besides Katsuki. He was like a little cinnamon roll of happiness. Sure they didn't have Amari but he was the next best thing.

She pushed him again, causing Deku to slam his knee into Todoroki's desk before gaining the boy's attention. Shoot, now he had to say something. "Hey Todoroki! Uhh I couldn't help but notice you seem a little upset. Is everything okay?"

Staring back at the boy, Deku froze before he only sighed. He seemed really bothered by something. "Just, confused."

Of course that didn't make any sense, causing Deku to laugh out of nervousness. Wasn't Todoroki always confused? "Oh well, if you need anyone to talk to about it, I'm always here! I know talking my feelings out helps me feel better sometimes."

Todoroki seemed to think about this idea before replying. "Even though I told Amari I wouldn't support her training with my old man, she decided to go to him anyways. I don't understand why she would do that kind of thing. It's frustrating…"

Well that confirmed it for Deku, it was definitely a lovers quarrel. But of course that made sense. No one could get Todoroki as emotional as Amari could. It's like she brought out this side of him.

Thinking about that giant meeting with all those heros, Amari seemed rather comfortable with Endeavor, even though he was a scary man. That couldn't have been easy. "Maybe Amari-chan has something she has to do? I know she wouldn't betray you on purpose, Todoroki. She really cares about you."

The boy only shook his head at that. "I know that, I just wish she would stop running into danger so willingly. My heart feels uneasy when I think about her getting hurt again."

Deku nodded back at that, a small smile curling up into his face. Todoroki really loved her, huh. "Well just think of it this way, if she didn't run into danger all the time, then she wouldn't really be Amari-chan, would she?"

Todoroki listened to his words before letting his own mouth curve up into a small smile of his own. He did admit, her internal strength and drive was always something he admired about the girl. "I suppose you're right Midoryia."

Deku was surprised at his smile, only seeing him have that expression a couple times during the course of the year. He must have been thinking about her at that moment. How sweet. "Amari-chan is trying really hard to save that little girl we saw a couple days ago so I'm sure she just has a lot of her mind. She's doing her best, so that means we have to do our best also, right?"

Looking back at his friend, Todoroki looked down in agreement, knowing that she was probably doing all of this for a reason, even if the reason wasn't one he fully understood. Although, it was hard to ignore that familiar ball of anxiety in his throat. "Yeah."

The boy just didn't want her hurt, was that so much to ask?

* * *

Shinso had spent days trying to get that annoying little blonde haired girl out of his mind, he really did. But unfortunately the idea wasn't as easy as it sounded. It seemed impossible not to get nervous in front of her now. He really needed to pull himself together, and fast.

It was silly really, falling for a girl that already had a loyal and supportive boyfriend. What was even wrong with him? He already figured out quickly that his feelings would never go anywhere, hell she didn't even look at him that kind of way. It was better to just try and forget about her like that.

Although as he was thinking that, Amari shuffled into her seat, groaning to herself as she dropped her bag. She seemed upset, which made him concerned. "Wow, who pissed in your coffee today?"

Frowning back, the girl sighed before taking out her books and placing them on her desk. "Nobody, I'm just annoyed at a bunch of things. Endeavor is making me wait here while they find leads on a case I'm working on. I get why he said that but I'd rather help speed up the process than just wait for his call. Who knows what that little girl could be going through right now.."

Shinso couldn't help agree with that, as it did sound very frustrating. "At least you're able to help. Didn't that hero pull a lot of strings just to get you in that case?"

Groaning in response, she replied. "Yeah, you're right. I just wish I wasn't such a kid. Then I could do more. But you're right, as of now I can only do so much without getting in the pros way."

The boy noticed her depressed state and tried to lighten the mood, this time bringing in one of the few people that always made her smile, her brother. "And what does your loving brother have to say about all of this? I imagine he's trying to pull you off, given how protective he is nowadays."

Usually that is what would happen, but instead Amari got a different response. "That's just it. When I told him I was working on a case, he didn't really say anything. I mean, I was expecting him to blow up at me or something but he just kinda, walked away. Maybe I upset him.."

Her eyes fell at the idea as the boy spoke again. "To be honest, when is Bakugo not upset? I wouldn't worry about it. If he disapproved then he would've yelled at you, right? If he didn't even do that then he can't be mad. The boy always tends to wear his heart on his sleeve."

Nodding back, Amari started to believe his words. "Yeah, that could be it. I don't know, everything is just so complicated now."

Shinso raised an eye at that. "How so?"

The girl remained quiet for a moment before sighing once more in a sad tone. "Shoto and I had an argument last night."

At that, Shinso couldn't help but feel his chest pound in hope, of course he quickly forced it down though. It was wrong to feel this way when she was upset. "I didn't know you had it in you short stuff. You worship that guy, I can't believe you would ever disagree with him."

Amari rolled her eyes in response, earning Shinso a playful push. "Shut up, I'm being serious. Although it hurts that he's mad, I need to keep working at Endeavors agency. Their family will never get better if I don't show them how stupid they are being.."

His eye raised at that, catching on her words before groaning. "Amari please don't tell me you're trying to fix someone else's home life. Stop sticking your nose into everyone's business."

Amari only shook her head though, knowing what she was dealing with. Dabi and Endeavor was one thing without bringing Todoroki's hatred into it.. "You don't understand Shinso, this is bigger than just a broken family. I can't really explain but I have to do this. He's convinced that Endeavor is plain evil but I'm not completely sure. I think there is something else there."

Shinso listened to her explanation before replying. "You really don't have to do that much for that guy. I get that you like him but don't you think you're taking things a little too far?"

That's when the girl curled her mouth into a small smile causing Shinso's chest to tighten. "If it's for him, then I would do anything. He's already helped me so many times, this is the least I can do."

The look in her eyes was something of admiration and love, and it made the boy falter. Yeah, he couldn't say anything to her about his feelings, he knew where her heart was.

Just then, they heard a voice to their left, Amari groaning when she realized one of her classmates was calling out to her. "Good morning, 1A reject."

Shaking her head, she just frowned, already over his lame insult. "Good morning, petty jealous boy I've beaten twice now..."

The boy glared at her only for Shinso to elbow her in the shoulder. "Hey, don't you think you should be a little nicer to them? You are going to paint a target on your back again."

Although Amari only sighed. "Maybe when hell freezes over."

Just then, their teacher walked into the classroom, a large stack of papers in his hand as he moved further in. "Alright class, before we start our lessons I would like to introduce you to a new event that U.A. has decided to put on. Given the recent criticism of the school, the principal has decided to host a "family day" tomorrow. During this, you will be able to bring your families on campus so that they can see what daily life is like here. That way they can know you are being treated with the most respect and care. Letters have already been sent to your households."

The class began to both collectively cheer and groan at the new, Amari thinking about her mother at U.A. She would probably yell at Katsuki in front of the whole school, given that she didn't have any kind of filter. Still, it would be kind of fun. She did miss her parents.

Turning around to meet Shinso, Amari relayed her feelings. "That's kind of cool, it will be good to see our families again, right?"

She smiled in response but that smile soon dropped when she caught his face. Why did he look upset? "Shinso?"

Waving a hand in front of his face, the boy then jumped back into reality before grumbling to himself. "Guess I'm skipping tomorrow."

Amari narrowed her eyes in confusion at that. "Wait, why? Is there something wrong?"

He looked into her pleading red eyes for a moment before shaking his head roughly. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Although that only pushed the girl further, now leaning closer onto his desk in desperation. "Oh come on, you can tell me. What's wrong?"

Once again though, Shinso just wanted to forget about the topic. "Just forget about it.."

Amari shook her head at that, not wanting her friend to be upset. "I don't want to forget it if it's bothering you. What's going on, why do you look so depressed all of the sudden? It's okay, you can tell me.."

He knew she meant well, but just the idea left a sour taste in his mouth. Shinso just wanted to forget about it, so much so that his response came out harsher than usual. "There you go again, trying to stick your nose into everyone's business. I already said it's nothing so just drop it already."

Amari's eyes grew in shock and Shinso immediately felt bad when she laughed nervously, a clear sign that she was hurt. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to pry. Seems I do that a lot, don't I? Just ignore what I said then."

She slid back in her seat as the boy reached out a hand to her but only met air. Oh great, now he had done it. If he didn't feel bad before then he definitely felt bad now. It wasn't her fault that she didn't understand why he was upset.

He wanted to apologize but didn't know how, and when the bell rang all he could do was watch Amari slowly leave, a sad expression on her face.

When she was gone, Shinso roughly slammed his face into his desk before groaning in annoyance. Why in the hell did he do that? She was already upset about Todoroki, and now he had snapped at her as well. Just great.

* * *

After school, Amari walked down the streets absentmindedly, with no real goal in mind really. Endeavor called yet again and told her that they were waiting for the pros to find a lead before preparing any sort of plan, which meant all the girl could do was wait around. She supposed the multiple calls were to make sure she wasn't doing anything stupid regarding the case. Fair.

She debated calling up Todoroki but quickly remembered that they were in a sort of fight and decided against it. It wasn't even really a fight, more of a disagreement. She honestly just didn't want him trying to convince her to leave Endeavor's agency again, since she had clearly made her choice.

Seeing a small cafe in a corner, the girl then decided to get herself a drink to distract her, now walking into the space as the little bell on the door dinged to life.

Amari moved up to the checkout counter only before seeing a very familiar head of purple hair in front of her, looking rather spaced out from everyone around him. She suddenly remembered her harsh words to him this morning and knew she had to apologize.

Tapping him on the back, Shinso turned only to meet the eyes of the girl he was just thinking about. "Hey Shinso, I didn't know you came to this coffee shop."

Seeing the girl again made his stomach twist into an uncertain knot, answering back half heartedly. "Yeah, I've been going for the past couple weeks."

Amari realized his short tone before sighing heavily. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier in class. I didn't mean to pry about your life like that. I guess I was just worried."

This made him raise an eye. Amari worried about him? He couldn't help but like the sound of that, wanting to make amends with the girl as well. "It's fine. I projected my anger on you anyways. I shouldn't have done that."

Blinking a couple times, the girl then placed a hand to her chest in relief. "Oh thank goodness, I thought you hated me or something now. You wouldn't even look at me during training today so I thought you got sick of me.."

Shinso took a step forward, not liking her words. Yes he did ignore her after this morning but that was only because he didn't know what to say to the girl. "As if I could get sick of you."

Amari only laughed at that though. "You'd be surprised. I'm kind of unpredictable when it comes to stupidity. One day you might be saying something else."

She meant it as a joke but he didn't find it funny, only staring into her eyes, a serious expression on his face. This girl was still affected by her brother's words from the past, wasn't she? He supposed something like that wouldn't change over night though. "Yeah well, your stupidity is growing on me, short stuff."

Widening her eyes in confusion, the air suddenly felt different, maybe a bit thicker. She was about to ask why but was then suddenly interrupted by a group of boys calling out to him in an excited fashion. "Whoa no way! Is that Shinso?!"

They both turned around only to find a large group of boys with an unknown uniform running up to him, energy in their step as they eyed the two. "No way, it is! How have you been dude? I'm sure you don't remember me but we used to go to middle school together!"

At that Amari's ears perked up. "Wait, you knew Shinso in middle school?"

The boy in front then gave her a toothy grin before scanning her up and down, much to Amari's disgust. She didn't know why but she felt uncomfortable with this guy. "Oh yeah, we were in the same class and everything. The best of friends. By the way, my name's Kuro Milady, in case you were interested."

She wasn't, but luckily Shinso spoke before her. "We aren't friends. Stop saying that."

Although Kuro only laughed, elbowing his past classmate in the shoulder. "Oh same old Shinso. Don't be like that. We haven't seen each other in so long after all. Also if I might ask, who is your lady friend over there? Could it be, your girlfriend?"

At that, the Shinso's face lit up with embarrassment, pushing the boy away as Amari exclaimed loudly. "What, no no. You have it all wrong."

The purple haired man seemed to agree, now refusing to lock yes with the girl. "Yeah cut it out. She's just a classmate."

Kuro watched his reaction for a moment before a sly smile appeared on his face, now pushing the two students towards some nearby tables where a couple more of his friends were. "Hmm interesting. Well, come sit down! We'd love to hear how that hero dream is going. Let's catch up!"

Shinso nor Amari seemed interested, the boy calling back in frustration as they felt themselves being pushed towards the tables. "Guys stop it.. I already said no.."

Yet no one seemed to listen and before they knew it, Amari and Shinso were sitting across from the large group of boys. Well, they seemed very forceful, but she wanted to remain nice for his old classmates. "So uhh, how long have you known Shinso?"

Kuro laughed joyfully before swirling his drink around once. "Oh we go way back! Him and I sat next to each other in class. He was always so serious about his work and from the looks of it I don't think anything's changed."

He chuckled at his own joke before leaning forward on the table, his gaze now on Amari. "But enough about me, I'm more interested in you my dear. Why does it feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"

Amari just shrugged and started to take a sip of her own drink when Kuro slammed his hands on the table, clarity in his eyes. "Wait, know I remember! You're all over the news. The one that raided that villain hideout and is training with the number one hero, right?"

Nodding her head, the girl felt embarrassment in her cheeks. She still couldn't get used to people talking about her like that. "Uhh yeah, that's me."

His friend group gasped then, one of them calling back to her. "That's right, she can't be Shinso's girlfriend because she's dating that other kid, Endeavor's son."

Kuro seemed interested in that, leaning forward with his hand on his chin. "Oh really? So what's it like dating a rich kid? I'm sure he treats you like a princess."

And the unpleasant nickname for Todoroki, Amari, frowned but tried to remain calm. If Endeavor caught her yelling at someone in a public place then her reputation as a hero would go down. "I've never thought of Shoto like that so I wouldn't know."

The boy didn't believe that though. "Come on, that's a lie. You're telling me that it's just a coincidence that you happen to be training with your boyfriend's father? I don't believe it. I mean just look at you.."

That's when Shinso stepped in, his voice ringing with a sense of annoyance to it. "Kuro, cut it out. She's not like that, she.."

Although he stopped when Amari put a hand to his chest, glaring for a moment before snapping into a sickenly sweet smile for Kuro. "I think you're mistaken. The fact that I'm training with Endeavor is based on my own skill. If you don't believe me then that's fine, you are entitled to your own opinion."

Kuro took in her aura for a moment before shaking his head, buying her routine. "Aww you're no fun. I just wanted to shake you up a little, just like I used to do with Shinso here. Too bad it didn't work though."

This made Amari's throat ring with warning. She didn't know why but she didn't like this guy very much. "Oh, so this is a pastime of yours then?"

Nodding back Kuro gave a sly smile. "Aw come on, it's all in good fun. I couldn't help but pick on little Shinso when I found out about his silly dream of being a hero."

Amari turned her head to the purple haired boy in question who just had his head dipped down, like he was bothered with this conversation. That's what made her push further. "And what's wrong with wanting to be a hero?"

Shaking his head, his friends snickled before Kuro replied. "Baby, have you seen his quirk? That's not a hero quirk. In fact, half of the school was petrified of him during middle school, afraid that he was going to turn dark or something."

Shinso's eyes snapped towards Amari's then, expecting her to lash out or yell at the boy but she was strangely calm for some reason. It was kind of scary how calm she was about this, Usually her Bakugo side would've come out by now. "Well, it seems you don't see what I do. What a pity."

This made the boy question even further, in an attempt to make her snap. "By the way, how are you even friends with him, aren't you afraid? Don't tell me, he brainwashed you into liking him, didn't he?"

Once again, Shinso turned towards Amari in slight fear that she was going to quite literally, blow this man up. Not that he wouldn't enjoy that but this was such a public place, who knows what news outlet could be watching right now. Besides, this wasn't anything new for him to hear. It didn't really bother him anymore. "Amari.."

He roughly pushed her elbow from under the table as a sheer look of rage overcame her features before answering back in a calm and collected tone. "Sorry, but that's not the case at all. Besides, I think his quirk is amazing. It's sad you can't see that."

Shinso was amazed at her composure, now watching Kuro shift around in his seat. " Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure that's only because he hasn't told you anything about himself right?"

Amari froze then, confusion on her features. Now that he mentioned it, she didn't know anything about the purple haired boy. "What do you mean?"

Kuro smirked back, knowing he had won the battle before answering low and cruel. "I bet you didn't know he doesn't have a family. Even they were too scared of him."

The girl's eyes widened slightly at the words before sharply turning to Shinso who just looked defeated. What? She had never heard anything like that before. That couldn't be true, right? "What.."

Laughing back, one of the other boys answered for his friend. "Why don't you ask him yourself? You are supposed to be friends after all, right?"

Amari then turned to Shinso once more only to meet his low casted eyes. That was enough conformation for her, but then how could his family just walk away from their own kid? It was disgusting. "Shinso.."

He only looked away though, shame in his features. This is why he didn't want her to push him on the topic. The last thing he wanted Amari to know was that even his own parents were too afraid of him, that they left him a long time ago.

They seemed to share a conversation silently before Kuro's voice entered the space once more. "See, you don't know much about him at all, do you?"

Amari took in his words for a moment before balling her hand into a fist, now starting to rise from the table, calm and cheerful. "If you would excuse me, I'm waiting for a call from Endeavor so I should really go."

Kuro watched the girl push her chair in before smirking under his breath. That's right, no one would want to be friends with Shinso after hearing that. The girl must be afraid now.

Shinso seemed desperate as well, snapping his face up to meet hers as she started to walk past Kuro and his friends. Was she really disgusted now?

Amari placed her hand on the table as she left before touching a large glass of water next to her and reaching it up as if to inspect the surface. And first glance it just looked like she was going to take a drink, well that's what everyone thought anyways.

But they quickly grew surprised when her face suddenly changed into one of pure disgust, now tipping the glass over and dumping the ice cold contents on Kuro's head. "Oops, my hand slipped."

The boy's eyes widened as Kuro raised up from his seat, now towering over Amari in anger. "You bitch! What the hell did you just do?"

She only shrugged her shoulders though. "I think you should really ask yourself the question of who is really the villain here? Because from my point of view, it isn't Shinso."

Shinso watched the small girl with absolute shock, knowing that she was standing up for him. Did this mean she wasn't disgusted about his quirk? No one had ever done that before.

Kuro didn't seem to enjoy this though, now reaching down and grabbing Amari by the shirt before lifting her up in the air as her feet dangled underneath her. Because of her size she was relatively easy to manhandle. "Listen here you little brat, you better apologize right now."

Amari didn't seem intimidated in the least bit though, only yawning in response. "Or what? You can't belittle me like you do with Shinso. You see Kuro, I've already heard everything in the book so you are going to have to get real creative if you want to shake me."

This only made him even angrier, shaking the girl left and right in anger as Shinso eyes the interaction with terror. What was that crazy girl even doing? She was going to get herself hurt for his sake, and he didn't want that.

Kuro eyed the girl with disdain before hissing back. "You talk big for someone so small. Aren't you supposed to be Endeavor's trainee? I wonder what kind of street credit I'll get if I beat his precious little protege?"

His breath blew onto her face in a sickening motion before reaching his fists out as if to hit her. Oh so that's how he wanted to play? That was fine for Amari, wanting nothing more than to beat the lights out of him also. Sure her squeaky clean reputation would go down in the public eye, but it would be worth it.

She readied her quirk to fight as the fist came down when suddenly a voice to their left caught their attention, it was smooth and calm. Hey, Kuro.."

The boy stopped then, seeing Shinso a couple feet away, a slight glare in his eyes. "What is it, villain?"

Although just as he said that, Kuro felt his body lock up as he lost all control in his movements. That bastard, he just used his villain quirk on him, didn't he?

Glaring back at the man, Shinso hissed out in an authoritative, angry tone. "Let her go."

As he said that, Kuro released his hold on Amari roughly, causing her to tumble to the floor in a loud thud as she watched the scene. He used his quirk, what if people got the wrong idea? "Shinso, your quirk.."

But Shinso was far too busy with other matters at the moment, now stepping in front of Amari and glaring protectively. "Don't you even think about touching her again."

The boy nodded absentmindedly as Shinso then turned around to Amari before grabbing her hand and lifting her off the ground roughly. "Come on, let's go."

Feeling herself getting hoisted up, the girl gasped only for a sharp pain to reach her ankle, leaning forward on her friend for support as she twisted his brow in panic. "What is it?"

She then pointed to her ankle before seething. "I think I twisted it when I fell. Just give me a minute and I'll be…"

But before she could finish her sentence, Shinso reached down and picked up the small girl bride style before moving towards the door, much to Amari's surprise. "Whoa, what are you doing Shinso?!"

Although he didn't listen to her plies at all, instead the only thing he was focusing on was getting her safe and away from those lowlifes as quickly as possible.

Seeing her get hurt for his sake was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

They walked down the long road in silence as Shinso carried the small girl in his arms, much to her discomfort. Amari wanted to talk to him about what happened back at the store but withheld her tongue when she saw her friend's face. He looked angry.

Reaching a nearby park, the girl finally found her voice, calling to him slow and small. "Uhh Shinso?"

This seemed to snap him out of his trance, looking down at the girl as she continued. "Could you maybe, let me down now?"

Shinso then realized the position they were in and immediately dropped his arms so her feet could touch the floor. He didn't really think about what he was doing, only that Amari needed to get away from those guys back there. "Sorry, how's your ankle?"

Steadying her arm on his shoulder for balance, she replied with a wince. "It's better. I think I should be able to walk now. Thanks for uhh, you know…"

He nodded back nervously before watching the girl begin to hobble over to a nearby tree before grumbling under his breath. "Why did you pull me away Shinso? I could've taught those stuck up pricks a lesson.."

The boy followed her angry steps, answering plainly. "You know what would've happened if you did that. The last thing you need is for you to give Endeavor a reason to pull you off of that case, or did you not think of that?"

Shaking her head, Amari ran her fingers through her hair before shouting back. "Of course I thought of that! But hearing their stupid little faces, I just wanted to..AHHH!"

She then balled her fists into a fist before punching a nearby tree with her quirk, the explosion blowing a huge hole into the middle as she screamed, much to the boy's surprise. "I'm just, so fucking angry right now! Do you know how hard it was for me not to set them on fire?! I swear I was one second away from wiping that pretty little smirk off their faces!"

Shinso watched her seeth in absolute anger, her Bakugo side fully on display now. She really tried to hold it in all this time, didn't she? "Just ignore what those guys said. They aren't worth your time."

Although Amari had other plans, as she turned around to Shinso in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? They insulted you! Anyone that does that better fucking watch out. You know what, screw my image, I'm going back and teaching them a lesson.."

She quickly turned around only for Shinso to grab her arm. "Whoa feisty pants, I get you're upset but you can't go back there. I'm fine, really. I've heard all those things before so it isn't anything new. I'm not bothered by them anymore so it's okay.."

Yet that only made the girl even more furious, reaching forward to touch his arm. "It's not okay Shinso! Is this how you've been living, how people have been treating you? You don't deserve that, so don't let those people step all over you, you got that?!"

She fought against his arms only for the boy to do something unexpected, wrap his arms around her small frame in a suffocating hug in an attempt to calm her haywire emotions. "Amari calm down and listen to me. I don't want to see you get hurt for my sake. That's why I used my quirk."

That got Amari to pause, now feeling her heart rate decrease slightly as her Bakugo side diminished at his words. "What they said about your parents, was that true?"

Shinso froze then, his fingers tightening around her small frame. "Yeah, it's true."

The girl's breath caught in her throat at that, feeling his hug tighten. "I'm sorry Shinso, I shouldn't have pushed you earlier. If only I knew.."

Shaking his head, the boy didn't agree with her words, letting his eyes fall. "It's not your fault. I don't really like to talk about it."

The air remained silent for a moment before Amari spoke rather small. "I understand. There are things in my life I don't like to talk about either."

Nodding back, Shinso began to think about those unpleasant memories before feeling his own words spill out of his mouth for some reason. "My grandfather was a villain, and when my parents found out I had his quirk, that's when they started to become afraid of me."

Amari's eyes widened at his words but let him continue, now feeling his chest raising and falling in anxiety. "As a kid, I got into some trouble with my quirk which made them even more afraid that I would become a villain, just like my grandfather had done.

His told on the girl tightened even more then, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "One day, my parents lied to me and told me that they were going on a short trip, that they would be back within the week. I really believed that they would come back...I held onto that hope for so long until I finally figured out that they ran away from me.."

Amari's eyes welled up with tears at the story, not knowing how his own parents could just run away from him like that? They were such cowards. "How do you know that? I mean, did you ever think that they were kidnapped or something? Maybe they didn't want to leave you."

Although Shinso only sighed sadly. "No, I know they ran away, because a month after waiting I got a package in a mail with a credit card for expenses, and a letter saying that they were sorry, that they couldn't do this anymore, and that they couldn't raise a villain."

Sorry? Sorry, that was all this boy even got as an apology for something he couldn't control. The idea was sickening to Amari, now shaking her head in disgust. "That's awful…"

Shinso only hummed though, speaking again. "But that's when I came to the realization that I didn't want to be like my grandfather, that I would not be what my parents thought. I knew from that point on that I would be a hero, no matter what the cost or what sacrifices I'd have to make. One day I want my parents to see me on that television and realize that they were wrong about me."

The pride in his voice was evident now, causing Amari to break away from his hug before staring into his eyes with admiration. She had a newfound respect for the boy now. "And here I thought you were always just a cocky idiot, but it seems even you have your reasons to be here. I'm proud of you Shinso."

The boy couldn't help but smile at that, touching a piece of her hair in response. "That's why we will get into the hero course together, right short stuff?"

Smirking back, Amari replied. "That is if you can catch up with me, Shih Tzu.."

Shaking his head, the boy couldn't help but chuckle. "Is that a challenge?"

Amari only shrugged back, a playful nature in her own tone. "Maybe, you tell me..."

Shinso smiled wider only for the girl to drop her joyful nature once more, a knowing look in her eyes. "So what are you going to do about family day tomorrow then?"

The boy looked down at the floor in response, a wave of sadness washing over him. "I don't know, I'll probably just skip."

Amari looked down as well, not really liking that idea. She knew Shinso said he was over those boys words but she couldn't help but go back to them. Was his entire middle school life like that? She really hoped not. It made her want to change that for him.

That's when she got an idea, now reaching forward and slapping the boy in the chest. "Don't say that. You have to come tomorrow."

Shinso narrowed his eyes at that. "But I already told you I don't have a.."

Although that earned another punch to his stomach. "Shut up and trust me, okay? You have to come tomorrow. Please, for me?"

Amari then grew her eyes as big as she could before batting them in a pleading manner causing a large red hue to overcome his face. Damn it, why was she so cute?! "Ugh fine. I don't know why you want me there but I guess I can suffer through.."

She gasped in excitement then, throwing her arms around her friend before jumping up and down like a small dog. "AHh thank you thank you thank you! You wouldn't regret it, I promise!"

That's when she looked at her watch before she shouted. "Oh shoot! I have lots to do before tomorrow. I'll see you around Shinso!"

Then before he could reach out to her, Amari was gone from his sight, wondering just what kind of crazy scheme she had in her mind. If it was her idea, then he knew it couldn't be good.

Once Amari turned the corner, she quickly flipped open her phone before pressing a few buttons and holding it up to her ear. "Hey, yeah I know you don't like me but I need a favor. It's not for me, it's for Shinso.."

* * *

Shinso reluctantly entered school the next day, feeling his own fingers tighten on his bag. Why was he even here? It's not like he had a family to greet or anything. Then he remembered that annoying blonde girl. Why was she so persuasive about this anyways?

Stepping into the hallway, he paused when the boy saw Amari carrying the large box of decorations across the way, the girl practically dropping the object when she saw him. "Shinso, you came!"

She quickly shoved the object to the boy next to her before running up to him happily, almost tripping on her own feet in the process. "I seriously thought you weren't going to come. I was getting worried."

Rubbing the back of her head in a small bit of laughter, Shinso replied. "Yeah well you practically begged me to be here, I don't know why though."

That's when he caught the gaze of a small poster to his left, the words expressing a welcome to the incoming families that were mingling the hall. He couldn't help but lower his eyes in sadness at it. Why was he even here again? This was a mistake. It was just bringing up memories he didn't want to relive.

Amari seemed to notice this though before quickly reaching for his hand as the boy sputtered out of his trace. He couldn't deny liking the feeling of his palm pressed against hers though. "Whaa are you doing?"

Although the girl only smiled before pulling him along down the hall. "I have something to show you. It's this way..."

Then before he could protest, Shinso found himself in front of his classroom door, Amari giving him a knowing look. "Go ahead, open it."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, not liking her sly tone but complying anyways, now feeling his hand on the door handle, the cool metal touching his skin. "If you say so short stuff."

Then, he opened the object and was met with only darkness. It seemed like no one was even in the room. What was it exactly that Amari wanted him to see, because right now, there was nothing. "Uhh.."

Shinso was about to speak out when suddenly the lights flicked on and his entire class shouted in his direction happily as they popped small confetti poppers into the air "SURPRISE!"

The boy seemed dumbfounded as another burst of confetti entered to his left, now seeing Amari joining in on the celebration before joining the rest of the class. "I bet you didn't expect that, huh?"

Shinso scanned the faces of his classmates before asking. "What is all of this?"

Just then, the boy that always picked on Amari stepped forward, now standing side by side with her. "It's for you. Bakugo told us you were feeling down so we decided to throw a little party for you."

At that, Shinso's eyes widened. Amari and this boy were known to fight with each other every chance they got. They couldn't have worked together. "You guys worked together? I thought you hated each other..."

That's when Amari pushed the man out of the way, groaning back. "Believe me, I do."

The boy seemed to share the same feelings though, now glaring back. "Yeah, but we both like you, so we compromised for this. She even called me and begged for me to help."

To that, the blonde haired girl shouted back. "I did not beg, you're making that up. I just asked for your help stupid."

Staring daggering at each other, Shinso couldn't help but question. But, why? Why did you do all of this for me?"

That's when Amari stepped forward, a small smile on her face as she spoke. "I know the reason you didn't want to come today, about thinking you don't have a family, and I get that. I really do. But you're wrong…"

The boy twisted his brow in confusion, not really understanding her words. "What are you talking about?"

Reaching her arms out towards her classmates, the girl replied warmly. "Because you do have a family, and it's right here Hitoshi."

Shinso's eyes widened at two things in her sentence. The first thing was the words itself. He had never thought about his classmates being family. Usually in the past, his classmates would belittle and pick on him for his dreams and his quirk, just like Kuro did. Shinso always thought that was how it was going to be throughout his whole life.

But looking at the faces before him, he couldn't help but feel a large ball of emotion build up in his throat. These kids planned all of this just to make him feel better, just to make him feel loved? No one had ever done that before. And then there was Amari…

Oh god Amari, the girl that put everything together in order to make him feel this way, and the very same girl that had just uttered his first name from her lips for the very first time. The word was overwhelming, now feeling his face rise in temperature at the embarrassment.

She smiled back and Shinso felt the tears start to escape from his face, a strangling sob stuck in his throat as he spoke. For the first time in his life, he had a family. "Everyone, thank you."

Everyone cheered as one of his classmates raised his drink up, speaking loudly to the rest. "Now, let's party!"

The rest of the kids cheered as Amari took a step forward, an unreadable expression on her face as she spoke. "Hey, I hope you're not mad about this. I just wanted to help and this was the best way I knew how.."

Shinso stared at the girl, before smiling to himself and wiping a couple of loose tears. She would never know how much this meant to him. "You're really something, you know that?"

Amari turned her head in slight confusion and amusement at that. "A good something or a bad something?"

That's when the boy couldn't help but smirk under his breath, knowing that he had fallen for her even harder than before. Todoroki was a lucky boy, that was for sure. If only he had met her first. "Definitely a good something."

The girl beamed at that, not really knowing the meaning behind his words and replied. "Well that's a relief."

Laughing to herself, Amari then checked her phone before putting it back in her pocket. "Hey, I gotta go meet my mom over in Katsuki's class really quick, but I'll be back. Try not to party too hard without me, okay Shih Tzu?"

She winked back playfully, already making her way towards the door when Shinso reached out to grab her hand, desperate for her not to leave. "Amari, wait.!"

Pausing at his hand, Amari looked down in confusion. "What is it?"

Shinso was silent for a moment, before realizing that this was his chance. He needed to tell her his feelings, even if it wouldn't make a difference in the end. She needed to know. "I have something to tell you.."

Amari waited for his next words as the boy felt sweat build up and materialize at the very thought of being honest with her. He liked her, he liked her so much and the boy wanted her to know it or else he would go crazy. She was the only girl that looked at him like a hero, would go to ridiculous lengths just to make him happy. She was incredibly special and he didn't want to let her go. "I…"

But then, he caught the sight of her gold bracelet shining in the corner of his eyes. She told him about the object a long time ago, knowing that it was a present from Todoroki, and she never took it off.

The gold glimmer mocked him, harassed him internally for wanting to confess to a girl who was already happy, who had already given her heart to another. That boy loved her, he could tell, and based on his conversations with Amari, she did also.

After everything she had gone through to get into U.A he wished for her happiness, for her success, not for her to have to deal with anymore devastation, and he knew deep down that confessing would make everything awkward.

Amari looked at his desperate eyes for a moment before questioning. "Hitoshi, is everything okay?"

There it was again, that first name that made his entire body shiver, the sound driving him absolutely crazy. But after one more look at that bracelet, Shinso knew what he had to do.

Taking a deep breath, the boy then pushed Amari's shoulders towards the doorway, amusement in his tone. "I was just going to say that if you see Todoroki then you should hurry up and make up with him. Seeing you mope around about him is getting annoying."

Amari groaned back, playfully pushing the boy's shoulder before rolling her eyes and turning the corner. "Shut up Shih Tzu, just enjoy your party. I'll be back."

Then just like that, she was gone, leaving Shinso to run a devastated hand through his hair. Yes, he liked her, but the one thing he wanted most was Amari's happiness, and right now, she was happy with Todoroki.

It didn't matter what his feelings were because seeing her finally happy meant everything to him, even if it wasn't with him.

* * *

I'm going to break this chapter up because it's running super long. The other half will be the second half of "Family day". But let's just talk about this for a minute. First off, I gave Shinso some backstory on why he wants to be a hero and everything. Just to give him some spicy character. And then we see his old "friends" and how they used to act with him. I think that's why he thinks Amari is so special.

Poor Shinso though, it's hard to love someone that is already happy but he values Amari's happiness over his own selfish desires and decides to keep quiet about liking her, instead wanting to watch over her. Kind of like a family member would do.

I think it's obvious that I'm not going to have Shinso steal Amari, as she's so dedicated to Todoroki, and Shinso realizes that as well. Amari doesn't even really think of him in that way because she's so in love with Todoroki so it's extra hard for the boy.

Also slightly grumpy Todoroki is cute, that is all.

Next Chapter: Amari and Todoroki talk after their fight, Bakugo and Amari bonding time and the rest of family day as we get closer to recusing Eri.


	59. S4 Chapter 9

Katsuki Bakugo was living his worst nightmare. No, it wasn't a villain attack or anything like that, rather the large silhouette of his mother standing in his classroom doorway. His own sanctuary, ruined. It was something he had feared since hearing about that stupid "family day" crap. Now, he had to deal with that old hag.

She practically skipped into the room, her annoying arms opened wide to her son in excitement. "Katsuki! It's so good to see you again. I hope you're dumb ass isn't getting into any trouble."

Wrapping her arms around Bakugo, she squeezed the life out of him only for the boy to shout back, already trying to get out of her grip. "Get your damn hands off of me you old hag! Go find Amari and bug her for god's sakes!"

Although the woman only grabbed tighter, ignoring his words and frowning. "Don't speak to me like that Katsuki! Just because you are living on your own doesn't mean you can act like such an ass all the time!"

Blinking in surprise, this caused all of his classmates to look at the boy curiously. So this was Bakugo and Amari's mother? Somehow it made sense, knowing that anger ran in the family now. So that's where they got their rough attitude.

Deku rounded the corner then, laying eyes on the woman as Mitsuki suddenly let go of her son, now running up to the green haired boy in question as she stepped over Katsuki's gasping breath. "Izuku! It's so lovely to see you again! How have you been?"

Feeling a slight bit of embarrassment in his cheeks, Deku stuttered back, missing the woman as well. "Oh, uhh I've been okay Bakugo. How have you been?"

She sighed heavily then, pointing to her son that was still recovering from her death grip. "Ah you're still so sweet. I can't believe I haven't seen you in so long! I hope Katsuki's been treating you well. If not, it's okay you can tell me and I'll kick his ass for you…"

Deku blinked in surprise and decided to lie to the woman, now worried about Kacchan's life if he told her the truth. "Ah well you know, Kacchan is Kacchan. But it's alright."

Mitsuki smiled in understanding as Bakugo suddenly sprung up, his face red with anger and embarrassment. "Hey, stop talking to that damn Deku already! He's just a loser.."

Bakugo's mother shook her head though, ignoring his words as she muttered. "Where are your manners?! He was your childhood friend Katsuki. You need to be nicer to him."

The boy's face turned red in embarrassment as his classmates chuckled behind him, clearly enjoying the show that was displaying in front of them. Yeah, this was his worst nightmare. If only Amari was here, she was always able to quell that woman..

Although his prayers were answered when the girl in question poked her head through the door, a small smile on her face. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything.."

Her voice was like a breath of fresh air, Katsuki immediately taking her by the shoulders and pushing her into their mother in a single motion. "Finally, get your ass in here and quell her already. She's already pissing me off.."

Wobbling a couple steps, Amari found her mother's eyes, now smiling slightly at the woman. "Hi mom."

At her daughter's voice Mitsuki felt a ball of emotion in her throat, her attitude turning a complete 180 like usual. "Hello my sweet girl, how are you doing?"

She accepted an embrace from the woman as the other students started to feel whiplash from this woman. Did she always act this with her kids? That household must have been interesting.

Nodding beneath her arms, Amari replied plainly. "I'm doing great. I do miss you and dad though. It's so great to see you again."

Mitsuki smiled at her daughter then, nodding back. "Oh we miss you also sweetie. I hope Katsuki's been treating you well."

Laughing back, she could hear her brother shouting at them crossing the room as Amari answered with a small smile. "We've been good."

Her mother seemed happy with this, now seeing Bakugo turn his sister around forcibly to look at him. "What the hell is in your hair, you idiot?"

Blinking in surprise, Amari turned her brow in confusion as his large fingers wrapped around a small piece of paper before showing her. "Oh, it must be from the party we threw with our class. That little confetti gets everywhere, huh."

Bakugo just shook his head in exasperation, now picking confetti out of her hair. "You're so damn scatterbrain are the time, I swear. What am i going to do with you?"

Their mother watched his interaction with a small smile on her face. It made her heart so happy to know that the twins were finally getting along after so many years. She could tell something had changed with them recently and Mitsuki was thankful for it.

Changing the subject, Bakugo's mother then looked around the classroom, her voice carrying so the entire room could hear. "So where is my future son in law? I haven't seen him yet today."

At her words, Amari's face suddenly turned bright red as everyone in the class bursted out laughing, knowing she was referring to Todoroki. "W-What, mom don't call him that! Seriously…"

Shaking her head, her mother smirked under her breath. "It's your fault that you don't bring him around anymore, so I had to get my revenge."

Amari grumbled in response as Mina answered back. "Todoroki has been elected to help out with the other classes so he's been busy."

Denki joined in then, wrapping his arm around Amari's shoulder and whispering to her. "Listen, between you and me, he's been really mopey the last couple days. You really should kiss and make up already. We are sick of seeing it."

Blushing slightly, Amari threw Denki's arm off before shaking her head. She knew he was probably upset but she would never have expected him to act mopey. "G-Guys, cut it out. I have my reasons for being upset, even though it's none of your business."

Mitsuki couldn't help but chuckle at this, watching her daughter try to reason with her classmates, looking as alive as ever. It made her feel thankful for U.A.

That's when she caught Bakugo staring at her and smirked, calling out to her son. "Katsuki, come here. I have something for you."

Katsuki grumbled but complied, not wanting her to bring him any more embarrassment to his class. "What the hell do you want now, you old hag? Just leave me alone."

But the woman did no such thing, just reaching into her bag and answering. "Shut up you damn brat. I found this while cleaning your room yesterday and brought it for you."

Twisting his brow in confusion, Katsuki's stomach dropped suddenly now seeing the small unwrapped paper he had shoved in his desk on his birthday. It was the gift Amari had gotten him, the one he yelled at her for all those months ago. "What…"

His mother touched the paper before handing the object to Bakugo, his hands shaking slightly at the sight. "I won't ask you why you haven't opened it yet, but I think she'd want you to have it regardless."

Receiving the gift, Katsuki looked down at the small tag with his name on it before a large ball of emotion entered his throat. His shame, his mistakes came rushing back to him in one hot wave, causing the boy to step back in fear.

Mitsuki eyed him with pity as someone tapped the boy's shoulder, his sister's voice reaching out in concern. "Katsuki, are you okay?"

Blinking to life, Bakugo quickly shoved the small gift into his pocket before scoffing back, trying his best to keep his voice even in front of the entire class. "Yeah, it's none of your business."

Amari seemed concerned at that, already stepping forward. "Are you sure? You look shaken about something.."

But as she tried to touch his shoulder, Katsuki freaked and slapped her hands off of him before moving quickly to the door. "I already said forget it! God, you're so annoying!"

His harsh voice was not lost on the girl as a wave of hurt coursed through her. "Sorry, I just.."

Seeing that expression on her face made Bakugo falter even more, realizing the famarity from it. It was like they were back in the past, when he used to project his anger on her. He hated that look.

Her words trailed away from her, not wanting to anger him in anyway but instead changing the subject. "Anyway, I was wondering if I could talk to you about the case I'm working on. I mentioned it to you before but I kinda just blew it off and…"

During her explanation, Bakugo felt a sick sensation in his throat, not wanting to get into his topic. He honestly didn't know what to think about his sister working on a case without him. It scared him, knowing that he couldn't help her.. "It's because there is nothing to say about it."

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari pushed. "Yeah, I know but you just seem weird about the whole thing and I was wondering if you wanted to talk about it or something…"

At that, Bakugo slammed his fist on the desk next to him before shouting back, scaring the girl in question as his emotions poured out. "No, I don't want to fucking talk about it Amari!"

The class was stunned into silence at his harsh tone, the girl in question flinching at his tone, terrified she had pushed him too far. "Katsuki..I…"

Although Katsuki was done, his surplus of emotions took over and he knew he had to leave or else the boy would say something he truly regretted.

So he did the next best thing, he walked out to the classroom silently, his hands stuck in his pockets roughly.

Some brother he was, the boy couldn't even control his emotions properly. He just wanted to tell his sister that he was terrified of sending her on a mission alone, a mission that could very well kill her. He just got her as a sister, and the boy didn't want to lose her again.

Bakugo was terrified of that.

* * *

Grumbling as he walked, Bakugo finally found an empty corner of the school and progressively kicked the side of the building in anger, frustrated in himself and his choices. If only he could be more like Amari, able to express her feelings so openly, so freely. He was always jealous of that part of her.

He then shoved his hands in his pockets and felt the small box touch his fingertips as he pulled it out. The boy hadn't seen the present in forever, just shoving it to the bottom of his drawer as soon as he received it. Why did that old hag have to dig up such unpleasant memories?

Touching the paper, Bakugo was ashamed to open her gift, always afraid of what would be inside, what words she may have said during the time Amari thought he hated her. He didn't want to go back to that time, ever again.

Bakugo carefully unwrapped the box then, the paper ripping under his hands as a small note taped on the top started to reveal itself. His name was scribbled on the top in her own familiar writing as he read the contents.

* * *

Katsuki,

I know you probably won't ever read this, or will just throw this gift away but regardless, I wanted to say happy birthday. It's okay though because one day I'll make it so you will open my present, and then maybe we can celebrate our birthdays together. I would really like that Katsuki. You see, I've never really liked my birthday but I think it would be okay if we could share it together.

I know you don't want me to be a hero and everything but I feel it in my blood, just like you. I hope you understand someday, even if it isn't today. Someday I'll make you see that I'm a Bakugo too.

Amari

* * *

Crumbling the paper in his hands, Bakugo shook his head at the letter. If only he had read this before, then maybe he would've understood her faster, maybe she wouldn't have had to go through so much. The first sentence was heartbreaking in itself, the girl knowing he wasn't even going to open the gift. He was such an asshole.

He then looked at the small box in front of him and carefully opened the contents before gasping. In the box was an old drawing Amari had done in the hospital, with two small stick figures representing Bakugo and herself as they fought an imaginary villain.

Their hero costumes were matching, with Bakugo using his signature grenade cuffs with a black and orange scheme that he created while his sister sported a black and gold scheme.

The one thing that tied the two together though was a small bright orange necklace around the female stick figures throat with a matching bracelet of the same color around the boy as a small caption was written in crayon saying _Bakugo Twin Power! _

Some of the words were spelled wrong but Bakugo could still feel a wave of emotion in his throat. She kept this crappy drawing all this time? Her dream to be a hero never went away.

He then looked into the box again, only for his heart to completely stop. Staring back at him was the very small orange bracelet that he had designed as a child, complete with a small embroidered B on the side, just like they had talked about all those years ago.

She made his for him? The idea itself was overwhelming as hot tears built up in his eyes. He really didn't deserve her as a sister. How could she still remember something so stupid? It was like it was precious to her.

Just then, the second part of her letter stuck in his mind. Who was he to deny her becoming a hero when they shared the same blood, the same desire? Yes, he was terrified but he needed to trust her, to put his faith in her power.

It's as her letter said, she was a Bakugo.

* * *

Amari was on her way back to her classroom as she ran her fingers through her hair. She silently hoped Katsuki was okay as it seemed like he was perturbed with something. Maybe she shouldn't have brought up Eri's case with him. He seemed upset by it somehow.

Sighing to herself, the girl sighed only for a giant hand to wrap around her waist, pulling her into the nearby classroom. Amari squeaked in surprise, now feeling the hand tighten around her. "What the hell, get off of me!"

She began to fight her attacker when a familiar voice stopped her struggle. "Amari, it's me."

Blinking in surprise, Amari then locked eyes with Todoroki, his features darkened from the lack of light in the empty classroom. "Shoto, what are you doing?"

His fingers let go then, now reaching forward to grab her hand in a single motion. "I was hoping we could talk."

She really wanted to give into his sweet voice, but then the girl remembered she was mad at him, pulling away so she wouldn't get swept away by his charms. "Oh no, don't do that. I'm still mad at you so don't even try to pull that cute face of yours…"

Todoroki frowned at her rejection and began talking, knowing he had to keep her here somewhere. "Amari, you have to understand where I am coming from."

Shaking her head, the girl didn't want to hear his words right now. "Listen, if you are going to try and convince me to stop training with Endeavor again then I don't want to hear it. I've already made my choice."

He lowered his eyes then, realizing that was exactly what he was trying to do. "I understand you have this invisible faith in him but I can't trust him to take care of you, especially if something happens. I just, don't want to lose you again."

Amari's eyes saddened then, turning around to meet his eyes. "That's not going to happen. I'm not going anywhere, and I truly believe that your dad would never hurt me. I've seen a different side of him Shoto, and I trust him."

Todoroki's eyes twisted into disgust then. "Amari, please don't be foolish. That man can not be trusted. I've learned from experience."

The fact that he was calling her foolish made the girl frown, already feeling a ball of annoyance in her throat. "You're the one who's being foolish. What will you do if he's actually trying to change, if he wants a relationship? Are you going to turn away from him?"

Although the boy could shake his head, her words sounded ridiculous. "Impossible. Why haven't you realized that he's manipulating you? He has to be because there is no way he would do those things otherwise."

Sighing in frustration, Amari was over Todoroki's attitude. She understood his hatred for the man but he was completely blinded by the past, not wanting to believe that Endeavor could possibly change. If he was all about himself, then why did he help a weak girl like herself train to become a hero, why did he get her on a pro hero case? No, there was something else there, something Todoroki refused to see.

Grumbling back, Amari turned around, knowing she couldn't change his mind overnight. "I'm not listening to this anymore. I'm sorry you don't approve but there is a little girl out there that needs me, and I will do anything to save her."

Todoroki watched her walk away felt his hand reach out absentmindedly only for her to shake it away. "Wait, Amari…"

The girl continued to walk through, causing the boy with no other option then to wrap his arms around her waist, pulling the poor girl into his lap as they tumbled down with a thud. "Whaaaaa.."

Groaning at the impact, Amari began to struggle as the boy's hold tightened. "Shoto, let me go.."

Although Todoroki shook his head, burying his face into her shoulder in a desperate attempt to keep her here. "Amari, please listen to me. I'm sorry, I never wanted us to fight like this…"

Amari stopped moving then, feeling her hands wrap around Todoroki lightly. "I don't want us to fight either…"

Listening to her voice, the boy then spoke into her shoulder once more, his voice small and smooth. "I just don't want you to experience anymore sadness, I don't want you to get hurt anymore, is that so terrible? Am I wrong in wanting that?"

Her eyes lowered at his tone, replying back softly. "Of course not Shoto. I don't want to see you hurt either, but you can't keep me in a box. Being a hero is going to put both of us in dangerous situations, that's just the job. We have to be able to trust each other that we will be okay…"

Nodding back, Todoroki then lifted his head, a frown upon his face. "You are right, even if I don't enjoy the fact. But when you went missing a few months ago, I felt like I lost a part of myself. That is something I refuse to feel again, and having to put faith in my old man to protect you, I just can't do that."

Amari thought about his words for a moment before turning around and touching his face lightly with her fingers to calm him. "If you can't trust your father right now, then trust me Shoto. Trust that I will come back to you, always."

Todoroki closed his eyes at sensation, enjoying the feeling of her fingertips gently touching his skin. "I just don't want to live without you."

Smiling softly under her breath Amari, answering back in a whisper. "You won't have to, because I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere Shoto, not now, not ever.

He touched a strand of her hair then, feeling relieved with her words. Maybe he couldn't trust his father with Amari but that didn't mean he had to stop her from her dreams. Even if he was afraid, the boy knew she was right. Being a hero was all about risking their lives.

Todoroki's fingers lightly touched her face then, his voice lowering to a deep timbre, the tone causing Amari to shiver under his touch. "I love you Amari, more than anything, more than anyone."

A large blush found itself way onto her cheeks as Amari replied back gently. "I love you too Shoto, and I promise that will never change."

He then lifted his hand to rest two fingers under the girls chin, slowly bringing it up to meet his eyes as he hummed. "How did I get so lucky?"

The blush returned even deeper as the girl gazed into his two tone eyes all at once, feeling some sort of power with them. "I should be asking myself the same question, Todoroki Shoto.."

Todoroki smiled under his breath then before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Amari's, his fingers still keeping her head in place as he did so.

Grasping onto his shirt, Amari welcomed the action, missing the sensation of his lips on hers after only a couple days. His touch was like a drug to her, more than those pills ever were before.

His other hand touched her lower waist before pulling the girl closer to him, their bodies colliding with each other given the proximity between each other. They always found it hard to kiss given their height differences but here, they were at the same level.

Amari groaned at the sensation of his lips on her, hungry for his touch as she hoisted herself up to wrap her arms around his shoulders so that she was taller than him for a change.

Todoroki welcomed the position and responded by using his hands to push her into himself, feeling their connection more than ever. God, had he missed her. It had only been a couple days of arguing but they were torture all the same.

He felt his fireside threaten to rise up as the moment grew more intense but the boy forced it down quickly, not wanting to burn the poor girl because he couldn't control himself. He couldn't help it, her lips, her touch, they were everything to him and all he wanted was to love her more, to show her how much he cared.

Amari broke away then, her eyes hazy as she touched his face lightly in concern. Her chest heaved out a shakily breath now looking at his distressed state. "Are you okay?"

Todoroki looked in her eyes for a moment before nodding back, his voice low and deep. "I'm alright. I'm sorry, I can't control myself very well. I'm afraid I'm going to burn you."

Her eyes fell then before reaching forward and grasping his left hand, his fireside, and placing it up to her face lovingly. "Shoto, I trust you. You don't have to worry about that. We can stop if you want. Sorry I may have gotten a little carried away as well…"

But as she said that, Todoroki pulled her closer, his voice rough and husky. "I don't want to stop."

Blushing back with a deep hue, Amari nodded her head once before leaning closer to him. "A-Alright, but if you get uncomfortable just…"

Her words cut off though as he kissed her again, the boy groaning at the sensation as Amari closed her eyes once more, now feeling comfortable that he was okay with everything.

Running her fingers through his hair, Amari suddenly felt extremely warm as her cheeks grew red, just as Todoroki pulled away and looked at her with equally hazy eyes, hungry for each other.

His hands then pulled her body down only to plant loving, small kissing on her nose, cheeks and forehead, trailing down to the collar bond as the sensation tickled. She just felt so loved, so adored in this moment. It was like Todoroki was showing her how much he cared through his touch.

Feeling her tie loosen, the boy then respectively undid only the top button before kissing the nape of her neck until he circled down to the center where her shirt was still buttoned. She could tell he was being careful, respectful of her space which Amari was thankful for.

She gripped his shirt before repeating the action on the boy himself, copying his moves by planting kisses on the same locations before undoing his own tie and continuing in a respectful manner.

Once she pulled away, Todoroki just stared at her without speaking. He eyed the woman in front of him and admired everything about her. The fact she wasn't disgusted by his touch, the fact that she accepted him as he was, scars and all. He had never loved anyone as much as he loved Amari, and the boy wanted it to stay that way.

Carefully touching her face again, Todoroki smiled under his breath, a smile that made Amari's stomach feel with butterflies as he regained his claim on her lips once more.

Just then, the door slammed open as a loud booming voice startling the two of them all at once, breaking the moment almost immediately. "Bakugo, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere.."

Amari's face suddenly changed into pure terror as she laid eyes on Todoroki's father. Oh no, had he just seen them make out like that?! Oh god, she hoped not.

Covering her embarrassment, Amari quickly stood up before ignoring the subject altogether. It's okay, maybe he didn't see. "Endeavor, what are you doing here?"

The man frowned back before replying short. "There is lead in the case. Sir Nighteye wants everyone back at his agency immediately."

Amari's chest pounded in hope then. Finally, they had a lead, finally she could save that little girl. "Wait, really?"

Nodding back Endeavor then pointed behind him. "Come on Bakugo, we are leaving.."

The girl paused then, staring between Endeavor and Todoroki before the man spoke again, a slight sarcasm in his voice. "Unless you would rather continue making out with my son?"

At that, Amari's face grew to a raging red blush as the man pointed to her and Shoto's loosened tie and single undone button. Oh crap, he did see. "Y-You don't have to put it like that.."

The man only shook his head though, already making his way out of the door. "Hurry up then or I'm leaving you behind."

Quickly fixing her tie and button, Amari then began to hurry towards the door, but not before tuning to Todoroki with a small smile. "Wish me luck Shoto."

Todoroki gave her a small nod before seeing her leave in front of his father, a deep pain of worry in his chest now. Please let her be okay, please let her be safe.

Endeavor began to leave as well, only to pause when he felt his son's hand touch his arm quickly, stopping the man in question. "What is it Shoto?"

Twisting his brow in disdain for his father, Todoroki then looked down at the ground before muttering. "Make sure she's okay, please..."

The number one hero was certainly surprised at this, never seeing his son so desperate before. In fact, he had never asked for anything from him his entire life. That's why this was so odd.

Turning to see Amari's back, Endeavor was silent for a moment before speaking back roughly and plainly. "Bakugo is part of my agency Shoto, therefore she represents the Todoroki name, and I won't ever let anyone dishonor it. I won't let my agency fall."

His words sounded cruel and uncaring but for some reason, Todoroki felt something else there. Maybe it was the look in his eyes but it was like his father was saying _I will protect her _in his own kind of language.

It didn't fully make him feel better but it was what he got, now watching the man slowly turn the corner and away from his sight.

He really hoped his father would keep his word, or else there would certainly be hell to pay.

* * *

Walking with Endeavor by her side, the girl could feel the stares on her back. It wasn't everyday that the number one hero showed up at U.A. to pull a student out of class. Being a trainee still seemed weird to the girl but looking around now, it felt extra weird.

They turned another corner then suddenly, a loud booming shout echoed through the space, causing both the hero and the girl to stop in their tracks. "Hey idiot!"

Amari turned around only to find Bakugo racing up to her at a rapid pace, his hands outstretched as the explosions popped in his hands. "Katsuki, what are you…?"

Although she didn't give an answer as the boy threw his hands in her direction, causing the girl to gasp and block his attack with her gold shields. What was he doing, why was he attacking her in the middle of the hallway? "Whoa, hey! What the hell are you doing?!"

Katsuki didn't respond once more, instead throwing another fist towards her stomach as Amari counteracted it with her own explosion. What was going on with him and why wasn't he talking? "What, are you pissed or something? Cause if so, just use your words like a normal person Katsuki!"

He only grumbled under his breath though, kicking her his leg into her side which caused Amari to groan back in annoyance, now taking her gold hands and pressing him into the same leg.

The heat began to sizzle as Bakugo growled before pulling away as she blocked another first in anger. What the hell was his problem right now?!

Onlooking students eyed the fight with concern, wondering why the teachers weren't doing anything about it, even Endeavor hadn't stepped in. It was almost like they were seeing what she could take in this kind of situation.

Focusing extremely hard, Amari felt her breath shallow as she then lifted her hand up, trapping Bakugo in one of her protective bubbles as she shouted. "You know, this is going really far even for you!"

Katsuki only narrowed his eyes though, seeing her weaken slightly and took the advantage, now jamming his fists at the top of her shield causing it to shatter apart. "Is that all you got?!"

The impact caused the girl to gasp, feeling that familiar metallic substance in her mouth as she clutched her heart slightly. He was being such an asshole right now,and it was pissing her off.

Closing her eyes in concentration, Amari then narrowed her stance as she let out a large explosion, blowing the boy in question off his feet, just when he was about to jump at her.

Bakugo tumbled to the floor in a heavy thud as she wiped a small bit of blood from the corner of her mouth, now strolling up to him slowly. "Now, do you want to tell me what the hell is your problem?!"

Just then, Katsuki let off another explosion, blowing the girl off her feet and landing a few feet away in an equal thud as her brother stood back up. That jerk.

Coughing at the impact, Amari felt his presence and readied herself to her feet when he stopped and just stared at her, an uncomfortable silence echoing through the space.

Then, he reached down and extended his hand to her. "You're ready."

Blinking in surprise, Amari looked at his hand before turning her brow in confusion. What the hell did that even mean?

Then the pieces slammed into her all at once. Was he, testing her? Was that why he attacked her so suddenly without reason? "You were testing me?"

Her brother grumbled in response before scoffing. "I was making sure a villain wasn't going to kick your ass while I'm not there."

Amari's eyes turned to understanding all at once, now knowing that he was doing this for good reason. Wait, did that mean that he was worried for her fighting without him? Maybe that's why he didn't want to talk about the case with her.

Accepting his hand, Bakugo then pulled her up only to reach into his back pocket and pull out a small box before throwing it in her direction. "Here, take it."

She twisted her brow in confusion, now eyeing the box slowly. "What is this?"

Katsuki threw his hands in his pockets, grumbling out a response. "Since I never got you anything for your birthday.."

Amari's eyes widened then as she caught the sight of the orange bracelet on his wrist, the very bracelet she had given him for his birthday at the start of the year.

Touching the material, the girl smiled, a small wave of emotion coursing through her. "You opened it? I always thought you threw it out."

A small ball of shame rose in his throat then, coughing to cover his cracked voice. "You idiot, of course not. Now, are you going to open it or am I going to have to take it back?"

Shaking her head, Amari then refocused her attention on the gift before opening the small box and almost dropping the contents inside. "Katsuki…"

Her voice choked on the words as he pulled the object out into her hand. It was a bright orange choker necklace with a small B on the inside. In fact, it was the same necklace that she had drawn and imagined her hero costume to have as a child.

When she turned in her costume file for the school, Amari had decided to change the design, knowing that Bakugo would've been upset with the copied design since they didn't really look at each other as twins back then. But now, now their costumes matched.

The tears began to well up in her eyes as Katsuki's voice returned, making her heart skip with pride. "Now go show those extras what a Bakugo really is."

A smile etched its way onto her face as Amari nodded her head back, the tears slipping onto her cheeks now. It was like he was saying he trusted her to do this alone. "Thank you Katsuki."

Bakugo gave a halfhearted nod before glaring at Endeavor and sharing a look that meant he better look after his sister, or else.

The man took his warning before strolling up to the girl and speaking. "Bakugo, we have to go."

She nodded her head before gripping her necklace in her palm, now ready to face anything they threw at her. Just hang on Eri, they were coming.

* * *

It's so wholesomeeeee! Man, Katsuki and Amari's relationship has really grown since the beginning of this book. I'm so proud of the angry twins. I mean from the birthday episode of ch4 where the present was introduced until now, dang many things have happened.

And that Todoroki and Amari scene, I wasn't expecting it to get spicy but it just kind of happened. We are still staying respectful though because they are good children.

Next Chapter: We are starting to save Eri by peeps!


	60. S4 Chapter 10

Stepping into Endeavor's car, the man signaled the driver before the two of them drove off to Sir Nighteye's agency. The whole time, Amari was playing with her hands, the anxiety in her chest not going away but instead increasing. She knew she couldn't mess this up, for herself and for Eri.

The hero watched his trainee tap her finger against the side of the car, the awkward atmosphere continuing as he frowned. "Would you stop that?"

Amari immediately stopped then, realizing what she was doing and muttered. "Sorry, I guess I'm just kinda nervous. You know, I talk big but recusing that little girl isn't going to be easy. I'm just worried I'm going to mess up somehow."

He thought about her words for a moment before sighing heavily, like a question bothered him. "Where is that annoying amount of confidence you usually have?"

Grimacing, Amari answered. "I don't know. I guess there is just a lot riding on this. I would do anything to save that girl, but what if it's not enough? What if we fail?"

Endeavor was silent for a moment, like he was debating what he was going to say. That is, until he opened his mouth. "Bakugo, if you don't have confidence in yourself then how do you expect that girl to have the same? If you want to be a hero then you have to push forward, no matter how little chances seem."

Nodding back, the girl realized she had a point. If she didn't have hope then Eri would also fall into despair, and that was one thing she refused to let happen. "Yeah, I hate that you're right."

Endeavor took her compliance as a surprise, knowing how hard it was for the girl to ever agree with him. Then he remembered his sons pleading and strange eyes. "I'm honestly surprised you are still with the agency given the quarrel you had with Shoto. Didn't he try to convince you to leave already?"

Amari looked down at that, her eyes squinted. "I'm not backing away from this, I refuse. Regardless of how much I love him, I don't think he's completely right about you."

At that, the hero raised an eye. "Oh, how so?"

But the girl only remained silent, knowing that if she said anything about him not being completely terrible that it would only boost his ego. No, this wasn't something she could tell him right now. "No reason, just know that you aren't getting rid of me so easily Endeavor."

She smirked then, causing the man to groan in frustration, although there seemed to be something else there as well. Was that, pride? "I was afraid of that."

Amari laughed back only to realize something important, her eyes growing wide as she fumbled with her belt buckle. "Oh crap! I forgot my hero costume back at the dorms!"

Hearing the clicking of the seatbelt, the girl then began to rise as Endeavor pushed her back down, his rough voice stopping her movements. "Stop that, you're going to cause an accident."

Although Amari only frowned. "Endeavor I can't go in there without a costume. I'll be the only one there without one and stick out like a sore thumb. We have to go back.."

But that was when the man nodded his head in understanding before reaching towards a large briefcase next to him. "I know."

Then he lifted the case out to the girl who only stared at it dumbfounded. "What is this?"

The man only frowned though, obviously over her confused look. "Just open it Bakugo."

Staring down at the leather casing, Amari gently clicked open the tabs before lifting the surface and gasping at the contents. In the case with three pieces of fabric, both black and gold in color.

She took each idea out of the case one by one, examining the fabric with disbelief. This was a hero costume. "Endeavor, what…"

The hero cut her off though, pointing to the fabric. "If you are going to represent my agency then you had to upgrade your suit. My support sidekicks have made it so the material is flame resistant to your explosions and can conserve your energy easier in combat. That way you won't die as easily when you activate your quirk."

Touching the costume lightly, Amari felt tears well up in her eyes. Endeavor designed this just for her? His words may have been rude but she now realized that deep deep deep deep deep deeep deeeeep down, this man may have had a heart.

All the hatred she had for Todoroki's father suddenly went out of the window for a moment, now wanting to thank the man for giving her this chance, this hope of being a hero. "Thank you Endeavor.."

She cried into the fabric as the hero just looked confused, and slightly frightened at the display of emotions. "Bakugo stop it, you're going to get snot on the fabric."

Although the girl could only shake her head, now reaching forward to hug Endeavor in a sloppy embrace as she cried, much to the hero's dismay. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you…"

Endeavor jumped at the action, already trying to pry the hysterical girl off of him, his driver smirking under his breath at the scene. No one had ever been brave enough to actually try and hug the man before "Don't touch me you child! What is wrong with you?!"

Amari pulled away then, an embarrassed look on her face before muttering back as she dried her tears. "Sorry, I'm just really happy. Thanks for believing in me Endeavor. It really means a lot."

Still looking fairly uncomfortable, the man then dusted off his costume before replying. "I wouldn't call it believing but if that is what you'd like to refer to it as then I suppose. This was only for the image of my company. Nothing more."

He was being rude again, but Amari could see the meaning in his words and smiled. Whether it was for this company or not, the fact still remained. He had this made for her.

Just then, the driver called out loudly, stopping their conversations. "We have arrived."

Endeavor nodded his head then, pointing towards the door. "Very well. Meet me in the agency once you finish changing."

Amari then watched him leave the car as she stared down at the costume once more before smiling to herself. Then she pulled out the necklace that her brother had given her, the orange hue encouraging her next steps.

Lifting the necklace up, Amari then closed the clasp around her neck before gathering up her new hero costume.

It was time to get serious.

* * *

Deku, the rest of his classmates and the big three were muttering to themselves while waiting for the upcoming meeting to start. Sir Nighteye was in the corner talking to Endeavor as the other pro heros were mingling about.

Just then, the door opened to their left and Deku turned only to find Amari walking into the space, a nervous hand to her neck in the process. The couple pro's double taked in her direction as the girl moved up to their group. That's when they noticed it.

Her hero costume was different then before. Her sleeveless black jacket was now gone, replaced by a form fitting black jacket with sheer sleeves and a sparkly gold half shirt underneath. Her pants were also black in color, form fitted to her size as a bright orange necklace wrapped around her throat. It was like her aura had changed completely, now radiating off something more serious than before. It kind of made Deku shiver.

She smiled softly in their direction as Mirio wrapped an aggressive arm around her shoulder, whistling at the sight. "Whoa, would you get a look at you? The angry one's sister has upgraded! Very impressive."

Feeling slightly self conscious, Amari replied. "Ah, thanks Mirio. Endeavor made it for me."

At that, Deku's eyes widened, a dumbfounded expression on his face. He knew that Todoroki's dad was training Amari but he never would have expected the man to do something so kind. "Wait, really? That's really awesome Amari-chan! It seems like you and him are getting along really well!"

Amari's lips couldn't help but curve upwards at that. "I don't know about Midoryia, but we can tolerate each other at least. It's a start."

The green haired boy smiled back, seeing the happiness in her eyes when Sir Nighteye interrupted them, speaking out towards the crowds. "Now that everyone has gathered, it is time to talk about the investigation."

Everyone immediately grew silent as all the U.A. students took their place in their assigned seats, Amari's next to Endeavor of course. "Many heroes have worked tirelessly to find the hideout of Chisaki Kai and I am pleased to say that after many hours of searching, we may have found just that…."

Leaning forward in her seat, Sir Nighteye pushed a button on his remote only for a very large projection of a building displayed behind him. The building itself looked ginormous, stretching to a ridiculous size. "We believe this is where he is hiding that girl. Now, we must figure out a plan before we can commence the rescue."

The heros began to mutter to themselves, coming up with various ideas and strategies, only for them to be struck down one by one. They all took too long, and the plans were safe. Too safe to be completed in enough time. They could lose her at this rate.

Playing with her hands, Amari frowned before speaking out. "We have to act on this quickly or else we risk Chisaki finding out about our intel and moving Eri to another location."

As much as he disliked the girl, Sir Nighteye nodded his head back. "Ember is correct, but we can't risk something too flimsy either, then our efforts will be in vain."

Another hero pipped in then. "But the building is enormous. We would have to know the exact location of the girl before even thinking about a raid."

Aziawa lazily replied. "He's right. Without knowing the location of the child, the villain could easily move her to another building or country. We can't afford to attack the wrong area."

Sir Nighteye took in the hero's ideas and placed his hands in front of him. They were all right. Without knowing the location of Eri, it would be hard to plan such a large raid. "Does anyone have any input?"

Looking down at her hands, Amari suddenly got an idea. It was kind of crazy, and she knew everyone would probably be against it, but it had to be thrown out there.

Letting her voice speak up, Amari then stood up from her seat, showing that she was serious as the other heros paused. "What if we had someone on the inside of the operation?"

Sir Nighteye raised a brow at that. "Meaning?"

Amari continued, plain and smooth. "If we had someone inside the building, they could find out the exact location of Eri and make sure she's in the area when the raid occurs. That way we'd have more reliable information than just guessing."

The hero's all began to think about her idea, some nodded their heads in agreement while others frowned at the risk, Aziawa being the latter. "But in order to do that we would need to give Chisaki something of value, or else he'll just kill the spy."

That was true. It was already risky without Chisaki possibly killing the informant. Whoever got captured by him would have to have some sort of draw to them, something that would make him want the spy alive.

Deku looked around the room, confusion on his features. He didn't think there would be anyone like that. Well, that was until Amari raised her silently, causing the entire class to gasp. "If you're looking for something of value, then it's me.."

The room silenced then, allowing Sir Nighteye to frown as Amari continued, her fist balled at her side. "I was tied to All for One once and somehow, Chisaki knows about my past. Along with tricking the league for those plans, I know I have caught the negative interest of many villains. They would want me alive."

At that, all of the pros began speaking loudly against her plans, one of them pointing an accusing finger at that. "Are you suggesting we let a child willingly get taken by one of the most dangerous Yakuza members in Japan right now? Absolutely not. She doesn't even have a license!"

Deku also seemed shocked, standing up as well, desperation in his voice. "Amari-chan, what are you saying? That's too dangerous!"

The girl only frowned though, shaking her head in response. "It might be, but think about the logistics. If we sit around and wait then we risk Chikaki taking Eri. All of your plans take weeks. If I go to their hideout, we can get her back within a couple days."

Aziawa replied back though, just as cruel and dark. "And if you don't come back then we are risking our licenses and agencies all at once, never mind U.A. losing another student. I understand your desire Bakugo, but it's too risky."

Slamming her fists down on the surface, the girl argued back. "Exactly why it has to be me. Chisaki is smart so he would know a trap when he sees one, but with the risk, he would never guess that a licenseless girl could be a spy. He thinks hero's go by the books, so if we completely change that, then they'll never know what is coming."

She had a point, a very scary point. Any villain would be suspicious about a spy but hero's weren't known to send linceless kids into the battlefield unless they acted on their own. It could be the perfect cover, if it even worked..

Sir Nighteye stood up then, glaring through his glasses. "What you are suggesting puts all of our agencies at risk. You aren't even supposed to be in this meeting, and if you do have value as you say, then it would be foolish to hand you to the villains so willingly."

Amari narrowed her eyes then, just as Endeavor spoke up, his arms crossed to his chest. "If you think her plan is so foolish, then why don't you use your quirk on her, Sir Nighteye? Then you can see if it will succeed or not."

The girl glanced at her mentor before smirking. Oh, he was smart. She would've never thought of that.

Although the man only glared, standing up from his chair before making his way over to her, playing with the idea. "If I use my quirk then it will be ineffective for the rest of the day. That could cause us some major setbacks."

Amari shook her head in response, reaching out her hand so that Nighteye could activate his quirk easily, coaxing him to touch her palm. "But if this idea will work, then it's something we can't ignore. Go ahead, touch me and tell me if my plan is foolish or not."

Staring down at her palm, Sir Nighteye sighed heavily before grasping the small girl's hand and staring into her eyes to activate his quirk.

After a couple moments, the man's eyes suddenly grew wide, stumbling back a few steps like he was afraid, a small shake to his hand. "All for One..?"

Amari's eyes widened at the name, barely hearing it from his lips before the man shook off his fear when Endeavor spoke. "Well, what is it?"

Sit Nighteye then stated at the girl with an unreadable expression before his gaze tore away from hers. "Ember is correct. The plan will be successful."

The pros began to speak loudly at that, wondering if they were really going to let a little girl willingly put herself in such a dangerous situation. But if Sir Nighteye said it would work…

Nighteye's voice returned then, stronger than before. "Ember, you will wear an earpiece so we can be in communication at all times and you will also be injected with a small tracking device in order to mark your location. You will find the girl and wait for instructions, nothing else. You will not engage Chisaki unless necessary and you will not engage in combat with anyone unless you feel yourself in a life threatening situation. Do you understand me?"

Amari nodded her head, a serious gaze now transfixed on her face. "Yes, I understand."

Sighing heavily the man then replied. "Very well, we will start tonight then. Once we receive the information, the raid to retrieve Eri will commence tomorrow. Meeting dismissed."

The pro's all began to stand from their seats then, some glancing at Amari as she passed while others just ignored her completely. Obviously her plan wasn't very popular.

Suddenly she was knocked back a few feet as Deku rammed into her in a fearful hug. "Amari-chan, are you going to be okay? You'll be going to that villain's hideout alone and…"

Although the girl responded by placing a warm hand on his hand, rubbing the spiky green surface with her index finger. "Hey hey, calm down Midoryia. It will be okay. I wouldn't have suggested it if I couldn't handle it. That girl has been living with that man for who knows how long. I think I can handle a couple hours."

She said that, but internally Amari was panicking. The girl made her plan on a whim but actually thinking about it, she felt a small bit of anxiety in her chest. If she went to the hideout then it might dig up unwanted memories, memories that she had been shoving down all this time. But then again, if it could save Eri faster, then she would endure.

Everyone's faces still seemed perturbed as well, Deku shaking his head. "But, what if you don't come back? Think about Kacchan or Todoroki. What would they say?"

Frowning in response, Amari then remembered both Todoroki and Bakugo's words as she left today. They believed in her, counted on her, and there was no way she was going to let them down. "I already made a promise that I'd come back, so I will. That's all there is to it."

Amari was really brave, so much so that it made the green haired boy kind of falter. She was willingly going into a villains hideout and what was he doing? Waiting on a sidelines, watching from afar? That wasn't what a hero does.

She noticed his frown, calling back to the boy in concern. "Midoryia, what's wrong?"

Staring at the floor, Deku muttered back brokenly. "You're doing so much Amari-chan, I just wish I could help out more…"

Amari watched the boy fall apart before him before lowering her eyes and grabbing his hands firmly. "Hey listen, once I find Eri, I'm going to need you to help me save her, okay? I can't do this alone Midoryia. I need you, she needs you. I know for a fact that she needs a hero named Deku."

At that, Deku's eyes watered up with tears, reaching forward and hugging the poor girl in a suffocating embrace. "Yeah, let's go save Eri together.."

Rubbing small circles on his back, Amari nodded. "Yeah, and then let's go tell Shoto and Katsuki about it, okay?"

The boy smiled underneath her shoulder then nodded back as he detached himself. "We won't let her slip through our fingers again Mari-chan."

Just then, Deku's face turned red, shaking his head as he cried back. "Ah, I mean Amari-chan. Sorry…"

At the new name, Amari couldn't help but giggle, smiling back slightly. "It's okay, it actually has a nice ring to it. Makes me feel like we actually grew up together, like with Katsuki's nickname."

Just then, the girl got another idea. "I guess that means I should call you Deku now if that's the case.."

She meant it as a joke, but the boy couldn't help but like the sound of that, knowing that she meant it in a hero sense, and not in an insult sense like before. "I wouldn't mind. Then it would really feel like we grew up together."

Amari's eyes widened slightly at his words before settling for a small giggle, answering back softly. "Alright then, Deku. Are you ready to be a hero?"

Deku couldn't help but smiled widely then, also enjoying the new name for the girl. He didn't know why, but it made them feel closer somehow. "More than anything, Mari-chan."

It made him feel like they could do anything together.

Approaching the dark, ominous building, Amari and Deku walked side by side in silence. It was decided that he would accompany her to the gates until the camera's caught sight of them. Then, he would have to hide since it was supposed to look like she arrived alone.

Deku squeezed his hands by his side and she could feel his panicked energy even though they were a couple feet away. It wasn't really helping. "Deku, you do know I'm the one that's getting captured by the villains, right? Why are you so nervous?"

Shaking his head, the boy took in her playful nature and forced a smile. "Ah sorry Mari-chan. I guess I'm just worried about everything. I just want everyone to be okay. Aren't you scared about this at all?"

His words were sweet, and it caused the girl to sigh back in response, now staring at her hands, noticing they had a small shake to them. "Honestly, I'm terrified. But if this will help Eri, then I would do it in a heartbeat."

Deku thought about that, now recalling the scars on her back. He really wanted to know about the girl, but he was afraid that his words were too personal. "Hey, Mari-chan?"

Amari turned her head back only for the boy to continue, small and quiet. "What you said back at the meeting, and about what Chisaki told you in that alleyway, were they true?"

Stopping at the question, Deku noticed Amari turn pained and conflicted. "Yeah, it was true. That's why I want to help Eri so much, because I see myself in her."

His eyes widened at that, picturing Amari being tortured and hurt like Eri was. He didn't like even thinking about that. So much so, that he put a small hand to her arm then. "Then while you were in America.."

Nodding back, Amari replied. "I was experimented on and trained to become a weapon against heroes. I listened because I thought it would make Katsuki love he would see my strength and finally want me as a sister. But it turns out, that wasn't true at all."

Deku's eyes sadended then, his chest twisting in pain at her words. All this time, Amari had been fighting for her brother's approval? So that's why she always seemed so serious, so determined about pushing herself. It was heartbreaking. "I'm so sorry Mari-chan. If only I knew, then I could've helped somehow.."

Although he stopped when Amari put her hand up, a small smile reaching her cheeks. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize. Because of that I found people that truly care about me, love me for who I am. That's why I want to give the same to Eri. I want to show her that it's possible to change, that anyone can be a hero, even people like us."

A hot ball of emotion entered his throat then, Deku now suppressing the urge to cry. This girl had gone through so much, yet she was still standing strong. It made him feel even more determined than ever to be a hero now.

Just then, the two reached a large gate blocking their view, now seeing a huge dumpster to the left hand side. On further inspection it looked to have a bunch of old clothes and trash shoved inside.

On further inspection, Deku grimaced. "Mari-chan look, some of them are covered with blood."

Amari narrowed her eyes as well, frowning at the sight. "These must be from his workers. He probably wants to erase the evidence."

A sick sensation entered the boy's stomach then, rethinking this plan as Amari took out a small device before placing it in her ear, the object disappearing once it made contact. "Alright, it's now or never."

Just then, Endeavor's voice entered through her ear, rough and plain."Bakugo, go ahead and enter the gates. Try to look serious and don't draw any attention to the boy. Remember, they need to think you are working alone."

His orders made the girl smile in amusement though. "Anything else you'd like to add, mom?"

She could make out his frustration on the other side clear as day, now seeing even Deku trying to hide a smile. "This is serious. Stop fooling around already."

Rolling her eyes, the girl then turned serious, eyeing the large gate with disdain. "I already told you, I don't intend to play around."

Then she turned to Deku before nodding. "Well, here I go. I'll see you tomorrow Deku, okay?"

A pang of worry entered his chest but the boy shoved it down, nodding back in approval. "Yeah, see you Mari-chan."

Amari smiled back before using her explosions to propel herself over the wall before landing in a light tap. Now she was in his territory, there was no going back now.

Sneaking around the sides, the girl purposely caught herself on one of the camera's before a loud and ear bleeding alarm rang out throughout the space. She had to cover her ears at the noise. It was so loud.

Just then, about a dozen men surrounded the poor girl, Amari frowning back as if to get into character. "Shit.."

One of them spoke rough and dark, eyeing her with disdain. "Who are you? You are on private property."

Amari took a moment before readying her stance, a sign to tell them she wasn't going to give up. "My name is Bakugo Amari and I am here for Eri."

The man raised an eyebrow at that, the name sounding familiar in his ears. "You made a grave mistake little girl."

Then they took off running, Amari turning around and racing through the outside of the building as she tried to get in to find the girl. She purposely tried a couple locked doors before turning around at the sound of the man's voice. "The boss will want to get a look at you, you know, before he kills you."

Frowning back, Amari then let her palms pop in warning as she threw her fist down, the explosions blowing the man back a couple feet. "Yeah, I don't think so."

Suddenly though, she was surrounded by twenty more men, all circling around her with their quirks outstretched. Usually this would be very bad, knowing that the girl couldn't overpower all of them. But because she was trying to get captured, now she could go all out and make it look like she was fighting for her life. Perfect.

They all came barreling to her at once and Amari immediately felt hands on her back, legs and arms, forcing her to the ground as she screamed. No, that couldn't get her that easy.

Activating her quirk, the gold matter covered her arms and all the men let go all at once, seething from their newly acquired burns.

Amari then tried to get her to her feet, almost succeeding as she felt one of them latch onto her hair, yanking the surface and pulling her back in pain. There were just too many of them for her to fight.

She turned around to throw another explosion when a man behind her landed his fist square in her back, causing the girl to cease in shock before crumbling to the ground. That asshole had just hit her spine.

Landing with a thud, Amari then felt the hands on her again, pushing her body into the grass as she struggled, one muttering to his coworkers. "Should we just kill her now?"

Deku watched from the sidelines, his fist ready to leap into action in case they did decide to kill her instead. There was no way he was going to let that happen, over his dead body.

Suddenly the men got a call on their earpieces, narrowing their eyes before replying. "It seems like the boss wants a word with you…"

Amari frowned back before successfully burning the closest foot to her right. "Get your hands off of me!"

But the man only smirked before slamming his hands into her back and causing a sharp electric current to go through her body. She screamed at the sensation before falling unconscious and unmoving. "Just take her."

Complying, they then quickly picked up Amari before carrying her inside, Deku's eyes narrowed at the action. She did it, she made it inside.

Just then, Sir Nighteye's voice echoed through his earpiece. "What's the status?"

Watching the doors close behind him, Deku answered back stern and plain. "Infiltration success."

Now, it was all up to her.

Hey! So I know this is a little different then how the anime goes but I always try to make my stories different while still sticking with the theme of the original. That way you're not reading the same thing twice. This will feed into the plot of the anime, you just gotta wait to see how.

But oh shoot, Amari's is now in Overhaul's hideout, and he knows about her villain past. Oop. Let's hope she can find Eri and lead the hero's to their location quickly. Man, if Todoroki knew about this plan, or Bakugo...things would be getting messy. But that would never happen, right?

Next Chapter: Amari is a prisoner for Overhaul as she tries to find Eri.


	61. S4 Chapter 11

Groaning to herself, Amari rolled to her side only to fall onto the floor below her. She hit her back before muttering again, now going to rub her sore elbow only to find her hands and feet bound together. That's when everything crashed into her all at once.

Oh right, she was willingly captured by Chisaki in order to get closer to Eri. Although Amari didn't predict one of his minions having an electric quirk. Who knew how long she was out for?

Just then, Endeavor's gruff voice echoed in her ear, gaining her attention. "Finally, it's about time you gained consciousness Bakugo."

Frowning back, she surveyed the room and found three security cameras watching her, although they seemed to be visual only, given that there were no speakers attached to the objects. That would make things tricky, but not impossible.

She turned her face to the wall before answering the man, now knowing that the camera wasn't picking up her words or mouth movements. "How long was I out?"

The girl waited a couple seconds before he responded back. "Two hours so now we are already behind. What are the surroundings?"

Widening her eyes Amari cursed to herself before trying to wiggling her bound hands behind her back and activating her quirk only to be met with a sharp amount of pain. Well that wasn't good. "Nothing really yet, although I can't use my quirk. I think these cuffs are some kind of suppressor. It hurts when I even try."

She tried to test the theory again only to meet with the same amount of pain before withdrawing. Yep, definitely a quirk suppressor. Maybe if she pushed harder..

Endeavor seemed to hear her groans of pain as he replied back authoritatively.  
"Bakugo stop trying to break it. It isn't going to work. You are going to kill yourself before you even start. As long as the cuffs are in full condition, you won't be able to use your quirk."

Amari stopped then, sighing to herself as she muttered back. "Alright then genius, what do you suggest then?"

She waited for his reply. "The first thing you need to keep your eye out for is Chisaki. No matter what you do, don't engage with him."

The girl opened her mouth to reply only to hear the sound of slight footsteps enter the hallway before stopping outside her door. Well that wasn't good.

Turning around she heard his voice first, whispering back to Endeavor quietly. "Yeah, I don't really think that's going to work…"

He answered back shortly as the door to the prison started to creak open. "And why is that?"

Although he soon got his response as Chisaki's voice entered his ear, causing the man to shut his mouth. He was in her cell now, oh crap. "Well well, look what we have here."

Frowning back, Amari struggled to stand but found it hard with the cuffs around her feet and hands. "And look who we have here. It's Mr. Big Bird himself."

Chisaki raised a confused eye as the girl continued. "Oh you probably don't know who that is. Well, it's this really popular children's TV show in america about this giant yellow bird and…"

Just then, she shut her mouth before shrugging back, clearly enjoying the danger she was in. "You know what, never mind. If you don't get the reference then you won't get the joke.."

She laughed to herself when one of Chisaki's men kicked her in the stomach, causing the girl to groan in pain, shutting her up all at once. "Shut up. Don't you understand the situation you're in right now girl?"

Moving to sit up again, Amari frowned back before narrowing her eyes in anger. "I'm only going to ask this once. Where is Eri? Because I'm here to take her away from you."

The villain looked at her for a moment before chuckling to himself. "Do you really think you're in the position to make such demands? What did you plan to accomplish by trying to raid this facility?"

Staring back, Amari took a breath of courage before beginning her lie. He needed to believe she came herself. "Those heroes wouldn't put me on the team to get her back, so I decided to do it myself. They kept dragging their feet so I wanted to take action."

Endeavor echoed through her ear again. "Good, don't oversell it."

She watched Chisaki's reactions only for him to narrow his eyes in scepticism. "That wasn't very smart of you. Did you honestly believe you could do all of that yourself?"

Shrugging to herself, Amari replied as she lied smoothly, leaving in some truth to make it more believable . "Recklessness has always been in my nature, and don't be mistaken. I will get Eri back, you just don't know it yet, and then Endeavor and those heros will finally recognize me."

At the hero's name, the man turned his head in interest. "Is that so…"

Amari groaned then, wigging her wrists before answering back. "Now let's get off my life story and cut the crap Chisaki. I know what you're trying to do to Eri, and I won't allow it."

His face fell then before pulling onto the ends of his gloves, now clearly annoyed. "Of course you would disapprove, given you are All for One's pet. I wonder how he dealt with you.."

At that man's name, Amari's eyes widened before hissing back and pulling her restraints "Screw you, don't call me that. I'm in no way that man's damn pet.."

Although Chisaki only shook his head. "How pitiful, still rejecting what you are. Are you trying to save Eri in order to clear your own conscious?"

The girl's face twisted then, into something of confusion and a small mix of fear. "What the hell are you saying Big Bird? I'm not trying to clear anything. What would I even need to clear?"

At that, the man froze, his eyes casted down in realization. "Oh that's right, you don't remember…"

Widening her eyes once more, Amari lunged forward in anger, knowing that he was playing with her. This man knew something about her past, something unpleasant. He was using it to toy with her and it pissed her off. " You know what, I'm over your shady words. If you plan to kill me then just do it already so I don't have to listen to your condescending voice anymore."

Endeavor's voice entered her ear again, this time slightly angry at what she was doing. "Bakugo, he's baiting you. Don't give him any ideas…"

Although just as he said that, Chisaki reached down and grabbed Amari's shirt with his gloved hand, lifting her off the ground in a threatening manner.

Then he replied back, cold and cruel. "Maybe I should. I wonder what kind of face those heroes would make if I placed your corpse on their front steps? Endeavor's protege, ending someone that important is certainly tempting.."

He expected her to shake in fear underneath him, to plead for her life like any normal person would do. But instead he was just met with determined eyes and a smooth reply. "Go ahead, do it then."

It was like she was challenging him, coaxing him to actually kill her. Of course what else was expected from All for One's creation? She was interesting, that was for sure.

Chisaki then pulled one of his gloves off using his teeth before raising his hand towards Amari in a threatening manner, expecting the girl to break her calm demeanor, although that never happened. It was like she wanted him to kill her.

Back at the agency, Deku listened with fear as the line became silent. Mari-chan wasn't really going to let herself be killed like this, right? Why was she doing this?

With his body shaking, he called out to Endeavor who was listening with extreme concentration. "Endeavor, shouldn't we do something?! Chisaki is really going to kill her."

Although Todoroki's father only shook his head before replying shortly. "That child is an idiot but she knows what she's doing. There is a reason we agreed to send her…"

Deku's eyes widened with confusion before hearing Chisaki chuckle through the hidden wire, slight amusement in his voice as he let Amari go, the girl dropping to the ground.

Smiling back, the man spoke. "Smart girl, you already knew I wouldn't kill you, that you are too valuable to dispose of. Very impressive move."

Amari groaned at the sensation of her body hitting the ground before answering back with a small smile. "You are easy to read Big Bird. So you wanna keep me to yourself then?"

Chisaki took a step forward then, his voice ringing out with a short of authority to it. "Oh no. I have no need for a pet, but why would I dispose of you when I have All for One's creation in my possession? Do you know how many villains want your head because of your little decision to trick them? May I tell you, the list is infinite."

Frowning at his words, the man then leaned down before grabbing her chin with his gloved hand to make her look at him. "Using you I'll be able to fund the rest of my research, research that is now made possible because of your foolish pride."

The words echoed in her ears before Amari answered back with slight fear in her stomach. "You're going to sell me? I didn't know you were into human trafficking"

Nodding back, the man smirked. "If that's what you want to call it. Regardless, I really should thank you. You've given me a wonderful opportunity Bakugo."

Then he let her chin go before standing once more, towering over her small frame with absolute authority. Was he really going to sell her to some revenge hungry villain? That didn't sound pleasant. Seems like she had another thing to worry about now.

Amari narrowed her eyes at the man before scoffing back. "You must be crazy if you think I'm going to let you sell me like some sort of prized object. Screw you Chisaki.."

Although the man didn't seem intimidated in the slightest only smirking from the doorway. "It seems you don't realize that you put yourself in this situation Bakugo. I'm just taking advantage."

Then without a word, the man left, slamming the door behind him and locking the surface with a loud click. She heard his footsteps start to disappear before turning muttering under her breath. "Wow, that guy loves to hear himself talk huh? Talk about an ego. I think he's even worse then Katsuki."

She laughed to herself but Endeavor didn't seem to enjoy her joke, just sighing heavily. "Please stop being so reckless. Challenging a villain to kill you isn't the way to go about this."

Amari only shook her head at that, a small smirk on her lips now. "Aww were you worried about me?"

Deku watched as the hero closed his eyes in a groan, obviously over her attitude before replying. "Don't make me regret sending you Bakugo."

Rolling her eyes in response, Amari sighed. "Sorry, just trying to make light of the situation. So, what's the plan? I can't get to Eri like this. I don't even have a quirk."

Endeavor thought about her words for a moment before Sir Nighteye interrupted them, now taking the microphone from his grasp. "Don't proceed with anything until we fully know your surroundings. Your meeting may have been unavoidable but we don't want any more surprises."

His harsh words jumbled around in her brain before speaking back in a confused manner "And that means?"

Just then, Todoroki's father took hold on the microphone again before clarifying. "It means stay put Bakugo, and don't do anything stupid."

Amari frowned at that. "I'm offended. I would never.."

Although Endeavor only raised an eye at her words, recalling her behavior only a moment ago. "May I remind you of the Hosu incident, or the internship you got expelled from, or barging into a certain marriage interview uninvited, or five seconds ago when you invited our target to kill you…"

At that, the girl shook her head, harshly cutting him off. "Okay okay I get it. I'll stay put for now. But doesn't that mean this is going to take a lot longer? I thought we said we'd begin the raid tomorrow."

Endeavor then looked at Sir Nighteye who only sighed. "You're correct, but I'd rather make sure of your safety as well as the childs. Now that we know Chisaki has plans for you as well, we can't be reckless. Our team will ensemble a plan over here while you keep watch of your surroundings. Make note of anything you can use but don't take action until I say so, understand?"

His plan sounded beyond boring, Amari over her role of a damsel in distress already. She wanted action, not to just sit around. But of course if it meant Eri's safety then she'd have to stand by. "I don't like it, but I understand."

Sir Nighteye nodded his head at her compliance before turning to the other U.A. students watching the scene. "You all can return for today. Go to your normal classes as scheduled and don't reveal any information about this case. We don't want Chisaki finding out about Ember being a spy. It will ruin the operation and endanger her life."

The students looked at Endeavor in apprehension before walking away, all except Deku who stayed for a moment more. "Endeavor, I'm worried about Mari-chan. Chisaki said those villains want her. What if we are too late and.."

Although he was cut off by the man's gruff, deep voice. It had an amount of authority to it, like Deku's words made him angry. "We won't be. Talking like that will only instill doubt. That child will come back. She's too stubborn for anything else."

The boy's eyes widened at the hero's response, his face now curling up into a small smile. "You really believe in her, don't you?"

Endeavor paused for a moment before turning away and answering shortly. "I don't know what you mean."

Yet the green haired boy wasn't fooled in the slightest. He knew that the hero cared for Amari, in some way or another. Why else would he get so upset about the idea of her failing? If only she was here to see it. "It's okay, I do."

The hero remained silent then as Deku decided to take his leave, already knowing that Bakugo was in good hands if Endeavor was there. Something told him that Todoroki's father would look out for her.

Once he was gone, the number one hero focused back on his ear piece only for Amari to yawn back loudly. "You know Endeavor, since this is going to take awhile you can just go home. It's not like anything will happen right now."

She yawned again only to get his response almost immediately. "I'm not leaving Bakugo, not until all this is over."

Amari narrowed her eyes at that before feeling a small bit of happiness in her chest. Was he looking out for her? That's what it seemed like. "Alright, but it might be boring.."

Her voice had a level of sarcasm to it, the girl not getting a reply but instead a low grunt. She supposed that meant he was staying with her. She didn't know why but the action made her feel a bit more safe.

Staring at the dull plain walls, Amari then sighed to herself before thinking about a way to get to Eri.

The ominous quiet ran a sharp chill though her body as she recalled Todoroki and her brother's last words. The girl couldn't deny that she really missed them right now.

She felt the need to hug her body in comfort but found it difficult with the restraints. The girl felt really far from home now.

But she also knew that they believed in her, which meant she couldn't get discouraged.

Now was not the time for that.

* * *

The next morning came and as Deku entered the classroom he shared a look with the rest of the kids on a work study, now lowering his eyes. It was obvious that the aura of the room was tense, given that one of their friends was held captive by villains while they were forced to pretend like everything was normal. It honestly was eating everyone up inside.

But no one felt it worse than Deku. He was a nervous wreck. The boy wanted to believe in Mari-chan but found it hard when she was so close to danger, and on top of that he couldn't tell anyone about it. This felt like torture.

Sitting down at his desk, the green haired boy breathed out a sigh of anxiety when suddenly someone blocked his view. "Midoriya, is it alright if I speak with you?"

Deku looked up only for his stomach to drop. Standing in front of him was one of the only two people he hoped not to talk to today. It was Todoroki. "Uhh yeah of course Todoroki. What's up?"

The boy remained silent for a moment before answering back low and quiet. "I was wondering if you knew anything about Amari? It seems she's absent today and I haven't heard from her since yesterday."

Ah, there it was. There was the one question Deku was afraid of. He already knew he couldn't tell Todoroki anything about the mission, never mind tell him that his girlfriend was willingly with villains. Deku knew better than to mention that little detail.

Trying not to make his voice waver, the boy replied back with a slight shake. "I'm really sorry Todoroki. I really wish I could tell you but Sir Nighteye made us promise not to tell anyone about the case."

The boy stood there for a moment before narrowing his eyes in confusion. Yes keeping the case secret seemed normal but the fact that Amari wasn't even in school today concerned him greatly. Why had everyone else returned but her? "I understand but you also have to understand my concerns Midoriya. I just need to know if she's okay."

Deku was about to ease his worries before he stopped himself once more. Was she okay? Because saying so seemed like a complete lie. "I..uhh…"

Todoroki twisted his brow in concern before the boy spoke again, this time with a bit more confidence. "I wouldn't worry Todoroki. Mari-chan is with Endeavor, right?"

Although that didn't make the boy anymore at ease, grimacing back. "That's exactly why I'm worried. I still can't trust my old man at all, regardless of what Amari claims."

The green haired boy's face fell then, thinking back to Endeavor's words regarding Mari-chan. Deku didn't know why but it felt like that man would protect her. "I don't know. I mean I don't know a lot about your father but when I talked to him, he really seemed to care about her."

Turning his eyes in confusion, Todoroki processed his friend's words before replying back softly. "I would really like to believe that, but I'm still conflicted about everything. She tells me to trust him as well but I still find it difficult given past experiences."

Deku nodded his head absentmindedly, knowing a little bit of Todoroki's childhood, but not much. Although just the stuff he overheard at the sports festival was enough to slightly understand. "I can imagine."

Todoroki remained silent for a moment before realizing that they had gotten off track from the original conversation. He wanted to fix that. "Regardless, I need to know if she's okay. Please Midoryia.."

As he pushed deeper Deku started to look around nervously for help as Todoroki then tried to recruit someone else to his cause, now calling back to Amari's brother. "Bakugo, aren't you worried about her as well?"

Katsuki sprung to life at his words, now turning around from his seat in annoyance. "Keep me out of this icy hot."

His response was certainly strange. Usually Deku would have bet Kacchan would've been the first to grill him about his sister's whereabouts. But somehow, he seemed calm and unbothered.

It seemed to concern Todoroki as well, now stepping forward with confusion. "That doesn't sound like you at all Bakugo. Usually you'd be the first to ask about Amari and.."

Kastsuki cut him off almost immediately though. "Shut up, I already said to leave me out of it."

He then turned back around, seemingly confusing Todoroki even more,now pushing further. "But Bakugo, aren't you worried about her?"

At that Katsuki's hair stood up on the back of his neck, a small bit of anger etched in his throat as the boy turned back around sharply. He was yelling now, startling the whole class. "Of course I am, you idiot!

Bakugo immediately shrunk back into himself a moment later, his voice lowering down an octave and slamming his fists on the desk.. "But I can't do a damn thing about it and it pisses me off. So, just drop it icy hot. I don't want to think about it."

Deku and Todoroki then shared a glance before Todoroki spoke back, slow and quiet. "Why do you say that?"

Staring at the floor, Katsuki then caught sight of his sisters present and lightly touched the surface of the bracelet before replying. "I've been such a dumbass with her in the past. I already said I would let her do this herself, and If I go back on that then I'll just be fucking up our relationship again."

Todoroki took in his words, now thinking about the meaning. It wasn't that Bakugo didn't care about his sister. It was more like the boy was worrying about her internally instead. He really wanted to fix their relationship and Todoroki knew that stepping back couldn't have been easy for the boy. He was trying to get her to trust him again. It was something he knew all too well.

Todoroki sighed then, letting his eyes cast away in reply. "I apologize Bakugo. I misread your actions. I'm sure you want to know as much as me, right?"

The boy didn't get a reply though, only watching Bakugo grumble in response before turning back around.

That damn bastard was making him think of Amari again and Katsuki hated it. He hated not knowing what she was doing, or if she was safe. It was honestly eating him up inside and that guy just had to stir up his feelings. Everything about this was pissing him off.

Just then, Aziawa came into the room and saved Deku internally from having to answer either of the boys. It seemed like Todoroki wasn't about to quit anytime soon also. "Alright everyone, get to your seats."

Todoroki reluctantly complied as the boy breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be done with the conversation for now. It hurt him to lie to his friends but he really had no other choice right now.

Hopefully all of this would be over soon.

* * *

Amari let out a heavy sigh as her muscles began to cramp from the metal cuffs around her ankles and wrists. Having to wait for confirmation of the plan was making her restless. Knowing that Eri was in the very same building made her want to break free even more, although Endeavors stern warnings from time to time stopped her.

Groaning to herself, she whispered back to the man on the other end. "Endeavor, I've been observing my surroundings for hours. Guess what, it's still the same grey wall."

She heard him sigh back as if in exasperation. "Bakugo, you know you can't act unless we figure a way to get you out of that cell undetected. So unless you have one of those, stop complaining."

Rolling her eyes Amari replied. "Yeah I know, but it's hard when I don't have anything to work with."

Just then, a couple of Chisaki's men walked by her cell before stopping in front of the door as if to gossip. Amari couldn't help to listen in as well. "That's her, that's the girl that the boss has been interested in. Although it seems he's having trouble getting any offers."

Looking into the window, the man took one look at the girl before replying. "Why is that? Isn't she supposed to be connected to All for One?"

He nodded back before pointing towards Amari who just stared at him blankly. "Yeah but have you seen her? No one believes that she's really capable of those rumors. I can kind of see why though. It seems impossible for her to be that powerful with a body that small."

Amari only frowned at his comments. Just great, even as a prisoner no one believed that she could be successful. It was always the same no matter where she was. Why was it so hard to not underestimate her?

Just then, the girl got an idea as the man started to leave. She wanted to run it by Endeavor but found it hard given that they were so close to ear shot. Amari didn't want to mess up this new possible opportunity.

She needed to get out of this cell somehow, and it seemed the girl finally figured out how, now finding something to work with.

Taking a deep breath, Amari then channeled the best person she knew of for her plan to work, someone that always knew how to command a room, no matter the result, someone that made everyone pay attention to him, good or bad. Her brother.

Amari tightened her fists before calling towards the man loudly. "Hey asshats! What the hell did you just say about me?!"

That got their attention, now turning back to the girl who continued her best Katsuki impression. " I will gladly kick your ass, anytime, any place, just name it!"

As her voice rang out, Endeavor entered her ear, clearly confused at her plan. "Bakugo, what are you doing?"

But she only remained quiet as one of the men turned their heads in amusement. "What did you say child?"

Narrowing her eyes in response, Amari smirked. "You heard me, go ahead and tell your boss that I will show him just how serious I am. You should know that underestimating me is a big mistake.I know for a fact I could kick your scrawny ass with ease."

The two men looked at each other then before replying smoothly, now taking a small key out of his pocket to open her cell. "You better watch your mouth girl."

Although Amari didn't watch her mouth, in fact she kept talking. "I'm sorry, did I hurt your fragile little ego? Maybe you should fix yourself first before you try and shit on me.."

She laughed to herself only to see the man step into her room before towering over her. "You're going to regret that."

Just then her heart dropped into her chest realizing she went full Bakugo as she whispered back nervously. "Oh no, too far."

And then before she could process it, the man had punched Amari across the face, causing her to tumble to the ground in a heavy thud.

Endeavor's voice rang in her ear loudly as she groaned back. "Bakugo, what's happening? What did you do?"

Shaking her head, the girl spit out a small bit of blood before glaring back at the man. "You wanna fight? Fine, let me go so you can see how much damage this small girl can really do.."

This didn't please the man though, reaching up and grabbing her shirt roughly as hot breath blew into her face all at once. "Say that again girlie, I dare you."

His fist reached up again and Amari closed her eyes as if to wait for the impact when Chisaki's voice stopped them all at once. "Why are you disregarding my orders? I thought I expressed that I wanted Bakugo unharmed."

The man tensed up before dropping the girl all at once, now turning to his boss to explain himself. "Sorry boss, but the girl was threatening us."

Rolling herself over, Amari then smirked to herself, knowing she had them right where she wanted them. "That's right, and I'd do it again. How dare you assume that I'm a weak little kid. How about you stop hiding behind the handicap of me being tied up and let me out of here so I can show you a real fight…."

Her words struck a chord with Chisaki, now gaining an idea from them all at once. "Now that you mention it, perhaps a little demonstration would be ideal for our possible investors."

Amari's face fell then, giving a look of horror when in actuality, she was trying to hide her smile. _That's it, take the bait Chisaki._ "What…."

And take the bait he did as the man crossed his arms over his chest, now seemingly pleased with his plan. "Very well. I'll take you up on your offer Bakugo. That way everyone will be able to see All for One's pet in action."

Grumbling at the nickname, Chisaki then clapped his hands before turning back towards the door and leaving. He was so sure of himself, so smug. It was like he didn't even know that she was playing him. Hopefully it stayed that way.

Once he was gone, she immediately heard Endeavor in her ear, speaking loudly with annoyance. "Bakugo, what did you just do?"

Rolling her eyes, Amari looked towards the wall before smirking. "I just gave us a way to check out the facility undetected. Chisaki will take me to fight somewhere and while I'm being escorted, I can get a look at the layout of this place. Hopefully we will be able to determine the location of Eri as well."

It didn't seem like the man was pleased though, sighing back. "It seems your reckless nature has returned. Do you even realize what this means? You just signed yourself up to fight whatever Chisaki wishes. Who knows how dangerous this could be?"

Shrugging back, Amari replied. "Endeavor, I'm tied up in a villain's hideout. I'm pretty sure this is dangerous already. It's fine, I can take whatever he throws at me. That's not what's important right now, finding Eri is."

Endeavor then looked over at Sir Nighteye who seemed to be in silent thought, before replying for the hero. "It might be able to help us determine the child's location so I support the plan. Besides, she won't die here regardless, so the risk is acceptable."

Smirking in response, Amari coaxing back. "See? It's fine then. Now we can speed up the process."

Yes he said that, but somehow Endeavor got an anxious feeling from the heros words. That man had been into Amari's mind, which meant he knew her future past this point. Sir Nighteye already said the recuse plan would be successful so he had no choice but to agree as well.

Although, he couldn't help but still feel uneasy about everything for some reason.

* * *

Amari is really out here and is going to be a badass. We love a smart queen. Her plan for insulting those men was to get them to let out her cell so she could survey the area for Eri. Although now she has a new problem as she has to fight someone for Overhaul. Lots of things happening here. Also can we appreciate brother Katsuki trying to trust his sister? So sweet.

Next Chapter: Amari fights what Overhaul puts in front of her as old memories start to get in the way and she hatches a plan to find Eri. Todoroki is still a skeptical boy, feeling something is wrong… uh oh.


	62. S4 Chapter 12

A couple hours later, the door to Amari's cage was slammed open and a dozen of Yakuza members hoisted the girl to her feet, not really caring if they were gentle or not. The time had come and Bakugo was slightly nervous for what she had willingly signed up for.

She talked big to Endeavor but inside the girl was terrified. She was miles away from any ally or hero so if everything went south, she would ultimately be screwed. There was so much pressure here, and Amari was scared to mess even one thing up.

One of the men roughly grabbed her upper arm as they pushed her out the door and in doing so she called back to Endeavor so that they would know she was on the move. "Hey, be careful jerks! You don't have to push me."

The hero seemed to get the message as he narrowed his eyes towards the microphone, an intense glare now present. He understood the importance of this plan just as well. "Focus Bakugo. This is it."

Amari nodded internally as one of the men pushed her aggressively towards the door before grabbing her again on both sides of her tied arms. "Let's go, the boss is expecting you."

She frowned as they began to walk together down the long interior hallway. The majority of the area was silver and grey, like a laboratory. Although that made sense considering what they were doing to Eri down here. Just the idea made Amari furious already.

Rounding a corner, Bakugo inspected each of the doors next to her carefully but finding nothing out of the ordinary. They all seemed to be the same metal doors as her own.

Then she looked to her left and found one of the door propped open, enough for the girl to see inside. There seemed to be a large white operating chair in the center with a variety of terrible tools lining the table next to it. The sight almost made her throw up.

What had Chisaki done to this girl? Of course she knew to an extent but looking at that, it seems far worse then what Amari had originally imagined.

Swallowing back, Amari then caught the eye of another closed metal door in the far right corner, except this time there were a multitude of guards blocking the entrance. It was like there was something important in there, or someone…

She turned around to get a closer look when the guards grabbed her arm in anger, pulling her back from the area in a single motion. They really didn't want her to go near that door. Maybe, just maybe Eri was in there. "What do you think you're doing? This way kid."

They pushed her down the opposite direction but Amari couldn't help but look back, now seeing a man enter the room in question with a small cup of pills in his hand and some food.

That confirmed it for her, Eri must have been in that room. Why else would it be heavily guarded with medicine and food? She did it, she found her. Well, possibly.

Although it was short lived as the Yakuza pushed her back again, this time with a little more frustration. So much so that they stepped on the chain binding her ankles and Amari yelped as she tumbled to the floor. "Quit fooling around. The boss is going to be angry."

She groaned as her elbow hit the hard ground only to be hoisted back up again and led into a room with two huge double doors attached to them.

Blinking at the sudden light, she found Chisaki with his arms crossed in the center of the empty space. "There you are. Are you ready to put on a show?"

He then pointed to a dozen cameras lining the edge of the space that all had flashing lights attached to them. This bastard was going to film her fight as proof? How slimy. "I thought it would be just us. I'm not really into having an audience."

This only made Chisaki smirk though, shrugging his shoulders. "This is just so I can show the interested parties what All for One's pet can really do. That is, if you survive."

He was playing with her, trying to instill doubt but Amari wasn't about to let him, only replying back plainly. "I already told you. I'm not that man's damn pet."

Chisaki didn't seem intimidated though, only snapping his fingers as the men next to you pushed a button on a small remote and Amari's restraints were unlocked, allowing her to move freely. "We'll see about that…"

Looking down she still found the cuffs firmly attached to her wrists but the connection had been broken. They must have had some kind of metal sensor in them.

She didn't know why, but Amari had a feeling that if she tried to attack him now, it wouldn't be successful. "I don't know if that was a smart thing to do. What if I decided to attack you?"

The man only gave her a knowing looking though, now pointing to her metal cuffs around her wrists and ankles. "Oh I know you aren't that foolish. Besides, those quirk suppressors are still on just in case you decide to misbehave. My men can turn them back on whenever they see fit, so trying to double cross me would be a bad idea. But you already figured that out, didn't you?"

She did in fact, now looking at the cuffs with distain. That man could control her quirk like this. The first thing she had to do was figure out a way to get them off so his dog collar on her would be gone. But how? That was the question.

Overhaul took in her silent expression for a moment before speaking out again, this time with slight amusement. "You said you wanted to show me how tough you are, well now's your chance. You may begin whenever, and don't worry about making a mess. They are disposable."

Just then, the doors to her left opened and thirty large Yakuza men surrounded the small girl as her eyes widened. He wanted her to fight thirty trained men with different unknown quirks? It was a losing battle already, and thirty to one? Her odds were basically impossible.

Feeling the heat in her palms, Amari surveyed the empty area before taking in a large breath. If Katsuki were here he'd barrel head first into these guys no problem. If only she was hime.

Chisaki lifted his hand and almost immediately, all the men ran straight towards her all the once, causing the girl to silently panic. Now was not the idea to weigh the impossible odds. She needed to get through this, for Endeavor, for Sir Nighteyes agency, for Eri and for herself.

Their bodies jumped up in the air and Amari had just enough time to put up a medium sized gold shield. She then successfully threw the men away from her as the top of the dome burned their chests all at once.

As they groaned on the floor, Amari didn't even have time to think as another man hit her in the back on the spine, causing the girl to turn around before using her gold matter to grab his arm roughly before he yelped out in pain. Punching his stomach with force, the man came tumbling down as another took his place.

Her breathing began to become shallow and Bakugo knew she had to pace herself but found it hard when Chisaki men wouldn't even give her a moment to rest. She would just have to work with what she had and be careful of her condition at the same time.

Because she was thinking about her breathing, another presence appeared as she whipped around to confront it. But her movements were too slow and the enemy took advantage, now using his quirk to crack the floor underneath them and throw large massive rocks in her direction.

Amari gasped and put a shield up just in time although the effects sent her back a few feet, now falling to the floor from impact. This really was impossible. She was just too outnumbered to fight all of them.

She stumbled to her feet as someone was waiting for her and Amari quickly put her hand up to let off a large explosion before they could reach her as she whipped a bit of blood from her mouth.

Yet another Yakuza member was ready though, barreling towards her with hot fire breath as Amari threw another explosion to hide her body in a smoke screen and took something from his pocket unnoticed.

Once the area cleared, her attacker looked around in a confused state only to have the girl appear behind him as she used her explosions to propel herself into the air before kicking the man in the face.

Gazing around wildly, Amari then looked down at her cuffs before coming up with a plan, now seeing another Yakuza member race forward with intent.

Amari watched his fists come down and before they could connect, she lifted up her wrists only for the man to forcibly punch her cuffs with his acid quirk, causing the girl to fall towards the ground. The acid dripped onto her hands and the girl gritted her teeth at the action. Just a little more...

Her heart screamed in pain when suddenly a gust of wind picked up her body and threw her against the wall. Small wisps cut at her face and chest as Amari put her hands in front of her again, trying to block the hits with her wrists. Must have been another quirk.

Feeling a hard thud, Amari came tumbling down with blurry vision as another figure appeared above her. Her eyesight was hazy and doubled so the girl instead took blind faith and shoved her hand into some part of his skin before letting off an explosion extreme close..

The man screamed in horror as sharp drops of liquid splattered on her face and all of her other opponents paused for a moment. Amari blinked away her blurry vision in a confused haze and caught the sight of crimson before her.

Her enemy before was now clutching his face as blood poured from some unknown place and she noticed singe marks littering the corner as he cursed.

Amari stood there in shock now processing what she had done. She had permanently scared this man with her explosions. Any closer to his brain and she would've killed him.

With a slight shake to her hand, she suddenly heard Chisaki call out to her from the darkness with amusement. "Go on and finish him. I already said they were disposable.."

Shaking her head in disapproval, Amari replied. "A-Are you serious?! No, I'm not a murderer. I don't kill people like you Chisaki. I refuse.."

Yet his voice returned a moment later, stopping the girl in her tracks as his thick cruel voice filled her ears with his words. "Why? It didn't stop you before….."

Amari eyes widened with confusion at his statement when suddenly her mind became blurry as the room spun in a thousand different directions. She felt the words in her brain from a past memory of conversation crash into her all at once_**. Go ahead little one, follow my orders and finish them. **_

Feeling her breathing pick up, she tried to shake the memory away but found it impossible, now muttering back to no one in particular. "No, not now..please not now!"

Amari then vaguely heard Endeavor's voice through her ear piece and she put a hand up to stop the noise, almost forgetting that the communication was supposed to be secret. "Bakugo, it's not real, remember? Don't let it distract you."

She slammed her hands over her ears to drown out the fragments of memories as flashes entered her mind once again. The floor around her turned crimson and a sick sensation smashed into her brain, making her want to throw up all at once. There was blood everywhere now, lining the walls and her hands as well as her costume. She tried to tell herself it wasn't real but the emotions that came with it felt like they were tearing her apart. Why wouldn't all of this just go away? "Stop it...please...stop it…"

Endeavor's voice entered again, except this time it felt extremely far away. "Bakugo!"

Falling to the ground to her knees, Amari shook her head aggressively as the girl felt like she was being drowned. Her breaths gasped for air and she vaguely heard Chisaki's voice through her muffled hearing. "What are you waiting for? Go on..."

She vaguely felt the Yakuza approach and a thousand alarm bells rang in her mind. Yes they were villains but she was scared of herself right now. It was like her power was leaking out and Amari was afraid of seriously killing these men. It didn't matter if they were with Chisaki, they were still human.

Finding her voice for a moment, Amari brokenly called out to her attackers in hopes that they would change their mind quickly. "W-Wait..stay away from me..I can't…"

But of course they didn't listen and still approached which angered and terrified the girl, now feeling a low growl in her stomach. It didn't sound human in the slightest.

One of the men then grabbed her shoulder and Amari's body reacted almost immediately, now throwing gold spikes of matter in the direction of her attacker without was bad, she had to get away from here.

Feeling her feet move towards the double door she came from, suddenly another body was blocking her way and her instincts took her to move him as the voice entered her mind again. _**Is that all you can do, little one? Don't be such a coward.**_

She didn't want to fight but before she could even process it, Amari's quirk had ignited itself like she had no choice, and barreling into the largely built man with a growl. "Stop it..I'm not a coward!"

Her gold matter slashed this chest before he swung back, but Bakugo was faster this time as her hand slammed into his shoulder, now burning his jacket and skin. Then once he was on his knees, the girl slammed her quirk into the man's face as he cowered away in pain.

There was more crimson now, more liquid lining the area, but this time she didn't care, only thinking about the enemies to her left and right. It was like she had this instinct, this need to take them down for some reason, to show them who she was. Her mind was only focused on one thing, ending them.

Then for a moment, her mind blinked in clarity and she lowered her hands only for the voice to return once more. _**You want to give up? Then you are a failure, just like all the others before you. Perhaps your brother was right after all...**_

Shaking her head in frustration, the girl felt some invisible force on her neck shock her into continuing as she raised her hands again. Amari screamed back to no one in particular as she raced towards the rest of her enemies with intent. "Shut up, just shut the fuck up! Get out of my head!"

Someone hit her in the back of the head but Bakugo didn't feel any pain from it, only turning around to grab the man's arm tightly. Then, before she could process it, she bent the limb backwards and a sickening crack echoed throughout the space, breaking it in two.

All for One's voice then, coaxing her hazy mind all at once. _**You should stop thinking your human. I've made you better then that, little one. I made you a weapon.**_

The sheer power of her strength surprised Chisaki, now watching the man scream in pain at the break. A small girl like herself would've never been strong enough to break bones normally. But All for One's creation, well that was a different story.

It seemed Amari realized that as well because as she stared at the man in excruciating pain her mind suddenly began to clear and registered what had actually happened. She didn't just break that man's arm, right?

Looking forward in confusion, she found her costume littered with blood and well as some on her hands from the aftermath. That's when the panic seeped in. "What.."

Just then, all of her muscles tensed up immediately, causing the girl to crumble to the floor while clutching her heart painfully. Her breathing was only allowed in small quick gasps as the girl placed her hands on the floor for support. It felt like her body was ripping into two.

She vaguely registered Chisaki's shoes by her head as he towered over her with interest. "Ah yes. Now that is exactly what I pictured All for One's pet to be like."

Gritting her teeth in agony, the villain then rolled her over with his shoe before shaking his head. "It would be a shame if you died right here. I'm sure the price for you will be very high indeed. Thank you for the demonstration."

Amari frowned at his words only for the men to push a button on a remote and the girls quirk was cut off. She was back where she started, bound together with her wrists and ankles. "That will be all. Send her back."

The Yakuza compiled, now lifting the girl by her forearms before she hazily felt herself being dropped in her usual cell, the door shutting almost immediately.

Groaning at the pain in her muscles, Endeavor's voice cut through everything else. She didn't know why but he sounded on edge. "Bakugo answer me…"

She tried to sit up but found another wave of dizziness as she muttered. "Endeavor.."

Sighing to himself, the man called back roughly. "What were you thinking?! I told you this plan was foolish and now you almost jeopardized the entire mission!"

Amari tried to listen but she could only think back to that fight, and the feeling she had with it. It reminded her so much of her confrontation with All for One, and it terrified her. "I thought it was over…"

Endeavor paused at that. "What?"

Shaking her head in denial, Amari's voice cracked back, a little bit louder this time. "I thought it was over! I stopped taking the pills, so I should be normal. What happened, what did he do to me? Endeavor, I'm scared…"

She sounded so fragile, so vulnerable, like something really scared her. Sir Nighteye listened with his eyes casted down, remembering that she was still indeed a fifteen year old child. Maybe it was wrong to send her.

The line was silent for a moment before Amari lifted her knees to her chest in a small attempt of comfort. She really needed her brother or Shoto right now, just someone to hold her and tell her that she wasn't a monster, that what she just did in that fight wasn't really her. "Listen Endeavor, I know you aren't good at comforting or literally anything remotely positive, but please tell me I'm not a monster. I just really need to hear that right now."

She closed her eyes as she willed the memory away and sighed to herself, knowing that Todoroki's father would never be comforting like that. She just needed to get over this and focus on the mission.

Although Amari stopped when Endeavor's voice entered her ear, slow and small. "You're not a monster, you're a hero."

Lifting her head up, the girl narrowed her eyes in confusion as she felt her voice crack. Did he really just say that to her? "What.."

A line was silent for a moment more before Todoroki's father answered. "I wouldn't have agreed to personally train you if I didn't see your potential. I don't train monsters, I train heroes."

She felt her eyes line with tears but quickly blinked them away not wanting Chisaki to know she was showing her weakness as he continued. "There is a reason we send you to find the child's location. This is something only you can do. So are you going to sit on the floor and give up or are you going to save that girl?"

Lowering her eyes, Amari thought about his words. He was absolutely right. Yes, what had happened was beyond terrifying but that girl was going through the same thing. She was that kid's hope right now and there was no way Bakugo was about to give up on her. Never.

Amari sat up a bit more before nodding her head to herself, a small smile on her lips now. "You're right. Thanks Endeavor. I really needed to hear that."

Just then, Sir Nighteye pipped in. "As much as this is touching, it seems our plan for finding Eri's location has fallen through, or did you forget that. Now we have to.."

Although the girl cut him off almost immediately. "I know where she is."

This caused the man to freeze before replying. "Where?"

Shaking her head, Amari continued. "I can't be certain but while I was escorted I saw a door that was heavily guarded, and not only that, I saw a man enter the room with medicine and food in his hand. If I had to bet, I would say Eri is in there. I won't know until I check it out though."

The last part of her sentence caused the number one hero to raise an eye. "And how are you going to do that? We are back to square one…"

Although that's when Amari smiled before pushing her quirk against the metals cuffs for a couple seconds before they sprung apart, the girl looked at the surface and found two small cracks in the metal. "You said I wouldn't be able to break the cuffs as long as they were in full condition. So, during the fight I made sure the Yakuza aimed their quirks towards them. It took awhile but they finally cracked."

She rubbed her wrist as Sir Nighteye and Endeavor stood slightly impressed. That girl strategically took hits to the cuffs so that they would become ineffective. It was a smart plan, a really smart plan.

Yet that brought up another question as the number one hero voiced it back. "And how are you going to get them to let you willingly leave the cell again?"

Once again, the girl only smiled back before reaching into her black pants pocket and pulling out an employee ID card she took from the fight, perfect for getting into unauthorized areas. "I won't have to. Those Yakuza members had their hands full, they didn't even notice when I pick pocketed them."

Endeavor's eyes widened before Sir Nighteye watched a small smile appear on the hero's face. It was like he was impressed. "Not bad Bakugo."

The girl then nodded back in approval before covering the cameras with her gold matter and standing up before moving towards the door. She waited until no one was in the hallways before reaching her hands through the bars and sliding the card on her door for it to open with a slight click.

Now it was time to find Eri.

* * *

Amari walked down the long hallway before finding a long white doctor's coat draped across an empty chair. She quickly picked up the object and threw it across her shoulders before continuing with her head down to avoid being recognized.

Then she moved to the opposite end of the building and found an empty unused hallway. Ah, this was perfect.

Taking her hand up, Bakugo let her hand pop with sparks before lifting it up to the nearby sprinkler and causing the object to go off at the heat.

She smiled in approval as the building began to beep in warning of a fire and she heard footsteps start to approach the area. They would be busy with that for a while which gave her time to check out that door quickly. "Alright, set the timer for fifteen minutes. That should be more than enough time for them to find they put out the fire I set."

Sir Nighteye and Endeavor did as instructed as Amari then raced down the now empty hallways before finding the door in question with only two guards blocking the way.

Sighing to herself, Amari then put on her best panicked face before running up to them in a frantic hurry. "What are you two doing?! There is a fire and the boss said to head over to the east wing! He's having an emergency meeting right now!"

The two looked at each other before pointing behind them in confusion. "What about the girl?"

Shaking her head, Amari grumbled to herself before quickly showing them the stolen ID for a moment and replying. "Are you serious right now?! The boss said he wants your head and you're worried about a little girl?! You must really have a death wish."

One of them started to look nervous as Bakugo pointed away from herself quickly. "You know what, fine. I'll watch the girl while you go to the boss. Your life is more in jeopardy than mine right now."

They paused for a minute before finally believing her lie and leaving in a hurry only for Amari to smirk under her breath. "Idiots."

Taking her stolen ID card out, Amari then swiped open the door before stepping inside the dark room and shutting the door behind her.

She sighed to herself and turned around only for someone to gasp behind her. Amari then turned around at the noise and found the very girl she was trying to find, Eri. "W-Who are you?"

Seeing the girl she couldn't help but smile. All of this sneaking around and fighting had finally paid off because they had done it, they found Eri. "Hey, do you remember me?"

Amari stepped closer a little too quickly as the girl backed away in a single motion causing Bakugo's eyes to fall. She then tried putting her hands up in defense. "I'm not here to hurt you. We've met before, remember? Back in the city you grabbed onto my leg..."

She took a step into the light and Eri's eyes widened, recalling the girl now and taking a step forward. Although that's when she noticed the blood on Amari's clothes and shook while closing her eyes.

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari looked down only to gasp. She did suppose this looked bad. "Wait, you don't have to worry. This isn't my blood. Oh wait, that probably doesn't help. Here, let me try this."

Amari then undid her white doctor's jacket along with her black hero jacket and placed them on the floor so that she was only wearing her gold undershirt. "There, it's all gone now. You can open your eyes."

Eri compiled as Bakugo then dropped to her knees so they were the same height. "Is that better?"

The child nodded back and replied softly. "I don't like blood."

Amari's eyes fell at that before putting her hands out slowly. This poor girl, what had she seen? "It's okay, I don't like it either."

Her words seemed to calm Eri who turned her head as Amari smiled back. "I don't think we've probably been introduced yet. It's nice to meet you. My name is Amari, but my hero name is Ember. Your name is Eri, right?"

She nodded her head back slowly and Bakugo continued lightly. "How cool is that, both our names start with a E. It's like we could be sisters, right?"

Laughing at her own joke, the girl then paused as Eri's small hand wrapped around her pants. It was just like what she did the day they first met. "I don't have a family."

Amari's heart crumbled then, recalling her own past. Why was this girl so much like her in so many ways? "It's okay, for a long time I thought that also, but it doesn't always have to be that way..."

She chuckled thinking about Katsuki as the blonde haired girl continued. "You'll find your family someday, you just don't know it yet. They are out there, trust me."

Eri looked at her with confusion, not really understanding her words as Amari spoke again. "There is more to life than just this room, and I'm going to help you figure it out. In fact you can just call me big sister."

Bakugo beamed in excitement as Eri's eyes fell. "I can't leave though. He's going to get mad at me and hurt more people. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."

Frowning back, the girl then scooted closer in a soft whisper. "Eri, do you know why I'm here?"

She shook her head as Amari continued. "I'm here to save you. In just a couple days you'll be able to leave this place. I'll take you to all the parks in the neighborhood, and the aquarium and even let you eat as much ice cream as you want. You just have to hang on, okay? Just a little longer and you'll be free."

Gently taking the child's hands, Eri's eyes began to line with tears. "Really? I can do all that?"

Nodding back. Amari smiled as she felt her own tears threatening to spill over. "Yeah, of course you can, and you remember that green haired boy that was with me when we met? He's coming to save you too."

Eri rubbed her eyes to erase the tears as she thought about a life outside of her room, a life without pain or blood. She really wanted to see that. "I really want that."

Just then, the child rose to her feet before digging through her drawers and pulling out a medium sized piece of paper before showing Amari. "Is this him?"

Looking down at the page, Amari's eyes widened as she saw four stick figure drawings, one representing Eri and herself while the other two represented Deku and Mirio with their hero costumes. She really remembered them that vividly? It was like she was wishing for them to return.

Bakugo felt a tear slip from her eye as she picked up the drawing and smiled before pointing to the green blob. "Yeah, that's him. His name is Deku, and then this one's name is Mirio.."

Eri stared at the page before nodding her head as if to remember them. "Deku...Mirio…"

Smiling in return, Amari replied. "Yeah that's right."

Then the white haired girl got to her feet once more before pulling out another piece of paper along with a handful of markers and handing it to Bakugo. "You wanna draw?"

She really wished she could stay, in fact she wanted to stay here forever but the girl paused when Endeavor's voice echoed through her ear. "Bakugo, time's almost up."

Frowning back, Bakugo shook her head before turning to Eri sadly. "I'm sorry Eri, I have to go. But I promise we will draw the next time we see each other, okay?"

The child looked at the paper with a frown before nodding her head in agreement. "Okay."

Amari smiled back before rising from the floor slowly and turning to the door. "I'll see you soon."

Placing a hand to the door handle, Bakugo was then about to open it when Eri tugged on her pant leg once. "Wait, take one. So that you can color too."

She looked down and looked at the small child holding a black marker up to her in question. Amari then carefully took it out of her hands and placed it in her pocket before patting the surface. "Thank you. I'll keep it here so it's safe, okay?"

Eri nodded back in agreement as Amari waved back. "Bye Eri."

Then placing her hand on the doorknob, she about about to open it when Eri spoke back, causing the blonde haired girl to freeze at her words. "Bye Sissy."

Widening her eyes, Amari turned back only to feel the tears start to rise up again. She told the kid to call her big sister as a joke to lighten the mood but actually hearing it just felt so right.

It was like she believed Amari to be her family, and the blonde haired girl fully welcomed that idea, now smiling back. "Bye Eri."

* * *

I'm crying, Amari and Eri's relationship is so cute! Eri looks at her as a big sister and I'm just AHHHH it's so wholesome. Also Endeavor actually being supportive? Crazy…

And like let's talk about Amari's freak out during the fight cause uhhh..there is something going on with her. She's got some major PTSD from something in America and it's starting to come out.

Also I know I said I'd add Shoto in this CH but it was going super long so he's gonna be in the next one. Just picture him being worried through all of this.

Next Chapter: Shoto is worried. Shit hits the fan. That is all.


	63. S4 Chapter 13

**Five Hours Earlier**

Todoroki really did try and calm himself down through class but just the idea of Amari being hurt was driving him absolutely insane. All he wanted was for Deku to tell him that she was alright, that was it. He didn't need to know about the case or the state of the mission, all he cared about was knowing that she was safe, and it seemed the boy couldn't give him an answer.

In fact, it was strange because it seemed like Deku was avoiding the question all together. Was it really that hard to say that she was alright? No, there was something off about this whole thing, something that his friend was hiding. That was what was making him go crazy.

Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Deku, as soon as the class bell rang Todoroki tried a different approach. He wasn't the only one doing hero studies after all.

He walked up to Kirishima before tapping the boy on the shoulder only for his face to drop in fear. Why did he seem nervous to see him? "O-Oh hey man! What's up?"

Noticing the change in tone, Todoroki looked toward his red haired classmate before speaking plainly. "Is everything alright? You seem nervous about something…"

Kiri just laughed at that, maybe a little too quickly though before slapping his hand on the boys back loudly. "What, it's nothing. I'm just worried about that test coming up, you know? I hate studying.."

He laughed again and Todoroki eyes narrowed in skepticism. "But there are no tests in the coming weeks, at least none that I know of."

The boy's face dropped again before being saved by Uraraka who jumped between the two before giving Kiri a knowing look. "Well, you can never be too careful right? Kiri and I were just talking about making a study group, that's all."

She laughed as well at the idea and Todoroki realized that they were getting off topic. "Have you two heard anything about Amari? I can't seem to reach her and…"

Although his question was cut off when Kiri answered for him, rather loudly in fact. "W-What, nah man she's fine, great actaully! Totally not in any danger at all, not in the slightest!"

At that, Uraraka slapped a hand over her friend's face in a panicked gasp before fake chuckling at his joke. "Oh Kiri, you're so funny with your jokes. You better stop that or you're going to worry the poor boy, right?"

She then silently glared at the red haired boy before nodded back as she removed her hand. "Uh yeah, sorry about that. I got a little carried away with that one. Ha ha.."

Todoroki eyed his two classmates with slight anxiety. He didn't know a lot about social interaction given he was always kept by himself as a child, but it sounded like they were lying to him. "Why would you even say that kind of thing as a joke?"

The two thought for a moment before Uraraka replied back nervously as she jabbed the red haired boy in the arm.. "Yeah Kiri, why would you even say that? Of course Amari is fine, she's with Endeavor."

Ah there it was, the one sentence that made his stomach toss and turn with uncertainty. Was that everyone's response? Just because she was with his father didn't mean she was safe in the slightest, in fact it doubled her chances for danger. "Then why are you two hiding something from me? What's going on?"

A small bit of silence entered the room then before they two were saved by the lunch bell. In a flash of lightning, Uraraka and Kiri then quickly packed up their things before the girl smiled back apologetically. "Oh, would you look at the time! Gotta go get some lunch! See you Todoroki!"

The two raced out of there before Todoroki could even open his mouth, instead being forced to watch them go so suddenly. He talked with them to ease his worry but it seemed the feeling had only doubled now.

This wouldn't do, he needed someone that Amari knew more closely. Maybe they would know more about the case, and about her safety.

* * *

Shinso had just finished packing up his books when one of his classmates poked his shoulder lighty, gaining the boy's attention. Hey Shinso, there is someone here for you."

Twisting his brow in confusion, he stood up before, making his way towards the entrance to the classroom. Who on earth could this person be? No one really talked to him except Amari, and she was absent today.

He rounded the corner and almost immediately his face fell, now seeing Todoroki standing in front of him. Great, just great. "Shinso, I have to speak with you."

The boy stood in shock for a moment before letting his lips curve into a small smirk, already annoyed with him. "Oh wow, the great Todoroki has descended from his pedestal to talk to the commoners. Oh wonderful, I'm so blessed."

At that, Todoroki's face fell into a frown, remembering why he couldn't stand him after only a moment. "This isn't about me, it's about Amari."

The girl's name caused the purple haired boy to freeze, now gaining a bit more of his interest. "What about her, is she okay?"

He hated how desperate Shinso sounded, obviously displaying his feelings for her. It made Todoroki annoyed. "I'm not sure, I was hoping you knew something. She left with my father yesterday and I haven't been able to get a hold of her since. My other classmates are acting strange as well and won't give me a straight answer on if she's alright."

Shinso listened to the boy's explanation before crossing his arms over his chest in a silent huff. "Listen lover boy, did you ever think that you're overreacting? It's literally been a day since she left. Maybe she's just busy with that big case she's working on?"

In any normal circumstance Todoroki would have agreed with Shinso but there was something about this that wasn't right, and his friends acting suspicious wasn't helping. "You wouldn't understand my worries, but this is serious."

At that, Shins only laughed back mocking, now placing a hand to the doorframe in annoyance. "Wrong, I understand plenty, like how you don't trust your dear old daddy to protect her. She already told me so don't try to act all condescending."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that, a light mix of embarrassment and anger filling his cheeks. "How do you know about that?"

Narrowing his eyes, Shinso replied with slight disdain. "Because short stuff won't ever shut up about you. I have to hear about it all day long. It's not like I mind but don't act like you know more than I do, Todoroki."

Just then, the boy leaned closer, now letting his hatred for Todoroki come out full force. "Besides, aren't you babying her a little too much? I swear, you always act like Amari can't do anything for herself when we both know that's not true at all."

Todoroki's eyes lowered with frustration as he himself took a challenging step forward. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Although Shinso only smirked, knowing he was getting under the boy's skin. "You want to be the brave knight that saves the princess, don't you? But I think you've forgotten that Amari has done plenty before you showed up, and can do plenty without your metaling. It's like you don't have any faith in her…."

At that, Todoroki's face flicked with fire for a moment before gritting his teeth in anger. "How dare you assume such things about me. I know she's capable of a lot of things, but I also know that danger seems to follow her wherever she goes. She's been through so much pain and sadness you don't know anything about. I only wish for her not to get anymore scars. Is that so bad?"

The purple haired boy stared at him blankly for a couple moments before stepping back in defeat, a slow sigh to his voice. "Yeah, that's one thing I can agree with I suppose, but you know how she is. She wants to do this herself, so you should respect that, we should respect that."

Todoroki's anger diminished then, letting his eyes fall to the floor in a slight murmur. "I don't want to interfere, I just want to know if she's okay. That's all."

Shinso couldn't help but feel for the boy, also wanting to know if Amari was okay. Although this wasn't his battle to fight, not this time at least. There was something about this case that spoke to her, the boy realized that, and it seemed almost selfish to take that away from her.

After a small moment of silence, Todoroki lifted his head before turning around towards the hallway. "If you hear anything from her, please let me know.."

Shinso nodded his head back in response before replying softly. "Yeah."

That was confirmation enough for the boy who just lowered his eyes in agreement before leaving reluctantly.

Once he was gone, Shinso then quietly took out his phone before landing on Amari's contact information and sighing.

Hopefully she was doing okay.

* * *

Chisaki walked down the long corridor before opening the door to his right and stepping inside the dimly lit room. Standing in front of him was one of the men he had given a copy of Amari's fight to and now he was watching it with interest with one leg propped up on the sofa.

Moving closer into the floor, the Yakuza boss smirked at his display. "Do you like what you see? Have you thought anymore about my offer to join me?"

The stranger's head lowered then a small smile on his lips as Chisaki continued. "If you do, I can offer the girl to you. Isn't that what you want after all, revenge for your comrades?"

Flicking a button on the remote in front of him to pause the video, the man only laughed back, like he knew some kind of joke that Chisaki didn't. Well, that was before he spoke in a mocking tone. "How unfortunate. You don't realize it yet, do you?"

The Chisaki narrowed his eyes at that, not enjoying the man's tone. "What?"

That's when his possible partner laughed again before turning to face him. The light blue hair flashed with the lighting as Shigaraki smiled. "She's been playing you this whole time."

At that, Overhaul's face dropped all at once. "What are you saying?"

A small amount of silence appeared then before Shigaraki pushed another button on the remote to rewind the tape before answering. "Do you honestly think it's a coincidence that the girl showed up alone to recuse the kid? May I remind you that this is the same girl that set up killing her own brother just to gain the league's trust. Trust me, she's not that stupid."

Chisaki thought about the man's words for a moment before frowning back. Was he calling him stupid for thinking she was innocent? Overhaul saw the girl himself, she came alone. "Are you insinuating that Bakugo was captured on purpose?"

Tapping his hands on his knee, the blue haired villain nodded. "Precisely. You let that little doll slip right between your fingers, and walked right into her trap. Although this isn't the first time, you have my condolences. She can be very convincing."

Chisaki balled his fists in frustration before recalling her words. Did she purposely lie just to get closer to Eri? What kind of crazy girl would willingly enter a lions den? Of course, this was all just speculation. Shigaraki could've been wrong.

Narrowing his eyes, Overhaul walked over to the man before looking down at him with disdain. "Those are some bold accusations Shigaraki, and I imagine you have proof to back up this claim, correct?"

Just as he said that though, the man pressed play on the video and pointed to the screen as it depicted Amari fighting through those Yakuza one by one. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary there.

Although that's when he paused the video and Chisaki's eyes widened. Right in front of him was a shot of Amari purposely grabbing a guards name tag and sticking it into her pocket. That lying little girl, she could get free with that.

He cursed under his breath as Shigaraki then fast forwarded it to another part before stopping on an image of Amari lightly touching her ear, as if she was talking to someone. "Someone's been guiding her this entire time, and if I had to take my bets, I bet it's Endeavor."

The Yakuza man was absolutely infuriated at the discovery. He had almost let a mere child ruin everything he had worked for. This girl, she was right all along. He underestimated her too much, and it almost toppled everything.

Slamming his hands onto the remote, Overhaul turned off the television before throwing the object at the wall, now shaking his head in fury. "All for One's pet is really something else, I'll give her that..."

Just then, an obnoxious alarm rang through the space as sprinkles rained down on the two villains. Shigaraki just seemed amused though. "Now, I wonder who that could be?"

Normally Chisaki would have ignored the malfunction but now, now he knew better. That girl was probably making a distraction to get to Eri. She planned all of this out, that sneaky little bitch.

Standing up from his seat, the blue haired villain then looked at the ceiling before replying. "You better tie her up better if you wanted to keep that doll from ruining everything. Just a suggestion from previous experiences."

Overhaul felt an overwhelming rage at his words then, wanting to show that girl just who she was messing with. Sure, she may have had the upper hand until now….

But now, he was one step ahead….

* * *

Todoroki sighed to himself as he exited the classroom and trudged back to the dorms slowly. The worries about Amari had not gone away, in fact they had only multiplied since his conversation with Shinso, and he hated it.

He knew the purpled haired boy was right, he should have left it alone, he should trust her with this but with his father involved, the boy was conflicted.

That's when he saw a familiar head of green hair in front of him and before he knew it, Todoroki was already making his way to the boy. "Midoryia…"

Although before he reached his friend, Deku's phone began to ring in his pocket loudly, causing Todoroki to stop. It seemed he hadn't noticed him yet.

Pulling out the object, Deku looked down at the phone before answering it almost immediately. "Sir Nighteye, what is it?"

The air was silent for a moment as Todoroki heard the boy reply with slight excitement. "Mari-chan found Eri?! That's wonderful!"

Found Eri? That phrase made Todoroki's heart feel anxious. He was happy she was completing her goal but wasn't that kid kidnapped by a villain? Well, the last he heard she was anyways. Something could have changed though.

Quickly grabbing his bag, Deku then quickly put the straps on his back before hurrying off, but just before he left Todoroki heard a phrase that made his breath stop. "Yeah, the faster we can get Mari-chan out of that villain's clutches the better."

Wait, hold on. Did he just say villains clutches? Amari was with the villains?! What happened to Endeavor, or all the other heroes that were supposed to protect her? Why had they let her into danger so willingly like that?! The questions slammed into him all at once. He knew he couldn't trust his father with her safety. He was right.

Clutching his bag, Todoroki then started running down the street, towards Sir Nighteye's agency and towards her. He needed to see this for himself.

His father better have a good explanation for this or else he didn't know what he would do.

* * *

Placing her hands behind her back to make sure it looked like she was still tied up, Amari slumped against the same gray wall of her prison before sighing heavily. She had done it, she had found Eri, reassured her and alerted the heroes of her location. Now, the girl just had to wait as her part was done.

She smirked to herself before calling back to Endeavor lightly. "So Endeavor, are you going to congratulate me now or when I get back to the agency. Come on, you gotta admit, I'm pretty impressive."

His voice returned a moment later, only shaking his head in exasperation. "Don't get an ego kid, it isn't over yet. Wait until we get there to celebrate."

Amari smiled under her breath and recalled the plan that was happening in a couple hours. Soon the heros would be here for the raid and she could go back to U.A. with her brother and Todoroki. She was really excited for that. "Killjoy, let me have a little fun."

Endeavor then looked over at Sir Nighteye and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the door next to them opened, now revealing Deku and the rest of the U.A. students. "Sir Nighteye, is it true? Are we almost ready to start the raid?"

Nodding his head, the man replied back plainly. "Yes, it seems Ember has found the location of the child so we can begin our strategy for recovery. Now, let us.."

Although just as he was about to continue, the door slammed open again except this time it was Todoroki, breathing heavily for a moment before glaring at his father from across the room. " What have you done?"

Staring at his son, Endeavor glanced towards the microphone before Sir Nighteye stepped in front of him. "What are you doing here? This is a closed meeting. You must leave at once.."

Todoroki didn't seem intimated in the slightest though, only pushing past the man to reach his father. "You said you were going to protect her, and then you let her be kidnapped by villains!? What is wrong with you, you scumbag!"

A couple heros held him back as Endeavor rose from his seat. "I don't know where you heard that from but now is not the time for one of your temper tantrums. There are more important things happening right now."

His harsh tone was not lost on the boy who was now enraged beyond belief, Deku and his friends watching in shock as Todoroki shouted back. "Temper tantrums? How about you actually care about another person for once instead of sacrificing them for your own gain?!"

During this entire thing, Amari heard slight commotion through her ear piece and narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What's going on over there, you having a party without me Endeavor?"

She laughed at her joke when suddenly another voice echoed in her ear, causing her to freeze all at once. "Amari, are you okay? What's happening…"

His voice echoed in her ear and it made her heart skip a beat in confusion yet longing. Why was Todoroki here? Wasn't he supposed to be in the dorms? Although she couldn't deny she missed his voice. "Shoto, what are you…."

Suddenly, the door to her cell slammed open and Amari immediately shut her mouth as Chisaki entered the space, a cruel smile on his face for some reason. Why did he look like that? "You've been busy haven't you, Bakugo?"

Todoroki's eyes widened in confusion as Endeavor shoved his son away and grabbed the microphone next to him. There was something wrong about this. something felt off with Chisaki.

Walking closer to her, Amari twisted her brow in disdain. "I don't know what you mean. I've been staring at the same grey wall for hours now. I wouldn't call that busy."

Although the man only laughed, lifting his hands up in amusement. "Well I don't know about that. You see, I was just given some very interesting information by an old colleague of yours."

Lifting her brow, Amari turned her head in slight anxiety. What was he trying to say right now, and what old colleague had he talked to? She didn't know many people but the ones she did know weren't the friendliest.

She soon got her answer though as another man entered her cell, his light blue hair and red eyes staring into her soul as Amari's heart literally stopped in her chest. "Hello again, doll."

Sucking in a breath, Amari's eyes widened as she laid eyes on the very same villain she had screwed over and sent half of this team to prison. Oh no, she was screwed. "Shigaraki."

At the villain's name, everyone in the agency stiffened, the U.A. students all covering their mouths in horror. Why was Shigaraki here? That couldn't be good, especially for Amari, they all knew what she had done to him recently.

Smiling back in a cruel manner, the villain blocked her entrance as Chisaki chuckled. "What's wrong Bakugo, you look kind of scared. Where did that cocky attitude go all of a sudden?"

She gulped back, as the man continued. "I told you, you have attracted the attention of some very dangerous people. You really should be careful who you double cross."

Backing herself into the corner, Amari willful kept her hands clasp together in hopes that they wouldn't find out about her betrayal.

Endeavor of the other hand was growing more and more anxious. There was some kind of secret they were hiding from Bakugo, and he didn't like it. "I didn't know you were with the league Chisaki. Did they hold auditions or something?"

The Yakuza only shook his head at that, slight amusement in his voice. "I'm not, I was just offering him a position under me. But it seems like even he is useful sometimes. Like for example, finding a rat.."

Chisaki glared at Amari when a thousand alarm bells rang in Endeavor's head, now putting two and two together. This was bad, this was extremely bad.

He knew.

Raising his voice loudly, Endeavor then yelled to the girl all and once before slamming his hands on the table. They had been figured out somehow, and now she was in danger. "Bakugo, get out of there, now!"

In a flash, Amari lifted her hands up before creating gold matter domes around the two villains in order to escape their clutches. Her heart beat in her chest as the girl internally swore.

Shigaraki had sold her out and ruined the plans in a single moment, that bastard. Obviously he was still pissed about her stealing the league's plans and putting his teammates in prison. This must have been some kind of revenge to him.

Running down the long corridors, Amari felt her body scream as the adrenaline threatened to swallow her whole. She had to get Eri and get out of here now, or else risk Chisaki moving the girl to another location. Then everything would be ruined.

Shouting loudly into her ear piece, the girl huffed. "Endeavor, now would be a good time to pull up those plans for the facility. I could really use them right about now."

Just as she spoke that, Sir Nighteye raised to the cabinet before pulling out an old building plan and slapping it on the table, before reading the contents. "Ember head left. There should be an escape route."

Nodding her herself, suddenly she was faced by various doctors in lab coats running towards her. Just great, she'd have to fight her way out.

Letting her palms spark with an explosion, the girl throws her quirk at the group of men and women before blinding them enough to let her escape. She needed to save her energy in case it became bloody later.

She continued her pathway when Sir Nighteye spoke to her again. "Take a left and you'll be at the exit doors. Quickly!"

Amari paused then, looking in the opposite direction of where he just instructed. "But what about Eri? If I leave now Chisaki is just going to move her to another location and we will be screwed."

Endeavor shook his head before answering in a shout. "Now is not the time for this. The plan is compromised so get back to the agency. That's your priority."

Staring silently down the long hallways, she weighed her options as the man screamed back, forcing her to lose concentration. "Bakugo! Don't you even think about it..!"

Just then Amari pictured Eri's small hand grabbing her leg, the light trembles in her voice. That girl was counting on her and if she just left, then what would that make her?

How many times had she herself wished to be saved in america, how many times had she called out for her brother or her family to save her? But yet no one came, and she was about to do the same to Eri. No, absolutely not.

Taking a breath, Amari closed her eyes for a moment before answering Endeavor, a seriousness laced in her tone. "If I walk away from her now, I'll never forgive myself. She's counting on me Endeavor."

Then before Endeavor could reply, the girl was running down the opposite corridor, towards Eri.

She promised Todoroki and Katsuki that she would return and the girl still intended to keep that promise, even if it was slightly delayed. One thing was for certain though, she wasn't going to leave that little girl again, no matter what.

Turning the corner, Amari was almost at the door when a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Going somewhere, doll?"

Shakliy staring at the man, Bakugo glared at Shigaraki with disdain. "Get out of my way Shigaraki, I'm taking that girl with me."

Although that's when the villain did something expected, he stepped out of the way, much to her confusion. "I'm not taking part in this game. Let's just say, I'm a spectator today. Although I made some suggestions for the Yakuza. He really needs to keep you on a better leash."

Amari growled back as the entire hallway practically exploded, the girl now seeing Chisaki walk towards her during the villain's distraction. "Where do you think you're going, pet? I'm still not done with you yet."

Gasping in surprise, the girl took off running, except with time without a plan or strategy. First things first, she had to get away from Overhaul.

After a couple minutes, Amari leaned over in a heavy pant as she turned another corner, only to find a dead end. Shit shit shit shit.

Chsiaki's steps echoed through the space, his voice painfully smooth. "Now why would you go and try to run away from me? You know that's impossible. This is my facility after all."

Looking around frantically she quickly realized that she was not going to get out of this one. The odds were just stacked up against her this time. She needed something else, something to tell her location before Chisaki got to her.

Frantically touching her body at hope of an idea, Amari suddenly felt an object in her pocket only to examine it more closely. It was the marker that Eri had given her a couple hours ago.

Then she looked to her right and found an old garbage shoot next to her foot. That's when she quickly undid her brother's necklace before popping the top off the marker. That, that could work.

Chisaki stopped her then, calling back as he blocked the entrance. "Good try, but it wasn't enough. Did you really think you could try and go behind my back without me noticing? You know, that doesn't make me very happy."

He took a step closer then as Amari spoke into her earpiece quietly. "Is Deku there?"

Endeavor's voice returned just as quickly, his tone having a sense of confusion in it. "Yes, but what does that…"

Although that's when Amari cut him off, glaring the villain before hissing. "You know Chisaki, you're disgusting. Why would you use your own daughter like that? You think you can just throw her away like garbage, like trash?! You think you can erase the evidence of her existence just like that?! No, I won't let you. I won't let you put the same kind of chain, the same kind of necklace around my neck. You can try all you want but my location will always be with my brother and my family. So fuck you!"

Deku listened to her declaration with confusion. Her words sounded strange and odd, like they didn't fit together. Why did she want him to listen to something like that? He didn't understand.

Chisaki was silent for a moment before slowly taking his glove off and raising it towards her. "How noble, too bad that's the last thing you'll say to those little heros."

He took off running and Amari tried to dodge when the man's hand touched her, now feeling. her stomach and abdomen being ripped apart. The girl let out a terrible scream in the process which caused the hero's listening to freeze.

Clutching her side, Overhaul then pulled out a small chip from her bloodied side and eyed it slowly. "Tracking device, clever, very clever."

Crushing the device between his fingers, Chisaki grabbed the earpiece out of the girl's ear before smiling back. "I imagine I'm speaking to the number one hero, right?"

Amari clawed at the villain to get it back when he stepped on her throat, causing the girl to groan in pain. "Get off of me, you bastard!"

Although he only pushed deeper, cutting off her airways as Chisaki talked through the wire again. "That was a noble attempt but now thanks to you, I have the child and All for One's creation in my grasp. But don't worry I'll take good care of her."

Gasping for breath, Amari struggled for air as she cried back brokenly. "S-Shoto..I promise. I'll keep my promise…"

Then before any of the heros could respond, Overhaul crushed the ear piece into a dozen tiny bits, leaving the air quiet and mournful.

Endeavor just stared at the microphone in silence as Todoroki and the others tried to process what had just happened, and how everything went wrong in a single moment.

* * *

Katsuki had just shut the door to his dorm before moving by his nearby dresser rather quickly.

Because of that, a small bit of threat got caught on the handle and before Bakugo had even realized it, the bracelet Amari had given him had ripped and fell to the floor.

Staring at the object the boy suddenly felt a terrible sickening sensation throughout his entire body. Something felt wrong, very wrong.

But Bakugo had no idea what it was.

* * *

This. took. me. so. Long. to. write. AHHHH Well shit has hit the fan, Overhaul has Amari and Eri, but all hope is not lost. Also Todoroki is pissed oops.

Next Chapter: We find out why Amari has PTSD from America and the hero's scramble to find a plan.


	64. S4 Chapter 14

The air was incredibly thin around Sir Nighteye's agency, everyone now stealing glances at each other every couple seconds to see if what had happened was actually real. How did everything go wrong so fast? The plan, Ember and Eri, they were all gone, and no one knew how to process it.

Deku stared at the microphone with intense fear and anxiety. It had happened again, he had let Mari-chan slip right through his fingers once more. How could he have been so stupid and so useless at the same time? It was like a repeat of the training incident again. "Mari-chan.."

Then he remembered the words she said to him before all of this burned up in flames. She was always so kind to him, so understanding unlike her brother. She didn't deserve this, he just wanted her to be safe, and look what happened. He wondered if everyone else felt the same?

Although he soon got his answer as Deku felt an increase of heat all of a sudden, now turning to Todoroki before gasping. That's when the boy realized, Todoroki was beside him the entire time. Oh no..

Balling his hands into fists, Todoroki's voice came out low and cruel, his eyes lowered just slightly as the boy tried to fight his tears. No, this couldn't be happening. She was okay, she just had to be.."You.."

Endeavor noticed the intent from his son right away, now putting his hands out in slight defense to make him quell his anger. "Now Shoto, let's not get carried away. Calm down and.."

Yet that seemed to be the last straw from the boy, now racing up and grabbing his father's shirt roughly, a look of murder etched in his eyes. "What did you do?! You..you lowly scumbag! Don't you dare tell me to calm down..!"

He was furious, more than he had ever been in his entire life. Todoroki felt his left side boil with anger and he wanted nothing more to make his father pay for what he had just done.

The girl he loved was gone, and it was this man's fault.

Gritting his teeth, the boy continued roughly "I told her this was a terrible idea, I told her that you would leave her for dead somewhere but she didn't listen, and now look what happened! You better hope that she's alright cause if not, I swear I will make you sorry for ever hurting her..."

Endeavor watched his son's pained expression and couldn't help but notice a similarities to him because of it. Right now, right now he looked like Toya on the day before he died. "I understand you are upset, but acting like a child will not save her. Control your emotions first before you try to play hero."

That set the boy off. It seemed like he didn't even care about Amari, that she was just some sort of replaceable piece on his own twisted board. "Play hero? You've been "playing hero" your entire life. I'll control my emotions when you control your disgusting attitude. She was your trainee, how could you not even care?! How about you stop acting all high and mighty for once and actually atone for your sins, you second rate All Might!"

The man's eyes widened before stepping closer, a hint of anger in his own eyes. "What did you just say to me?"

Todoroki knew he had hit him where it hurt before the boy didn't even care. He needed his father to feel even the smallest shiver of pain Amari was feeling right now. "If you are unhappy with my words then how about you discipline me just like you used to do to me as a child? I'm sure the heroes and the press would love to see how you really treat your family."

The heroes began to whisper around them quietly, wondering what the boy meant when Endeavor cut them off immediately, now speaking back plainly. "Shoto stop this. Bakugo asked to be put on this case, it was her idea in the first place to go undercover for Eri. You heard the conversation, I ordered her to return to the agency but she didn't listen. It's her fault that..."

Yet Todoroki wasn't pleased with his response at all, now pointing an accusing finger at his father. "Don't you dare even finish that sentence. You are the adult, you are supposed to protect her regardless of what happens! By saying it's her fault, you are trying to shove the blame off of yourself just like you've done time and time again. Amari isn't someone you can just shove under the rug like your own children or everyone else you've stepped on in your life. I won't let you.."

That's when another voice spoke up then, now seeing Sir Nighteye step into view before fixing his glasses. "As much as it is regrettable, Endeavor is correct. This couldn't have been avoided, even if we tried. That's just how my foresight works."

Deku's head flipped towards the man at his words. That was right, he saw into Amari's future to see if the plan would be successful. But then that also meant something else. "Sir Nighteye, you knew this would happen didn't you?"

The hero was quiet then, leading Todoroki to widen his eyes in shock. "...You knew she was going to be captured and didn't stop her? What kind of hero is that?"

Sighing heavily, Sir Nighteye narrowed his eyes towards the ground before thinking about something in particular before replying. "It doesn't matter if I told you or not. Once I look into someone, their fate can not be changed. Sometimes it's better not to know the inevitable. But the fact still remains, the raid will be successful, now that all the pieces have been put into place."

This only caused Todoroki's stomach to etch in anger, yet he was not the one to speak out about it. Instead it was Deku. "Sir Nighteye, this is wrong. Who knows what those villains could do to Mari-chan while she's there? There is no point with the raid being successful if we lose someone in the process!"

Mirio touched the boy's shoulder then, causing Deku to freeze. "Deku, listen. I'm sure Sir Nighteye has a grand plan in all of this. You just have to wait."

That's when Sir Nighteye nodded his head, pointing towards the microphone roughly. "Exactly Mirio. This may look bleak but in being captured, Ember has given us an opportunity. Chisaki will keep her and Eri in the same location and If Ember just came back to the agency then we might have lost the child forever. But now, If we find the girl, we find Eri."

Todoroki spoke up, then his voice laced with concern and hate. "But what about Amari during all of this? She's being sacrificed for your plan.."

Sir Nighteye's eyes fell at that for a moment before replying. "She will not die."

Although that didn't make the boy feel better in the slightest, now shaking his head in anxiety. "There are a lot of things worse than dying. Wait, you know, don't you? What they are going to do to her..."

The man turned away then, not wanting the boy to see his uneasy expression yet Todoroki still felt sick to his stomach just the same. There was something this man wasn't telling him about Amari. "I already told you, once I use my quirk, the person's fate cannot be changed, no matter how much we wish it."

Todoroki's eyes widened then before racing up and roughly turning the man around in desperation. "Tell me, what's going to happen to her? What are those villains going to do..."

Yet the man only sighed heavily. "As I said before, sometimes it's better not to know the inevitable. Ember stands at a crossroads right now, and the next choice she makes will set what happens in the future. It's only for her to decide alone."

Not liking his words in the slightest, Todoroki thought about the meaning quickly. What did he mean that she was standing at a crossroads? What kind of choice was she going to have to make alone and why couldn't he be with her through this? "What kind of choice?"

Sir Nighteye was silent, then thinking about something else particular before replying slowly. "What she decides will either make her stronger..."

His voice lowered then, an ominous edge to it before he sighed. "Or it will destroy her."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that before taking a step back in absolute fear. What kind of horrible thing was going to happen to her? He was afraid, so afraid of losing her, yet again he was terrified of the so-called future that Sir Nighteye had seen. The boy wanted to heal her scars, yet it seemed like she was about to get a thousand more. "No.."

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to find Deku staring at him with saddened eyes. "Todoroki, she'll be okay. She has to be. Mari-chan is strong, right?"

Although the boy wasn't so sure. Yes Amari was strong but he saw firsthand the kind of demons she carried with her. What if they were just too much this time, what if what those villains do ends up destroying her? He couldn't even bear to think about that right now.

So instead, he thought about something else, something that could keep his mind busy for now. He thought about the promise that she brokenly told him before the transmission cut off, about how she would always come back to him. Hopefully that still remained true.

It had to be, or else Todoroki didn't know how he was going to survive. "How are we getting her back?"

* * *

Groaning to herself, Amari lulled her head to the side only for a large and painful headache to overtake her skull. What the hell had even happened? Everything was just one, long blur.

Although that's when a voice woke her up almost immediately. "Oh, she's awake."

Amari's eyes widened at the sound of Chisaki's voice and pulled her body away only to be met with restraints around her arms, chest, and legs. Looking down it seemed that she was in that large white hospital chair the girl had seen a couple hours ago. This couldn't be good.

She opened her mouth to speak but it only echoed out in coughs and wheezes. Why did it feel like her throat was on fire? Yet of course she didn't have to wait long as the villain spoke again. "Apologies for being rough. You just weren't listening so I had to tie you down."

Pulling against the straps on her body, Amari lunged at the man only to groan out in pain, now looking down to see the entirety of her left side bloodied and stained with red liquid. That's right, that little asshole ripped apart her stomach for that stupid tracking device.

Amari then pushed her lips together before trying to speak again and finding success, except every word hurt when she pushed out the air. It came out scratchy and small. "Just wait until I get out of here..."

Yet as she coughed again, Chisaki could only chuckle, now stepping closer and touching her cheek with his gloved fingers. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that. Besides, don't you like it here? It feels like home, doesn't it?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari looked around the room for a first time only to feel absolutely sick. That man was right, this place looked exactly like one of the testing rooms in America. Even the thick straps on her body were making her breathing accelerate in panic. "Fuck you.."

Chisaki noticed her distress though and only smirked before picking up a syringe next to the counter next to him. "Yes, I imagine it's very difficult, repressing all of those things you would like to forget. Does it scare you, knowing what you're capable of?"

Amari pulled on her chains then, reeling back as he approached with the needle in hand. "What are you doing? Don't you fucking touch me with that needle Chisaki."

Although the man didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, now reaching towards her neck and jamming the object inside as she gasped in pain before gritting her teeth.

Then he pushed back the tip and pulled it away a moment later, her blood dancing around in the vile. "All for One's creation is really fascinating. I've never seen blood like this before, not even from Eri. I wonder what kind of bullets it could make? I bet they'd sell extremely well."

That's when Amari's eyes widened before trying to push her arms up to no avail. He was going to try and sell her blood on the black market? No, she wouldn't let him. "What the hell are you saying? My blood is just like everyone's else's. There is nothing special in it anymore."

Chisaki looked at the vial before shrugging his shoulders and placing it in a small test tube to his right. "That's where you're wrong Bakugo."

Shaking her head, Amari replied roughly. "No, you're the one who's wrong. I stopped using the pills which means that my body isn't All for One's anymore. I am human, just like everyone else..."

This only earned a small chuckle from the villain though, shaking his head in exasperation. "Silly hero, the irony in your statement is amusing, I'll give you that. No wonder why All for One kept you around so long."

Amari raised an eye at that, only for the man to continue mockingly. "What you don't realize is that you are more like me then any of those wannabe heroes you look up to."

Something deep inside appeared in Amari then, not liking that she was just compared to a child abusing villain. "Screw you, I already said this a hundred times and I will keep saying it until you get it through your stupid head. I am not a damn villain. I don't do anything that you do, you creep!"

Yet the villain just looked amused , stepping over to the girl once more before taking something off of the desk again. "Oh really? Well it seems here that this says something different entirely."

That's when Chisaki showed her the object and Amari's heart dropped in her chest. He had her file. She didn't know how he got it but she could just barely make out the words _Bakugo Amari Experiment #12 _on the top. So that's how he knew everything about her, why he was teasing her. He had her file.

Frowning back, Amari replied in shock. "H-How did you get that?"

Chisaki only smirked though before flipping open the file and looking at some of the contents. "Before All for One's hideout was raided I was able to pick up a bit of useful information. You want to know, don't you? About what happened in America..."

He waved the file in front of her face and Amari looked away, not wanting him to see the distress on her face. "Not really."

The villain dropped his hand then before giving her a knowing look. "Oh, I see. You're afraid to find out, is that it? Well, allow me to enlighten you..."

Shaking her head, Amari was about to deny him again when suddenly the screen to her left blinked to life, now seeing her name in the bottom left corner of the screen before cutting to herself as a small child. He had.. Tapes?"

Chisaki only smiled before pointing to the screen as it depicted a small kindergarten age Amari screaming for help as a couple doctors injected her with that same gold liquid she had come to know. This was the memory she saw back in that alley, but actually having to relive it made her absolutely sick inside. "Stop it Chisaki. I don't want to see this."

Yet the man only narrowed his eyes before switching to another tape, now showing a middle school aged Amari standing alone in a white room with black veins traveling up the side of her neck. She was clearly taken over by the drug here. "No, but you need to see it."

Amari tried to turn away but Chisaki quickly pushed her head towards the screen as she suddenly heard shouting and yelling from the opposite end before showing two people being pushed into the center.

The villain's voice commented back cruelly as she watched the two people struggle under their chains and noticed that they were wearing hero costumes. These people were heroes? "Have you ever wondered why no heroes reported this facility, in the years you were there? That's because those that made it in, met you."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she then heard All for One's voice enter through the speaker, causing her own breathing to stop as the words sounded familiar. It was the same voice she heard from her fight with the Yakuza a couple hours ago. **_Go ahead little one, follow my orders and finish them._**

Then she watched herself walk over to the hero's blankly, a vacant and emotionless expression on her face as she heard the heros cry out in loud shouts. They sounded reassuring. _"**We will get you out of here, okay? Whatever those villains did to you, we can stop it."**_

The other hero nodded his head back as well as Amari stood only a couple feet away from them. **"It's alright sweetie, you don't have to be afraid. Let's just talk this through and then we can get you home."**

Yet the Amari on the screen didn't seem to register their words, in fact she just looked lifeless as the girl brought up her hand to the hero on the left before pausing for a brief moment. She saw fear flash in the hero's eyes as All for One commanded her back.** _Go on, my wonderful weapon. Show me what you can do._**

Then in one single, solitary moment, Amari watched as her clone activated her quirk and pushed her hand right into the hero's face before unemotionally ending his life, blood splashing on herself and his partner in the process.

A lump of bile rose into her throat as Amari's breathing began to shallow almost immediately. No, this couldn't be happening. She was not a murder, she was a hero. There was no way this was right. It couldn't be. She would have never killed anyone like that. "No.."

Feeling her hands shake Chisaki then forced her to watch as his partner screamed out in agony and pain for the loss of her partner as tears littered the corners of her face. But the clone of Amari didn't care or make any kind of reaction. She only lifted her hand once more before placing it on the woman's face.

The Amari watching the tapes closed her eyes as the video played, not wanting to see what came next but Chisaki made sure she watched, he made sure he watched the whole thing.

Even when the drugged Amari used her explosions on the woman as well, giving her the same fate as her partner.

The video stopped playing then and the girl felt utterly numb inside. Chisaki had to be messing with her. There was no way those tapes were real. They couldn't be...

Shaking her head, Bakugo's voice echoed out small and shaky. "Do you think you can trick me like that? I would never do that kind of thing. You had to alter them or something..."

Although he only responded by walking over to the table on the right hand corner before replying cruel and terrible. "Or could it just be you don't want them to be real?"

Then he picked up a large box before throwing them on the ground and showing the girl who only could stare in horror. There wasn't just one tape with that label on it...

No, there were over a dozen.

Sitting in shock Chisaki pointed to the tapes before picking another one off the ground and pushing play. "All for One really liked to test his creation, and what better test for a hero killing weapon, then killing heroes?"

The tape started playing and Amari watched another version of herself doing the same thing as the last. There were so many, so many deaths, so many murders, and they were all her fault.

Shaking her head, suddenly she felt her skull scream in pain as the memories of those terrible events entered her mind, forcing her to remember each and every one of them in painstaking detail. She couldn't deny it now, they were real. "No..no...it can't be...I didn't mean to...I.."

She screamed then, as tears started to appear, now begging herself to shut the lock on her own memories. She didn't want to know this. "No..I don't want to see...please...stop it."

Chisaki only watched in amusement though before mocking her previous words. "What was it you said before? You don't do anything I do? Well, I would beg to differ."

Shaking under her restraints Amari closed her eyes only for the memories to flood her again as she brokenly cried out. "No, stop. I am human. I am human. I'm not a monster..!"

Yet that's when he waved a finger at her before picking up her blood once more. "It seems you are wrong about that as well. You really think you turned back to normal once you stopped taking the pills? Think again Bakugo."

He swirled the liquid under his gloved fingers as he continued through the girls gasps of air and shakes. "You see, you can never get rid of the Nomu blood, because it's permanently a part of you."

Widening her eyes, Amari desperately wanted to hold her arms but found it impossible as she pulled against her straps. His words sounded like they were underwater but she could just barely make out the words. "W-What?"

Shaking his head, Chisaki replied. "Do you really think that a small human girl like yourself could survive all of his testing? Of course not, he needed to make a weapon after all, a weapon that could topple everything. He came close with the Nomu's, but then you came along. What do you think this has all been about Bakugo?"

Amari felt the sweat accumulate on her brow as she answered back roughly. "I don't know what you're saying..."

That is when Chisaki lifted up a piece of paper from the file in front of him before showing the girl, allowing her eyes to widen all at once. "The pills only enhanced what was already inside you. You're not human anymore Bakugo, your half Nomu."

The words felt unknown against her mind. No, that couldn't be right. She was only influenced by the Nomu because of her pills. Recovery Girl said that everything would go back to normal if she stopped. She was human, she had to be. Katsuki's sister was human...

Chisaki watched her uneasy eyes before continuing plainly. "Haven't you noticed that you're different from everyone else? I'm sure you've noticed strange differences like being able to sense things others can't, or being immune to some types of quirks. Oh, and let's remember your multiple quirks, just like other Nomu..."

Amari's breath shallowed even more she realized what he was trying to say, now hearing him voice it publicly. "Explosions just like your dear brother, right? That's all you ever desired, to be just like him. Well at least All for One gave you a quirk that you wanted."

Realizing exactly what he was saying, Amari was about to deny everything when she remembered her unusual senses right before the USJ incident, and her fight with Shinso when she was miraculously able to break out of his brain washing for some reason. It was true, everything Chisaki was saying right now had lined up to things that had happened to her.

Then she recalled her explosion quirk. It was blurry, but Amari recalled that quirk not being revealed that day she talked to Katsuki, only her gold matter was. Could it really be fake? Her explosions were not her brothers but from All for One, the man he hated more than anyone? No, please no...

It seemed Chisaki was right all along, she was All for One's pet. His non human, half Nomu pet.

Tears appeared in her eyes then as Amari shook her head, willing the truth away as Chisaki enjoyed the show. "Now you realize just what you are. It must be a big shock for you, thinking you were a hero this entire time. Would you imagine that, you wanted to be a hero so bad that it turned you into a villain."

Amari remained lifeless and dull though, still in utter shock from the news, now causing the man to sigh. "I'll let you process everything while I go check up on Eri. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable."

The girl vaguely saw a bunch of doctors enter the room then before hooking her up to a bunch of tubes, needles and wires to draw her blood for Overhaul as he slowly left the space. "When I come back I better see some good blood for me to sell."

Then just like, he was gone and Amari was utterly devastated, now silently crying for her brother and Shoto as she was closed in the dark room.

* * *

Is your mind blown? Hello yes, I planned all of this from the start. I think about my stories way too much oops. The little hints from S1 with her being able to sense Nomu and then the whole sports festival arc when she broke out of Shinso's quirk. There is much more foreshadowing littered in the book that hint at her being part Nomu but now that's it's all out..opp.

Also let's talk about Amari literally killing heroes under the influence of All for One. Cause dang.

And let's not forget the utter roast Todoroki gave Endeavor at the start. It was spicy, just like his left side.

Poor Bakugo doesn't know what's happening. Yo, he would flip hardcore if he did. But that would never happen, right? I bet he'd blame himself. poor boy.

Next Chapter: Deku figures out Amari's message and they are on their way to save their girl!


	65. S4 Chapter 15

Feeling the breeze blow past him, Deku sighed loudly as he rested his arm on the railing of Sir Nighteye's agency, now overlooking from the rooftop in anxiety. He knew everyone inside was trying to reassure him about Amari, but yet the boy still felt like what happened was on some level, his fault.

He remembered the scars and burns lining the blonde girl's back, the words she told him before she willingly leapt into those villains hands. Deku didn't know much about her story but he could tell even from those small interactions that Mari-chan had been through hell and back because of her past. For so long she was hurting and he didn't have a clue.

And now, she was suffering all over again but the worst part was, even though he was now aware of her struggles, he couldn't do anything. She was probably really hurting right now and they were at a loss of words, and at a loss with any sort of plan. It was tearing the green haired boy apart just thinking about it. That's why he had to get away, away from his guilt and fear.

He was knocked out of his thoughts though when the door behind him suddenly opened and Deku quickly wiped his lingering tears before greeting the voice after recognizing who it belonged to. "O-Oh I'm sorry Todoroki. I was just…"

Todoroki noticed his friend's puffy red cheeks and his eyes softened, realizing why he was up here. "Are you alright Midoryia? You seemed upset and I was worried."

Giving a half hearted smile, Deku tried to answer cheerfully but found it hard given the circumstances. "Oh uh yeah. I'm okay. Sorry, I guess I'm just frustrated in myself."

Just then, the boy remembered something and quickly bowed his head towards Todoroki in desperation for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry about not being about to tell you about Mari-chan Todoroki! I was told not to but now she's hurt and terrified and all alone and I can't do anything and it's all my fault. I told myself that I would protect her this time but now she's gone and I...I…"

The tears started again as Todoroki put a hand up to stop the boy's constant rambling, his voice firm and plain. "Midoryia, none of this is your fault. You couldn't predict this outcome. Besides, I shouldn't have pushed you to disregard your orders from the agency. I apologize for that."

Deku sniffled twice before nodding his head lightly. "I know but I've been so blind to her this whole time. Mari-chan's been hurting for so long right under my nose and I had no idea. The things Kacchan said to her for so long, the way she would push herself to the edge of death, her pills, I noticed them but I never once tried to help. But now, it doesn't matter if I know. I still failed, and now she's right back where she started, being abused by villains. What kind of hero am I to let that happen again?"

An air of silence appeared then as Deku looked towards his friend before whispering back quietly. "But you knew this entire time, didn't you? That's why you two are so close now, right?"

Todoroki's eyes fell then, now taking a step closer to the boy before replying. "Yes, I've known since our combat training exercise at the start of the year. Although, you shouldn't feel responsible for her actions. In the past, Amari didn't like to speak about her experiences so openly. It's only now that she feels confident enough to share them with others."

The words stuck in Deku's mind as he thought about the meaning behind them. It was true, back at the start of the year Amari was a very closed off person but something within her had changed ever since she started hanging around with Todoroki. It all made sense now, how their relationship was so strong.

A small smile appeared on the boy's face, realizing what Todoroki's statement had just meant. "I think that's because of you Todoroki. You must have really helped her. I just wish, I could've been there for her as well."

Just then, Todoroki leaned his hands on the railing next to his friends before placing a hand on his shoulder lightly. "You're here now, aren't you?"

Looking down at the touch, Deku sighed. "Of course, but I don't know how much help I can be. I already lost her again. She even called out to me before the transmission cut out and yet, I don't even know what it meant."

It was true, ever since Amari uttered his name before she was captured, Deku had been trying to figure out the significance of it. There was something she wanted him to get from that message, he just wasn't sure what it was yet.

Just then, Todoroki's phone rang widely in his back pocket and the boy took out the object only to frown at the name across the screen. "Midoryia, it seems we may have another problem…"

He showed the phone to his friend and Deku eyes widened, now seeing Bakugo's name dance across the screen in warning. That was the last person he wanted to know about Amari right now. "Do you think, he knows?"

Shaking his head, Todoroki listened to an ominous ring before relying. "I don't believe so. Although, I fear it will only be a matter of time before he does. His sister is in danger after all.."

Deku grimaced as his friend accepted the call and tried to even his voice in order to seem calm. The last thing Amari needed right now was for her reckless brother to get involved. "What is it, Bakugo?"

Katsuki's voice entered a couple minutes later, now having a slight apprehension in his tone. "Look, I don't really know why I'm asking but you haven't heard another about Amari yet, have you? I'm getting a damn headache for some reason…"

Deku listened in and felt his blood run cold at Kacchan's words. It was like he somehow knew that Amari was in danger somehow, he just didn't know the context. This could be very bad.

Todoroki felt the anxiety as well, narrowing his eyes before replying. He couldn't lie to her brother but he could change the conversation. "I thought you said you didn't want to know anything about the case…"

A loud slam was heard as Katsuki slammed his fists down on some unknown object before answering. "I know what I said icy hot, but I can't help but feel like something is wrong. It's pissing me off that I can't figure it out, but something is telling me that it has to do with Amari."

Todoroki was silent at that, figuring out what he could say that wasn't a plain lie. Katsuki definitely felt something with his sister and the boy wondered if this really was the myth that was twin telepathy. The two were twins after all. Maybe that's how he knew?

Looking in the direction of Deku, Todoroki replied plainly. "Perhaps you are overreacting Bakugo. Your worry must be making you paranoid."

Yet Katsuki wasn't pleased with that answer, his voice dipping lower and more threatening. Yes he already thought about that idea but the sensation he felt when his bracelet broke was something he had never experienced before.

It was like something was crying out of him, someone calling his name, and somehow he already knew who that voice belonged to, his sister. "Screw you! I know what I felt, you better not be hiding anything from me you bastard, or so help me I will come over there myself, you piece of garbage!"

The voice carried over to Deku who just watched in fear at the idea of Bakugo coming to the agency and finding out he had failed his sister. No, he couldn't let that happen. What a piece of garbage he was indeed…

Just then, the words rang in his ear, recalling Amari's final statement before widening his eyes in realization. In her declaration she said a couple of words twice, except they both had the same meaning. Garage, trash, chain, necklace...There was no reason for her to say those twice. So why did she do it?

Deku then reached into his bag before pulling out one of his hero notebooks and opening the object to a blank page, writing her last words out on paper. It was true, some of these words didn't make sense.

He traced his pen across the words before circling a couple of them and narrowing his eyes. What did she want him to see in her message, what was the meaning?

Just then the boy's eyes widened as he recalled their conversation before her capture. Right before Chisaki's building there was a large dumpster filled with clothes, a place to erase evidence. Wait…

He scribbled something down on his notebook before circling another couple words in question. Garage...trash….erasing evidence…..location….it all suddenly made sense.

Of course…

Jumping from his seat, Deku then slammed his notebook shut before turning to Todoroki in a loud shout of adrenaline, now forgetting that Bakugo was still listening on the other line. "Todoroki, I know what she meant! I know what the message is! Come on…"

Widening his eyes, he took off running as well, now hearing Katsuki yelling at him through the phone. "What the hell does that mean?! Icyhot you better explain what is going on right now or…"

Although the boy only stopped for a minute, realizing that the phone was still indeed in his hand. "I'm sorry Bakugo, I have to go."

Katsuki's rose raised in volume at that, shouting through the object roughly. "Oh no, don't you dare hang up on me, you bastard….!"

Yet before he could even finish that sentence, Todoroki ended the call before following Midoryia. He would deal with Bakugo later.

If they found a lead on Amari then that was all that mattered right now.

* * *

Running towards the edge to town, Deku scanned the area before finding the very same dumpster that he and Amari had discovered a couple nights ago. It was just like it had always been, grey, rusted and enormous.

He looked up at the surface before using Todoroki to hoist him from the floor so he could get a look inside, much to the boy's confusion. "What are you looking for?"

Shaking his head, Deku looked through the large mound of bloody clothes and garbage before answering back. "I'm not sure, but her message led us here so there has to be something.."

Just then something flashed in the corner of his eye and Deku's face immediately dropped in surprise, now gazing upon a very familiar right orange necklace among the garbage. That was the necklace Kacchan gave her, wasn't it?

Touching the surface, Deku felt the leather between his fingers before lifting the object out and trying to ignore the small spots of blood on the sides. "I think I found it."

He hopped down and the two boys looked at the object before Todoroki replied. "She wanted you to find this?"

Deku nodded before turning the necklace around and gasping. There on the back in thick black marker were the coordinates to her location. "This is where Eri is."

She did this one purpose, didn't she? So that they could still go through with the raid even if she was captured.

It was clever, yet Deku was thankful he understood the message before it was too late.

* * *

They raced back to the agency as fast as possible before showing the pros Amari's necklace with the location across the surface, Sir Nighteye now nodding back with interest. "With this, we can start the raid."

Everyone let out a huge sigh of relief at the plan as they finally got to work on how they were going to accomplish this feat. With only a few hours left, they had to work fast.

Endeavor carefully picked up his trainee's necklace before a small smile appeared on his face, surprising even his son. Was that pride in his expression? No, it couldn't be. "That idiot, she really did it."

Todoroki watched his father with skepticism for his reaction. He left Amari for dead and yet why did it seem so relieved for her message? It didn't make sense. "I'm coming also."

At that, Endeavor's eyes narrowed towards his son. "Shoto, I understand your concern but you haven't received your provisional license yet. It would be illegal for you to join."

Something about that didn't make sense to Deku though. "But Amari didn't have her license either and yet she was still on the case."

Todoroki's father glared at the green haired boy for a moment before sighing heavily. "Yes but Bakugo has shown that she is able to handle high level situations when she went undercover for the league. I already took a risk allowing her on this case, I will not lose you as well."

Scoffing at his words, Todoroki replied coldly. "Do you honestly believe I will trust that you will bring her back? I trusted you to keep her safe and now she's the farthest thing from safe."

Endeavor sighed at his son's words, not fully seeing why he was so upset. It was Amari's choice to go undercover. Yes things went south but they would get her back. "Shoto, you have to understand that Bakugo asked to be on this case. I understand your concern but…"

Yet Todoroki cut him off, already over his father. He could already tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't get it. "No, you don't understand, you've never understood. Always deflecting the blame, you haven't changed. Haven't you realized, what happened in the past is happening all over again!"

The room became silent then, Todoroki's voice coming out unnecessarily cruel. "Are you just going to walk away again, are you going to continue abandoning someone that's calling out to you? Or will you deem her a failure as well?"

He knew exactly what his son was talking about, it the topic that was forbidden in the Todoroki household, the topic that he snapped at Bakugo for a couple weeks ago. He knew it well. The topic of Todoroki Toya.

Closing his eyes, Endeavor then shook his head before balling his fists with emotion. "No, it will not happen again. I refuse to let that happen again. Bakugo will come back. I will make sure of it."

At that, Todoroki stopped, now taking in his stance. He had never seen his father so distraught before, so determined with his words. It was almost like he believed him.

The silence appeared again as the boy weighed his options in his head. It was true, he didn't have a license so that meant it was almost impossible to join this fight. As much as he hated it, he had to trust his father.

Narrowing his eyes in a glare, Todoroki replied. "I will take your word, but until she is safe, I am no son of yours."

Everyone felt a slight chill around them at the boys words, the venom in them extremely prominent, like he really believed them. His eyes were kind of scary.

Balling his fists, Deku then stepped forward before speaking. "Don't worry Todoroki, We will find Mari-chan and Eri. I promise we will. You can trust me."

At that, Todoroki's face softened before nodding back once.

At least he had Deku in this case as well. Even if his father failed, he was sure that his friend would look out for Amari. "Thank you Midoryia."

* * *

Through her heavily lidded eyes, Amari could just barely make out the details of the room she was being held captive in. The dark corners seemed completely consuming now as she felt her body groan under the weight of dozens of IVs and wires in order to take her blood.

Everything felt like a haze and the minutes seemed to all stick together as each dizzying spell and lightheaded sensation washed over her. How long had she been here? She wasn't sure anymore. It seemed like forever.

She vaguely heard a door open to her left as a new voice echoed through her ears, causing the girl to tense up what muscles she could still move. "Oh, you don't look so good doll."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari blinked away the dark spots only to find Shigaraki staring at her pale form, his lips curved up into a small, sly smile. "Looks like he took my advice and tied you up better."

She grumbled at his statement before speaking out raspy and short. It seemed like Chisaki's damage to her throat wasn't completely gone yet. "What do you want, Shigaraki?"

At his name, the boy leaned in closer before getting a good look at her face. "I just want to have a little chat. You know, since the last time we had one of those was when you screwed over the league and imprisoned half of my team."

Shigaraki's eyes then turned into a harsh glare as Amari fake laughed to lighten the atmosphere. "You're not still mad about that, right? No hard feelings."

He eyed her for a moment before turning back in a relaxed posture. "Of course not. Why would I be? You were just being a good little pet for the heroes. Although, you do know who's pet you truly are, right?"

Amari's face fell then as Shigaraki's widened before running a finger down her cheek.. "Oh, you do, don't you? Our dolls finally figured it out. Pity, I was going to tell you myself."

Glaring back, the girl shook her head in order for him to pull away. "Don't touch me, creep."

The villain could only smirk at that though. "Ah you haven't changed, still trying to give me orders when you are in no position to. You do know who you were made for, don't you doll? You were made for me."

Amari grimaced then as Shigaraki continued. "All for One thought you were the key to toppling the hero society, but let me tell you one thing. I have no use for you. I don't need you because I will kill All Might and all of those sorry heroes myself. To put it plainly, I hate you."

The girl took in his words before frowning. He was always so hung up on her for some reason yet she never knew why. "And why is that?"

Tapping his finger on her cheek, the villain replied with slight boredom in his tone. "You see, you were something that was made to help me, but only if I failed in my goals. You are the source of his doubt in me, and I don't need that sort of handicap. I will prove that I can succeed without you. In fact, It would be much easier to just kill you right now…"

Shaking her head once more, a question suddenly stuck in her head. "Then why haven't you killed me? You've had so many chances to. If I am such an eyesore then just finish it. That way you can be his favorite again."

Shigaraki turned his head at that, trailing two fingers under the girl's chin before smirking back through his withered lips. "Believe me, if I could I would. But then Master would be upset with me. You see, he's quite fond of you. It's sickening really. Do you know how annoying that is?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari realized a familiarity in his words, and then it hit her. Those were almost the same exact words he said to her back at the mall with Deku. If only she understood the context back then.

He continued a moment later with a slight malice. "I even tried to give you a chance with the league but then you betrayed us. It really is a pity. Looks like you still don't understand the position your in and the luck you have been given. You just throw it all away for some wannabe fake heroes."

Thinking about the meaning of his phrase, Bakugo wondered what kind of luck he was referring to. From her perspective, she wasn't lucky at all. This life wasn't something she'd call that. Then why was he looking at her so annoyed? What was he so upset for?

Then it clicked, and Amari felt a bit of tease in her next words, coaxing the villain that had ruined her plans. Before she knew it, she was saying her own thoughts out loud. "Oh, I get why you hate me so much, you're jealous you aren't daddy's favorite, right? I have your masters approval and you don't. I'm in your way."

At that, Shigaraki's face dropped into an unreadable expression. He wasn't cocky or playful like before, no now the man had a slight glare to his eyes, as if Amari had stepped on a landmine. "You know, I think I lied before…"

Then he stepped forward as Amari tried to wiggle away, now feeling a slight chill enter her body but she wasn't sure if it was the loss of blood or his voice that caused it. "W-What are you doing?"

Yet Shigaraki continued until he was only a couple inches from her, his breath cruel and sticky to her ear. "I am still upset about before."

Then before she could process it, the villain shoved all five fingers onto her forearm and Amari immediately felt her own skin crack and break around her.

She gritted her teeth at the pain, not wanting to give him the satisfaction but after a couple seconds of agony, the girl couldn't help but let out a muffled grunt. He seemed to be enjoying the show though, smirking at the child in disdain. "Do you want to take back those words, doll?"

Shaking her head, Amari bite her tongue from crying out before the villain sighed and let go, causing her to gasp and whimper at the release, now panting out. "What the fuck Shigaraki.."

Yet the man only looked pleased now reaching towards the small tray next to him and picking up a pocket sized scalpel. "Now I can't kill you but I have to do something to get my revenge for your little trick with Dabi. What will it be?"

Amari eyes widened with fear as the scalpel danced across her cheek in warning, now trying to speak to the insane villain. "You can do whatever you want but it's not going to change anything and you know it.

Shrugging his shoulders, Shigaraki replied. "You're right, it won't. But I can't just let you go. I need to set an example for people that think they can screw over the league and walk away.."

Then, his expression changed into something more playful as the sharp knife made its way to her neck, gracing the skin ever so lightly in a threat. "Although if you beg and apologize, put on a good show, then maybe I can forget about this whole thing. Come on, show me how the great Bakugo Amari pleads for her life."

Narrowing her eyes, Shigaraki then pressed slightly harder and Amari could feel her skin being pierced by the scalpel. This was bad, he was indeed serious.

She shivered under his touch before nodding her head once, a sob building it's way to her throat as she locked eyes with the villain. "Alright, Alright! Please just stop. You have to come closer though, my throat is damaged…"

He smiled at his victory then, leaning closer until they were only a couple feet apart, yet Amari only beckoned him closer for some reason. "Closer…"

Shigaraki eyed with slight confusion but complied, now leaning even closer until they were only a couple inches, now watching the girl suck in a huge breath. He began to smile at this, already excited to see how All for One's pet would grovel before him.

But that feeling was short lived as Amari looked directly into his eyes before spitting into the mans face, a crooked glare now fixed upon her brow. "Listen here Shit-garaki. You can do whatever you fuck you want with me, break all my bones if you want to if that will help your inferiority complex, but nothing is ever going to change. There is no way you are getting rid of me and there is no way in hell I will ever grovel to you, asshole."

The villain was livid, now whipping the surface before slamming his hands on her other forearm as the skin began to crack and wither. "You little brat! You think you can continue to act all high and mighty?! You are not a hero, stop acting like one!"

Amari gasped at the contact and seethed at the sensation but still made an effort not to move her expression. No, he wouldn't get to her. "That's what you think."

Shigaraki glared then before taking his hand away and the girl breathed out a slight moment of relief before the villain picked up the scalpel once more, a devious look on his face. This man, he was determined now. "Let's see how long that lasts doll."

Widening her eyes, Amari then watched as he moved up to her, intent clear in his stance. She could do this, she could survive this.

Although it honestly didn't matter what he did at this point. Her own sins and crimes for those heroes she killed, for the lives she destroyed were so much greater then this.

No, It didn't matter what he did, because Amari had already done something far worse.

* * *

Racing towards Chisaki's agency, Deku and Mirio exchanged a look before sharing an conversation between each other. This time, this time they wouldn't fail.

Sir Nighteye and Endeavor pointed towards the back of the building and the heroes slowly approached the area only for the doors to burst open and hundreds of Yakuza came pouring out. "They must of known they were coming."

Nodding his head, Sir Nighteye agreed. "Well they must of known that we'd attempt to recover Ember. Stay alert everyone. We don't know what to expect."

Everyone gave a confirming look before the Yakuza surrounded the large group of heros, cornering them all in at once. "You are trespassing. Leave now."

That's when Endeavor stepped forward, a single piece of paper in his hand. "We've gotten permission to search your facitly on the suspicion of legal drugs. Stand back."

Although none of Chisaki's man, seemed to do that, in fact they only moved in closer. "Screw that, you all better leave before you get hurt."

Sir Nighteye then looked towards the large group of U.A. students and Endeavor before whispering. "You all take care of this. We will sneak past and find the children."

Todoroki's father gave a silent head nod and before the Yakuza could attack, the group of heros were gone, scattering across the courtyard and barreling there way into the building quickly.

Luckily, the Yakuza were too preoccupied with the intruders that they didn't even notice, Sir Nighteye, Deku, Mirio, and a couple others sneak into the doors unnoticed. "Alright, now what do we do?"

Searching the place, Sir Nighteye used his foresight to move an item in the corner and a hidden passageway opened up, leading the heros into a long white corridor. "They were being kept somewhere in here. Using Ember's instructions we can…"

Yet just as he said that, the walls suddenly started to shape and morph around them, creating an endless hallway for them to break free from. This wasn't normal, it must of been one of Chisaki's men doing this.

Mirio looked in-between the wall and his colleges before weighing the options in his head. He could very well stay with Sir Nighteye and the others but he also knew that his quirk would possibly get in through his maze way faster then the team. He could get to Eri and Amari quickly, but it would be a risk, knowing that they couldn't follow. "Sir, let me go on ahead.."

Sir Nighteye looked at the boy for a moment and eyed the situation. "Very well. Be careful Mirio. If you find the girl, don't hesitate to use force."

Nodding his head, the boy turned around only to find Deku holding his sleeve. "Stay safe Mirio. I'll try to be there as fast as I can to help."

Mirio gave an approving look before turning on his heel, a bright smile now plastered on his face. "Don't worry Deku, I named myself Lemillion for a reason. I'll find Eri and the angry one's sister, just watch!"

And then just like that, the boy was gone through the wall, using his quirk to permeate the walls as he went.

Now it was up to him, now it was his turn to be a hero.

* * *

Placing the scalpel onto the small tray next to him, Shigaraki looked at his work and smiled, now seeing thousands of tiny slashes and cuts down Bakugo's arms, face and legs. She was breathing heavily from the loss of blood as her eyes threatened to shut in another unconscious motion. She need to close these wounds or else she'd bleed out.

Gazing at the girl, the villain replied proudly. "I'm surprised, your not trying to fight back anymore. What, did you finally realize that you don't deserve to be saved? Have you given up?"

Amari lulled her head to the side before pushing her lips together as her voice still appeared raspy from Chisaki's injury. "Shut up.."

Laughing back, Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. There wasn't as much power in her reply, it was like she had given up. "I never thought I'd see the day where little Bakugo would be broken. Although I don't think I can take the credit for that.."

She tried to glare but each muscle moved only cause more pain, gritting her teeth. "You knew this entire time, didn't you? That I wasn't human, that I...hurt people..?"

Shigaraki only smirked though. "Why, does that bother you? To know you aren't the kind of hero you always idolized. No doll, you're a monster just like the rest of us."

Being called a monster sparked something in Amari, causing her eyes to drop. She supposed that was a correct term for her. She was inhuman and a murderer after all.

He took her silence as acceptance, moving over to the desk in the corner before lifting a vial of her blood up to the light. "How pitiful, to know you will never fully fit in anywhere. Neither a hero or a villain, just an abomination."

Then she watched as he pocketed a couple vials as she called out roughly, trying to keep her eyes disgusted. "That's bullshit."

Although the villain only gave her a knowing look. "Is it? Because it seems to me like you already know the truth."

Widening her eyes, Amari's stance fell, realizing that he had seen right through her. Every fake bit of confidence she had was now completely gone and now she was only left with the hard painful truth. He was right, she had to way to disagree with his words, because she already knew that she was a monster, a abomination.

Taking in the silence, Shigaraki then looked down at his pocket before turning for the door, his back now facing the girl. "I'm sure we will see each other again, although I can't say I'm looking forward to it. Maybe by then you will be over your delusions. Until then, I'm going to keep these for safe keeping."

He tapped his pocket once more, allowing her to see what he stole before turning on his heels and shutting the large metal door behind him.

Amari felt the silence almost immediately, the sound of her ragged breaths filling the space as all of pressure and frustration she felt came seeping out all all at once. She didn't want Shigaraki to see her like this, but now that he was gone there was no point in hiding it.

Raising her head to the ceiling, the girl in let out an aggravated scream before pulling at her restraints in a desperate attempt to escape. She just wanted to go back to her brother and Shoto, she wanted to go back to safety, where she felt loved and accepted. She didn't want to be a monster.

Yet even Bakugo wasn't that naive, knowing that she could never get rid of that part of herself. The fact remained, she killed people, she had innocent blood on her hands. That would never go away.

Shoving down her tears, the girl felt her head spin in a dizzying circle before slumping down and letting the effects of her blood loss take over.

Maybe it would be better if she just died here, then that way Katsuki wouldn't have to know about her sins and Shoto wouldn't have to pick up the pieces yet again. She didn't want to burden them again with her stupid decisions or her idiotic choices. She didn't want them to suffer again, because of her.

Her explosions, they weren't even her brother's. They were a sign of her chain to All for One, the man that made her this way. How could she even look at Katsuki anymore, how could she even bare to see the disappointment on his face when he found out about his half Nomu sister. Would he deem her failure again, would he send her away? It was more then possible.

Yes, maybe it was better to just die. She wasn't even supposed to be alive in the first place after all. Then she wouldn't hurt anyone anymore, mentally or physically.

Then everyone would be happy and relieved to be rid of the monster.

* * *

Running through with his quirk, Mirio ran through wall after wall until he was faced with the very man he had been searching out, Chisaki. And better yet, in one of his henchman's arms was Eri. They were all in one place, so now all the boy had to do was pull her away. "We need to talk about Eri."

At his presence, Chisaki turned around only to give the hero a knowing look. "You shouldn't have been able to get here so fast."

Huffing out a breath, Mirio replied. "I took a shortcut. Now, give me the girl. I'm here to recuse her."

Although the villain only laughed at his demand. "You sound just like the other one that raced in here. Although, things didn't work out so well for her so you might want to rethink that statement of yours."

At the mention of Amari, Mirio's eyes widened before looking between the men. That's right, he didn't see Bakugo in this group. That couldn't mean.. "Bakugo, Where is she?"

Shoving his hands in his pocket he then turned to Eri who was trembling silently in his henchmen's arms. It seemed like she was petrified, just like when Mirio had just met her. "Don't worry about her, she's fulling her purpose. It was quite risky for her to try to pull one over on me, you know. I had to put her down."

Eri's eyes filled with tears at the idea while Mirio just looked horrified. No, that couldn't be. Sir Nighteye said that Bakugo would survive. He must of been trying to catch him off guard.

Balling his fists to the side, he then turned serious, reaching forward to throw a punch when the boy suddenly felt off balance, now falling onto the ground before. What just happened?

He looked up and found a Yakuza member hanging on the ceiling and Mirio concluded that he must of been the cause to his sudden loss of balance. Okay, that was something he had to push through.

Just then the sound of a gun echoed through the space as the he quickly dodged the bullets with ease. Another villain, another quirk to get through. Of course.

Although he couldn't waste his time on these guys, Mirio knew he had to get to Chisaki before he escaped. That was the number one priority right now.

Narrowing his eyes in determination, the man then raced forward before using his quirk to permeate through the floor and appear right behind the villain, now raising a fist towards his fists. "Chisaki!"

The man dodged easily but as he was distracted, Mirio quickly kicked his sidekick before wrapping his body around Eri protectively and holding her in his arms. He did it, he got the girl.

Yet Eri didn't seem pleased, already shaking under his touch as she desperately pulled on his hero suit. "Please don't! Leave me, otherwise he'll kill you just like Sissy!"

Looking down at the girl, Mirio's hands only tightened, realizing that she was being so incredibly brave for wanting to sacrifice herself for his safety, although that's not what he wanted in the slightest. "I'm never going to let you down again Eri. I swear it, I am going to be your hero!"

The little girl's eyes widened at his declaration before hearing Chisaki's voice echo through the space, it was extremely cold and cruel. "Come back Eri. How many times do I have to tell you, it's your fault you break people. That's just how you were born."

Her hand tightened on Mirio's arm before trying to push him away in an attempt to save him. "Go, hurry…"

But Mirio cut her off almost immediately. "Don't listen to him."

Glaring back at the child, Chisaki then continued as the venom dripped off his tongue with every word. "You know how this goes, I always have to get my hands dirty because of your selfishness. Every action you take results in people dying, just like with that girl you loved so much. How could you hurt her like that, Eri? Now she's gone because of you. Just face it, you're a cursed child."

Eri's eyes hallowed in fear as Mirio shouted back aggressively. "How could you say those things to your own daughter?!"

Yet Chisaki stopped for a moment, before a small smirk appeared under his mask. Oh, that's the story I told you, isn't it? I don't have any children."

The room took still then and Mirio had just enough time to widened his eyes as Chisaki leaped forward, the ground cracking and breaking around them in the process before he produced dozens of massive, large spikes around the boy.

Holding Eri in his arms, Mirio muttered to himself roughly. "He's aiming right for Eri, and he doesn't even care! What if she was hurt?!"

Although the Yakuza seemed to understand his disdain before replying plainly. "Yes, it's not really a big deal if she gets hurt. If I put her back together right away then it will be alright, even if she isn't completely the same. Trust me, Eri already knows what I can do.."

His henchman then raised his gun again only for Mirio to shield Eri from the bullets with his cape before putting her down onto the ground lightly. In order to beat them, he needed to get closer, distract him with something…

Just as predicted, Chisaki noticed that Eri was alone and went to attack her only for Mirio to sneak up behind him and throw a punch, barreling towards his face. "I already knew you were going to aim for Eri again, you monster!"

Then before he could process it, Mirio threw another punch at the Yakuza boss before doing the same to his henchman and knocking them both to their knees. "You won't lay another finger on her! I'll take on anyone I have to! You've lost this fight Chisaki.."

Falling to the ground, Chisaki groaned in pain before feeling a sting from the name is had abandoned long ago. "Don't use that name so casually!"

His henchman then looked over to his boss before shakily picking up his gun and aiming for Eri, causing Mirio to widen his eyes and already make his way to protect her, fully knowing the consequences of his attacks.

It hit him in slow motion, the quirk removing drug lodging in his arm before flowing through his entire system all at once as Chisaki laughed. It was over. He didn't have a quirk to use anymore, this guy was as good as dead. "Ironic isn't it? It's her you came to save and yet her power will end everything you've come to rely on. You're powerless!"

At his words, something stirred inside Mirio, balling his fists into a ground before rising to stand to his feet. No, that man was wrong. It didn't matter if he didn't have a quirk right now. He was going to save Eri.

Turning on his feet, the boy then took off running, raising his fists in the air before landing a hit on Chisaki all at once, his voice echoing out loud and as confident as ever. "No, I am not powerless. I am still Lemillion!"

Hit after hit, Mirio fought Chisaki as his eyes narrowed with absolute determination, not caring if he got hurt in the process, No, he couldn't even feel the pain with that little girl waiting for him.

With a crying scream, Mirio turned his desire into action before time ran out, for him and for Eri. No, he was going to be a hero for both of them. "Chisaki!"

* * *

Almost falling into the void of darkness, Amari lulled her head to the side when she heard a sound echo from far away. She couldn't make out the words but it sounded desperate and passionate, causing the girl to once again focus on her surroundings.

Squinting at the bright lights Bakugo then narrowed her eyes before hearing the sound again, just a desperate as it was before for some reason. Who could that even be, and why did the voice sound so familiar?

That's when the realization slammed into her all at once. It kind of sounded liked Mirio, although her mind could have been playing tricks on her. But is that was true then that could only mean one thing...they got her message.

Smiling to herself, Amari felt pride for her friends, knowing that they had figured out her messages before it was too late. If only she could save Eri also, but what good would a monster be to that little girl? She already had enough darkness in her life.

Her smile dropped then, looking over at the vials of her own blood on the counter, now concerned about Mirio. Fighting Chisaki wasn't going to be easy, she knew that from previous experiences. She hoped that he would be okay. He had to be, right? He was a true hero after all, unlike her.

Hero, what a silly word that was to her now. Amari always thought the words was so easy, so simple to describe. But in all honestly, could someone like her even be considered a hero? She wasn't pure or clean in the slightest, yet she still yearned to help others with her dirtied hands. Maybe the definition wasn't so easy to think about.

Shaking her head weakly, Bakugo felt this desire to help but also didn't want to cause her friends anymore trouble with her existence. She was a murderer and part Nomu, that wasn't any kind of hero Amari had ever heard of before. Maybe it was pointless…

Just then, she heard Mirio yell again, except this time it sounded pained, causing Amari to widened her eyes. What if he was hurt, and she was just standing on the sidelines letting it happen? No, she couldn't think about that. She wasn't a hero, she wasn't what anyone needed.

As she said that, Mirio's voice ran in the back on her head, recalling the words he said to her when they had first met back at U.A. He sounded so confident in her, like he saw something that she simply couldn't.

**_"You'd be surprised what can come out of the ashes."_**

Shaking her head once more, Amari willed the idea of her mind. If she went out there she would just cause more trouble. Her past experiences had already shown that. Her hands were just too bloodied to be a hero now.

**_"I think the best kinds of heros are the ones that see the struggle and the work that goes into everything. It's like we really understand the kinds of people we are saving."_**

Mirio's past words smacked into her again and Amari couldn't help but picture Eri's fearful expression in her mind, a mirror image to herself in every way, shape and form. She did understand the child, more then anyone ever could, and she was probably terrified right now. Amari knew she would have been.

But could she even call herself a hero anymore? It seemed she didn't fit the standards anymore. That's when he heard his voice again, strong and proud in her mind.

**_"Some people are born with the easy road, but people like us have to fight for our spots."_**

Fighting, yes. That's always what she had done. She fought for her spot in the hero course, she fought for her brother's understanding, she fought for her own will to live...and now it was time to fight for Eri. The answer seemed plain in front of her now.

Then before she could talk herself out of the idea, Amari looked down at her arms before closing her eyes in concentration, willing her quirk to raise in the area with her IV and heating the surface all at once. This caused he monitor next to her to beep erratically before she let her head slump to the side.

Almost immediately, two doctors came in to check her vitals before gasping at the sight before them. It was obvious that they haven't known about Shigaraki's additions. "Shit, the boss told us not to kill her, what do we do?"

Frantically running up the girl, the man began to unbuckle the straps around her arms so he could check the IV, a small mutter in his tone. "She's unconscious so I'll check to see what caused it and…"

But before he could even realize it, Amari had snapped up from her position before quickly grabbing a sedative off the table and jamming the object into the man's neck, causing him to gasp as he quickly fell unconscious. That was one down..

The other doctor ran just as quickly but Bakugo was ready, using her explosions to catch the man off guard before her gold matter burned through the rest of her restraints and picking up another sedative in warning.

Staring at each other for a moment, the doctor then reached for the needle only for Amari to slam her fists into his stomach before injecting the liquid into his thigh. And that was two.

Shaking her hand at the pain from her punch, Amari then lifted herself from the chair only for her body to betray her and tumble down to the ground in a heavy thud. These wounds were not doing her any favors.

But she remained determined, now grasping one of the rolling tables next to her and using it for balance, hoisting herself up on her shaky legs. She was already feeling the backlash from using her quirk but it just seemed to mix together with her other injuries. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but it did help ignore the pain for now.

With her legs wobbling, Amari took in a shaky breath before muttering to herself. "Come on Amari you can do this. You're a Bakugo damn it. Bakugo's don't give up…"

Using the mantra to give her strength, the girl took a shaky step forward before using the wall next to her for support. If Mirio was really right, if he really believe those words he told her before, then she couldn't give up now.

She didn't care if she had to crawl to get to Eri, she was going to save that girl if it was that last thing she did.

* * *

AHHH I'm so sorry this is so flipping late but here it is! Lots of stuff here and it's late so I won't ramble too much but Amari is really out here being a badass. I mean the left side of her stomach is ripped open, her throat is damaged from Chisaki, her blood was being drained for bullets, she's got psychological issues from her past, Shigaraki cut her up with thousands marks as well as used his quirk on both her forearms and yet this girl is still pushing her way to Eri. *claps* Go get them Amari.

Also Mirio is the one that caused her to fight again so I guess he saved two people today. I love using old quotes and tying the two interactions together.

Next Chapter: The big showdown as we fight to bring Eri home!


	66. S4 Chapter 16

Breathless, Deku placed his hands on his knees, a pool of sweat already building onto his brow. It had seemed like hours since they let Mirio go ahead and all the boy wanted was to make sure he was alright, yet the group hit a roadblock when a bunch of Overhauls henchmen surrounded them.

Luckily though, the heros were able to defend themselves but it had eaten up both time and energy, something they needed to make it through this challenge. Now everyone seemed equally exhausted. Deku only had three things on his mind though, Amari, Mirio and Eri. He needed to reach them.

One of the pro hero's Rock Lock surveyed the situation before looking down at his injured side and shouted out towards Sir Nighteye and the green haired student. "You three hurry and find the girl. We can't waste anymore time."

Nodding silently, Deku felt the passion in his words before turning on his heels and following Sir Nighteye down the long hallway. "I won't let you down Rock Lock!"

They two raced down the hallway, until they reached a dead end, Deku now bracing his leg before blowing a hole into the surface and hurrying inside. Although what he saw when he entered the space made his heart sink.

Mirio was standing in front of Eri, arms outstretched as his body was littered with blood and slashes. They had clearly gone through a beating which made Deku furious, balling his fists in the process.

His hand connected with Chisaki's arm before pushing the two a couple feet away, determination in his gaze. He wasn't going to let Mirio fight alone anymore. "This time, I will save them both!"

Aziawa took the opportunity of the beating and activated his quirk on Overhaul, causing his quirk to disappear just in time to yell to his teammate. "Sir Nighteye, quick, secure those that have been injured!"

Sir Nighteye heard the order but his eyes couldn't help but hallowed once he got a look at his broken student, now struggling just to stand. "Sir, take Eri, she's right behind me."

Hobbling out of the way, Sir Nighteye reached out a shaky head toward Mirio before wrapping both him and Eri in his arms. He couldn't let them suffer anymore, not on his watch. "I've got you now. You were amazing, you found her Mirio."

The blonde boy's eyes welled up with tears at that before leaning into his teacher's shoulder roughly. Although he knew he couldn't rest yet, Eri was still in danger.

Overhaul watched the scene in disdain before slamming his hand onto the ground, although with no effect. Aziawa's quirk made him useless right now which infuriated the man.

Aziawa and Deku leaped into the air at that, fully focused on taking the chance they were given when Chisaki called towards his henchmen roughly. "Time to wake up Chrono!"

Then before they could react, the man Chrono threw a large arrow up into the sky before hitting Aziawa in the arm and grazing his skin. "Look out!"

Pushing Deku away, Aziawa held his arm from the blow as he felt his movements slow and cursed under his breath. This must have been because of that guy's quirk.

Because of the sudden move, the man felt his eyes water and after a couple seconds, he had no choice but to blink which gave Chisaki the chance to attack, now aiming his hand towards Deku with malice. "Everything, all you've done has been for nothing! As if I would let people like you ruin my plans!"

As his hand touched the ground, thousands of large spikes appeared from the ground as the floor broke apart, trapping Deku in between the spaces and stabbing him once in the arm and leg. So this was his power? It was incredible.

Now that everyone was distracted, Chisaki looked down and another one of his henchmen before crushing his mask in between his fingers, a cruel smile now upon his lips. "You get it, don't you? You've always wanted me to succeed, so I know you'll happily give up your life for my cause."

Then Deku's eyes widened as the area exploded in a blinding light, causing him to close his eyes only to gaze upon the monster that was now Chisaki Kai.

His entire body was now covered in sickening black lines, trailing from his head down towards his feet. Two long arms protruded from his back as well, the man radiating an aura of murder in his stance. Chisaki had willingly killed one of his comrades for this? The idea itself was terrifying.

Eyeing Mirio in disdain, the villain called back. "What an unfortunate turn for you Lemillion. You chose to get involved with Eri and now your quirk is lost forever."

The world stood still at that, Deku 's eyes widening in horror. He lost his quirk, forever? No, it couldn't be..

Although the hits just kept on coming as Chisaki called out once more. "And never mind Eri, you couldn't even save your own teammate. What kind of hero are you? You let me torture her until they was nothing left, how pitiful."

Everyone's heads raised at that, Deku now feeling a ball of anxiety in his throat. Suddenly he was desperate for answers, now realizing that Amari was nowhere to be seen. "You, what did you do to her?! Where is Mari-chan?!"

Noticing his anger, Overhaul smirked back, although it was hidden by his mask. "That girl was proven useful to me so I had to extinguish her fight, her foolish need to be a hero. It was quite easy really. She broke rather quickly."

Then he pulled a vial of blood from his pocket before showing the horrified heros. "And with her blood, who knows what technological advancements we can make, along with the money of course. Now that we have enough to create an army and she's been drained dry, we will be unstoppable."

Hearing about all the horrible and disgusting things that Chisaki had done to Amari made his blood boil. He did the same thing that happened to Eri, didn't he?

He claimed that she was drained dry of blood. Deku didn't even want to know what that meant for the girl, hoping and praying she was still alive. "We will get her back, I won't let you touch my friend!"

Yet the villain only chuckled, now racing forward with his outstretched hands in attack. "No, you will die, along with your friends!"

Deku was ready for a fight but just as he prepared himself, Sir Nighteye flew past him, intent in his stance. "Stand down Deku, I'll deal with him! You look out for Lemillion and Eri!"

Nodding his head, the boy made his way towards the two before touching Mirio on the shoulder and moving his neck towards the door. Now that Chisaki was busy with his mentor, this could be the perfect opportunity to sneak out with the girl and find Amari.

Although when they made it to the door, Miro doubled over in pain, causing Eri's eyes to water with tears. "It's okay, I'm fine. But I failed, you're sad again and it's my fault. Even with angry one's sister I couldn't…

Deku only let his eyes fall in response, placing a reassuring hand to his shoulder. He wanted to tell him that this wasn't his fault, that he held out for as long as possible, but the words never came. "Come on, let's go.."

Slamming a hole into the wall next to them, Deku pointed towards the open area before replying. "I'm pretty sure this leads out. We need to get away from Chisaki and find Mari-chan."

Eri placed a shaking hand to Mirio's chest for comfort but quickly flitched when a bit of blood rubbed onto her fingers. None of this would have happened if she just stayed with Overhaul, these nice people were getting hurt for her and Eri hated the very idea. "No, that's enough.."

Deku stopped at that when suddenly the sound of loud cries of pain filled the space and the two turned to find Sir Nighteye bloody and broken, two large spikes now ripping through his adamoen as red liquid splattered down his mouth and the front of his chest. "No.."

The air became silent and still and before the greened haired boy could even realize it, he was rushing towards Chisaki with pure fury and anger in his stance. If Sir Nighteye was down for the count then that just meant it was his turn to win. "Take her, get Eri to safety!"

Mirio nodded his head in silence before taking Eri by the hand and moving to escape as Deku eyed the villain with absolute power and determination. It was now or never.

He just had to hold out a little longer.

* * *

Mirio stumbled down the hallways as quickly as he could, a trail of blood in their wake as the boy forced himself to keep moving, no matter what. He had to, for Deku, for Sir Nighteye and for Eri. He couldn't give up just yet. He just had to keep going.

Although the fight only lasted so long and he too found himself falling to his knees, gasping out a pained breath as Mirio turned to Eri brokenly. "Eri, go find somewhere to hide and wait for help. You have to keep going. There are so many people that are trying hard to recuse you.."

He coughed erratically then, and tears appeared down Eri's cheeks. She didn't want this, she didn't want the people that cared about her to die like this. If only she wasn't a cursed child, if only she wasn't a monster, then everyone would be safe.

Just as she said that though, the small girl heard her captors voice, coaxing her through the walls and making her body shake. "Someone else is about to die because you Eri! Is that really what you want?!"

Mirio eyes widened and turned his head towards the girl only for her to grasp her hospital gown in fear. She didn't want it to be this way. She wanted people to stop getting hurt because of her. Eri wanted everything to just stop.

And that's when she turned on her heels and ran back towards the fight as Mirio screamed out her name desperately. He couldn't let this happen,not again. She was so close to him and now she was about to destroy herself again.

Clawing at the floor, the boy forced himself to stand but his muscles had completely given up, Mirio now slamming his fists on the ground in absolute devastation. "Damn it, damn it!"

Yet she paused when a pair of feet suddenly showed in front of his blurry vision, the blood caked on her surface causing the boy to look and gasp. Was he imagining this? "B-Bakugo?"

Holding the side of the wall for support, Amari looked down at her friend before her eyes crumbling, now reaching down to wrap her hands around his neck in a light embrace. When she spoke, Mirio heard her voice crack and whispered, like she was pained. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry.."

Reaching out to touch her hands, Mirio gasped when he realized she was bleeding and it seemed just as bad as him, now noticing the thick shades of crimson on her chest along with the nasty cuts all over her body. Her skin looked extremely pale as well, like she was going to pass out at any second. What had this girl been through?

Her voice returned again, shaking her head into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, this is my fault."

Mirio didn't understand her words but stopped himself when she uncovered her face now seeing the tears and pain in her expression except this time it was hidden by determination. "You can rest now. I'm going to bring them back, okay?"

She then forced herself to stand and the boy noticed her shaky steps. He couldn't let her fight like this. Bakugo would clearly die if she needed to. "Wait, you're hurt. You should wait for help before jumping into that fight."

Yet the girl only smirked at that, giving a half hearted laugh before ruffling his hair once. "Don't worry. You don't call me angry one's sister for nothing. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret Mirio, it's not just my brother that's the angry one…"

Then her eyes changed suddenly and a chill appeared around the area almost immediately. She didn't look scared in the slightest anymore, no she looked serious. "You see, I'm angry also."

He opened his mouth once more but before he could speak, Amari was already limping her way towards Chisaki and Deku, her fingers clawing onto the wall for support as she went.

* * *

Gasping out a breath, Deku held onto his now bleeding arms and legs, the sharp spikes cutting through his skin painfully as he applied pressure on the wound. Chisaki really wasn't holding back which meant he also couldn't. This was life or death right now.

But just as he was ready to take another blow, Eri's small frightened voice rang out into the space, causing Deku's heart to drop. "Wait, please! I don't want this..

Stepping towards her, the boy began throwing his arms out in fear. "Go back! You need to stay with Lemillion Eri!"

But yet the girl remained frozen as Chisaki's cruel voice pierced through her soul once more. "Eri, look at him injured and alone. You don't really think he can defeat me, do you?"

Shaking her head with tears in her eyes, Eri replied shakily. "No, I don't."

Overhaul smiled at that. "Smart girl, so then what do you suppose we do?"

The room was silent for a moment before she grabbed onto her white dress in fear before answering. "I'll come back, but if I do, I want you to make them all better again!"

Chisaki took this with amusement, coaxing the child forward in a single motion. "Ah yes, it's so much easier to be hurt yourself than to watch while others are hurt for you, isn't it? Now come Eri..come back to me…"

The girl little began to walk and all Deku could do was watch, now seeing the child he was supposed to protect willingly sacrifice herself to that monster for his safety. The idea made himself absolutely sick. "Eri, no.."

Overhaul only found pleasure in his pain though, torturing him further. It was over, he had won. "The faint flicker of hope Bakugo and Lemillion gave her has been destroyed. Don't you see, you think you're helping her, but you're really being cruel?"

His eyes narrowed then as tears welled up in Deku's eyes. "She doesn't need you."

Suddenly, the wall next to them burst open and fell apart only for another voice to enter the space, one that made Deku's heart ring with anxiety. He knew that voice anywhere. "You really love hearing yourself talk, don't you?"

Everyone turned their heads immediately only to find Bakugo Amari in the middle of the broken debris, her hand outstretched as the explosions in her palms cracked and popped to life.

Deku's eyes widened at the sight, a ball of emotion in his throat. She was alive. "M-Mari-chan?"

Throwing a smile in his direction, her eyes then turned back into daggers, calling back to Chisaki with disdain. "Are you almost done with your bullshit? Cause I'm sure no one really wants to hear it anymore."

Overhaul also seemed surprised by her sudden appearance. "Ah, the pet has broken free of her leash. I'm surprised you can even stand right now given the amount of blood we took."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari replied plainly. "What can I say, I'm stubborn."

Deku then took in the girl's state before sucking in a fearful breath. Bakugo looked terrible, with small cuts and gashes all throughout her body. Her lower forearms were littered with blood while her upper arms were cracked and broken apart, the bone picking from the sides. He knew that type of injury anywhere, now realizing that Shigaraki probably did that.

Her skin also looked extremely pale with the lower side of her stomach dripping blood as if there was a hole where Overhaul dug his hands in. It was a miracle that she was still standing, never mind talking. She was stubborn indeed.

Eri seemed rather shocked as well, taking in the girl before placing a shaky hand to her mouth. Overhaul had told her such terrible things about Amari. It seemed like a dream that she was here. "Sissy..?"

Glancing towards Eri, Amari smiled back lightly before calling back. "Hey Eri, I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Just like we promised, but you have to be brave now, okay? I know you don't like blood but it will be over soon. We will get you home…"

Overhauled seemed to have other thoughts though. "Bold talk for someone on the brink of exhaustion. You just keep deluding yourself, don't you? I already showed you what you are."

Balling her fists at her side, Deku turned his head in confusion, his voice coming out in a small whisper. "What is he talking about?"

Amari's eyes faltered for a moment and the villain picked up on it almost immediately, his voice cutting through her all at once. "Go on and time him Bakugo, tell him about how you are All for One's precious little pet, about how you are not human anymore."

Feeling his breathing stop, the boy's eyes grew in shock only for Amari to answer back a moment later, now taking a step forward into space. "You're right. I am All for One's pet, a half human half Nomu monster. I can't ever change that, even if I wanted to.."

She took another step forward as the boy was glued to her stance, trying to figure out what she was talking about. "I was made to take down hero society, to strip it away into nothing. That's what everyone's expected of me, and I feel it in my blood. I could do it, I know I could."

Another step but this time everyone noticed something shift within the girl, her palms popping and sizzling in warning. "But it seemed you and All for One made one small little mistake in his search. He was looking for a frail and weak minded child, but instead he picked me. Strike One."

Lifting her hand out, Overhaul noticed her intent and slammed his hands on the ground only for the girl to cover herself in gold matter, blocking any of his actions.

No, she just continued walking forward, not intimated in the slightest. "You all except me to grovel and submit to whatever you want just because you think you have power over me. But lemme tell you something, a Bakugo never grovels. Strike Two."

That's when the girl stopped, only a few feet from Overhaul as she placed her hand to her neck before glaring at the man that tortured Eri for years. "So yes, I am his pet. But he's going to learn that he picked the wrong damn person for his cause, even if I have to keep burning his collar off.

She dropped at hand at that, the air extremely thick as she finished plainly. "And may I just say, in your attempt to use Eri you've pissed me off. So, I guess that's strike three. You're out Big Bird."

Then before anyone could even think, Amari raced forward and blocked one of Overhauls swings before slamming her hand into his face and letting off an explosion, causing the man to scream in pain.

Lowering her hand, the girl then replied back coldly. "That's for tearing my stomach apart and trying to sell my blood, asshole. Doesn't feel too good, does it?"

Touching his face all at once, the man felt himself scratch at the hives in fury. This girl always wanted to ruin everything. He needed to put her down quickly. "Disgusting, don't touch me with your filth!"

Dozens of spikes appeared in front of her then and Amari jumped out of the way in time, the gold matter coating her skin, although only part way this time.

It seemed her quirk was hitting its limits now given her injuries so Chisaki was able to slice her skin with a spike before she was about to dodge.

Grunting, she touched the side of her arm that had been struck and touched the surface only to find blood on her fingers. Yet trufully her injuries all blended together so it didn't seem like that big of a deal. She'd have to watch her slow movements though.

Deku ran up to her in a panic at the scene. "Mari-chan! You shouldn't do that. You're already hurt!"

Gritting her teeth, Amari replied sarcastically. "You sound like Mirio. Don't worry, this is nothing. I've had worse."

Then she surveyed the situation before glancing at a terrified Eri, now gaining an idea. "Deku, remember when we were teamed up together for combat training at the start of the year?"

Not really understanding where she was going with this, Deku nodded. "Of course Mari-chan, it's when we first fought together. But why are you bringing that up?"

That's when her lips curved up into a sly smile. "How about we do a little recovery?"

Her words slammed into him, almost immediately recognizing what she was suggesting. Back then when Amari fought Kacchan she served as the distraction while he retrieved the fake missile from the villains. She wanted to do that again, didn't she? Except this time, Eri was the missile.

Although then he recalled how Amari was fighting Kacchan and faltered. She was already hurt this bad, fighting in her condition was reckless. "But Mari-chan, Chisaki isn't Kacchan. Fighting him will be much harder than before. What if you.."

But the girl only placed a shaky hand to his lips before smirking back, no fear in her stance. "Deku, are you underestimating me? You know, I really hate that."

Deku stopped then before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just want you to be okay. For so long I haven't been able to do anything for you and…"

Placing a hand to his cheek, Amari then bumped his head with her own, the boy feeling her shallow breathing ever so slightly. "Thank you for worrying about me but I know I can do this. Remember what I said before? Eri is waiting for you, she needs you. So let's go save her alright?"

Then she lifted her head before eyeing the heroes that had just approached and were fighting Overhaul in her place. "Plus, I promised Shoto that I'd always return so it looks like I have to stay alive. As long as that little girl needs me, I won't give up. What about you, Deku?"

Amari then lifted her hand towards the boy only to give him a small, light smile. It made the boy fill with newfound determination and passion, now grabbing her cold clammy hand in his. "Okay, let's do it."

Nodding back, the two helped each other up only for Amari to look towards Eri before giving her friend a gentle squeeze of his hand. "Well then, Plus Ultra suppose?"

Giving her an approving look, Deku squeezed back, his voice ringing with pride and hope. "Yea, Plus Ultra."

Amari smiled back before turning on her heels and allowing her hands to spark with energy, now racing forward to Overhaul all at once. "Go Deku, now!"

Then while the boy was running, Bakugo reached a hand up to throw an explosion in the villains path, blocking his sight and direction of what was happening.

Deku saw this and continued running only for the ground to split and break apart from them, now tossing Eri into the air in the process. He had to get to her, quickly!

Once the smoke cleared, Chisaki noticed the boy and reached his hand out only for Amari to run in front of him, blocking his fist with her gold matter. "Your fight is with me, Big Bird. To get to him, you'll have to go through me first."

Replying to her surroundings, Amari realizes that beating Overhaul would be much more difficult than beating her brother, and she couldn't even do that. Although they did have the same bragging personality so hopefully she could use that to her advantage.

Overhaul seemed amused as well. "And what do you think you can do? You're barely even standing. Doesn't seem like much of a challenge."

It was true, the girl felt herself swaying back and forth at his words but that didn't mean anything. Eri depended on her right now, and that's all she needed to keep going. "You really shouldn't underestimate me. That's how everyone loses you know."

The villain only shook his head though, readying his stance for an attack. "I'll take my chances."

Amari frowned then, watching the man's fist barrel towards her only for the girl to step away in the blow, her gold matter blocking the hit but shattering on impact. He seemed to notice this as well. "See, you can't even hold your quirk anymore. You're no match for me."

Balling her fists, the girl glared back only for Chisaki to throw hit after hit towards her, the girl faltering in her steps after every attack until her quirk was spent and he was able to make contact with her body, the spikes entering her legs with a painful cry.

Falling to the floor, Amari groaned only for Deku to look back in a panic. "Mari-chan!"

Although the girl shooed her hand away quickly, brokenly calling back. "Go Deku! Quickly!"

Seeing him conflicted, the villain laughed before another spike sliced Amari's arm in order to tease the boy. "What will you do hero? Will you save Eri or will you give her to me in order to save your friend? Such a tough decision."

Amari felt her heart pound in agony, her injuries from before finally catching up to her all at once as she withered on the ground. It wasn't the time for this. She needed to get up, she needed to fight. She wasn't going to give up like this!

Just then the voices appeared in her mind again as fragmented memories echoed back towards her. All for One's voice caused her body to shiver back widely. **Get up, get up number twelve or you are of no use to me. If you stay down then your brother was right about you being useless and weak. You don't want that, do you? **

Shaking her head, she muttered back. "No, I'm not useless, I'm not weak…"

She felt her mind spitting in two directions, the desire to fight and the desire to die still etched in her stomach. All she wanted to do was save Eri to give her a better life than the one she had. Why was that so hard, why did her legs stop moving then?

Feeling another spike enter through her arm, Amari gritted her teeth as more blood pooled around her. She felt like she was underwater, drowning from her own thoughts and conflicts within herself. There was this hot fiery ball there as well and the girl was afraid to touch it, to see what would happen if she fully went loose. Even though that was the only way to win, the girl was terrified.

Chisaki only mocked her further though, playing with Deku's fear all at once. "It's alright, I won't let you die Bakugo. Once I get Eri back I'll fix you as well, and then both of you will be in my possession. After that, I'll have two monsters."

At the word monster, Amari's head screamed in pain. That word, she hated that word so much, because it fit her so well. Although the one thing that made her stop was his talk of Eri. That bastard was going to hurt her again if she didn't fight, which meant there was only one option now.

Who cares if she was a monster. For Eri, she'd risk everything.

Suddenly, the walls around the area began to shake as Amari clawed her hands into the ground, a loud animalistic growl echoing from her lips and she seethed. "I will not let you take Eri! Over my damn dead body will I let you touch her again!"

Then Overhaul watched as the girl made her way to her feet before turning around the glaring at him with daggers. Something had shifted with the girl and everyone could feel it.

That's when Deku noticed the thick black veins lining the girls arms and hands.

Oh no, the last time he saw her like that was their fight with All for One where she lost control. What if her mind was completely gone again?! "Mari-chan…?"

Yet the girl looked back at Deku before giving him a reassuring nod, her arms burning from the Nomu blood making its way to the surface of her skin. "Don't worry, I'm still me. Just go get Eri. I'll finish this."

He stood silent for a moment, before shakily nodding his head, the boy turned on his heel before leaping into the air to catch Eri who was sitting on that large stone pillar alone.

Looking back to Overhaul, Amari then put her hand out in warning. "Now face me Big Bird. Let me show you just how much of a mistake you've made by pissing me off."

Chisaki only raised his eyes though, taking in the girls arms before smirking back, unaffected. "I'm not afraid of you."

Yet Amari only narrowed her eyes, feeling the power surge through her hands all at once. "You should be."

Then, she raced forward as the villain tried to block her blow with his stone spikes, although Amari had already predicted his movements, now reaching up and punching the man in the stomach roughly.

He groaned at the sensation, realizing that her strength had seemingly doubled now. Perhaps this was the full power of All for One's pet. Interesting, He really wanted her more than ever now.

Although Amari had other plans, now reeling back from her punch and feeling her hands on fire from the feeling there as she let out another low growl. It felt like if she gave up now then everything would be for nothing, so for that purpose she held onto the pain, hoping she wouldn't lose herself fully because of it.

As another hit appeared in the space, Deku leaped into the air in an attempt to grab Eri, only for her to pull back roughly, and missing his hand. "No! Stop, I don't want to curse you.."

Deku's eyes widened in devastation as the two fighting took in her words as well, Overhaul calling back. "That's right. You don't want to go with them. A cursed child can do nothing more than do as she's told. That would be better for everyone."

The small child flinched at his words but Bakugo felt a sense of familiarity to them. This bastard, he sounded exactly like All for One, using her greatest fears to submit to his orders, making her feel like she was cursed. It was disgusting. "Oh, I get it now. You're doing the same thing those assholes did to me, making her feel like she's nothing. Why am I not surprised?"

Balling her fists to her side, Amari then gritted her teeth before shouting back towards Eri roughly as she blocked another blow. "What's so wrong about being a cursed child?! What's wrong with trying to succeed, huh?! You just spew your grade A bullshit without even knowing what it's like, right?!"

She could feel her Bakugo side flaring up but the girl didn't care in the slightest. From the mix of the Nomu blood in her system to her brother's explosive traits, Amari was already unhinged. "Just because we have to claw our way to feel normal, just because we have to fight every single day, it doesn't give you the goddamn right to get in our heads and make us feel like shit!"

Chisaki landed a hit on her side and Amari groaned back, still remaining strong though as she knew Eri was listening to her every word. "A cursed child can do a whole lot more than you think Chisaki! You wanna know why? Because I'm one of those cursed children Eri."

Eri's eyes widened at that, taking in the girl that was fighting for her with no mercy. She was just like her? How was that possible? Sissy was so strong, so positive, so confident. Eri knew she could never be that. "Sissy.."

Realizing the child was staring at her, Bakugo raced up again, this time with the hope of making her see her words, the words that she always wished to hear when she was a child. "And even though that's true, I will never back down, no matter how many fake words he throws at me, no matter how many times they tell me I'm a monster or unfit to save people. I will crush their expectations of me brick by brick until you realize that people like us, can be heroes too!"

Tears lined the corners of Eri's eye's as Deku took the chance as well, shouting towards the girl with his hand outstretched. "Don't you see Eri? She's down there fighting for you, we all are! She's been through so much and yet she's standing strong! If Mari-chan can say these things, then it's possible for you as well! We are all fighting for you, so don't give up!"

Spinning her head around, Eri took in the scene before staring down at her hands. Was it really possible for her to hear something other than a monster? She really wanted that, she wished for that to be true.

So much so, that her hand started moving on it's own, now outstretched to the boy as she remembered his name from her drawing. "Deku, I want to change!"

Then suddenly, the little horn on her head began to glow as the world stood still, Deku now wrapping his arms around the girl's small frame and pressing her into his chest softly. "It's alright, I got you. No one will ever hurt you again."

Overhaul saw this though and narrowed his eyes in rage, now disregarding Amari and racing towards Eri all at once. It seemed the distraction had worn off. "Eri, what do you think you're doing?! Get back here..!"

Although Bakugo quickly raced after them before outstretching her hand and using the power she had left to propel herself with her explosions into the air. "I don't think so!"

Then Deku and Eri watched as Amari slammed her hand onto the top of the villains head before using her inhuman strength to smash the surface into the ground roughly, cracking the area around them.

Looking at the two, the girl huffed out a breath, now feeling Chisaki twitch underneath her. This wouldn't hold him long. "Deku, get her to safety!"

Yet the boy faltered now seeing his friend swaying back and forth to fight consciousness. "But then you'll be alone to fight him!"

Amari just gave a reassuring smile though, shaking her head in the process. True fully she didn't know if she could fight him alone, but that doesn't mean she wasn't going to try. "Don't worry about me. Just save Eri."

Balling his fists to his side, Deku then watched as Overhaul sprung up from the ground, now causing Bakugo to lose balance and remove his hand as he seethed. "I said, don't touch me you filthy monster!"

Then before he could process it, Chisaki lifted a hand out and his giant mutated hands connected with her body, flinging her through the air before landing in a large heavy thud, much to Deku's horror. "Mari-chan!"

She remained unmoving as a soft groan was overheard. The green haired boy could just barely make out the words but they broke his heart nonetheless. "Go..Deku please...go…"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he then looked at the terrified Eri in his arms before flinging her over onto his back, now seeing Overhaul approach them with jagged spikes.

For too long he had been blind to Amari's suffering, letting her carry everything alone while he pretended not to notice her pain. He would not let this be the same as before, he would not let her be hurt anymore. No, he would save her this time.

This a crying scream, the boy felt his body spark with the power of One for All before using his legs to propel himself towards Kacchan's sister, his arms outstretched wildly. "No! I'm not leaving you Mari-chan! I promise I will never leave you again!"

Throwing an attack towards the boy, Deku dodged the advances before seemingly disappearing into thin air. That's when Amari felt a strong hand grab around her waist as she was skyrocketed up through the hole in the building to the city below.

Widening her eyes, Amari looked down at the small buildings before grasping and gripping onto Deku's hand in fear. They were, flying? One for All had this kind of power? "Deku, what is this?!"

The boy shook his head though, feeling his body weightless and light. "I don't know, I think I used my quirk to jump into the air, just like All Might. Are you alright?"

Nodding back, Bakugo couldn't help but smile softly in his direction. "You didn't have to do that. You should've just escaped without me stupid."

She coughed then, causing the boy to panic, now setting the two onto a neighboring street. "Of course I did. Your eyes, they looked like they were calling for help."

Grasping onto his jacket, Amari smiled under her breath at that, jokingly calling back. "You damn Deku."

Deku felt himself smile back as well, recalling the phrase Kacchan always said, except her tone was much softer than his, like it was a compliment. "That's me. You two really are twins after all."

Laughing half heartedly, Amari leaned onto his shoulder for support, silently thanking him for hearing her plea's for the first time in her life. "I'll take that as a compliment."

* * *

*SOBS AS MIGHTY U PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND* It would totally play when Amari is having her big speech to Eri hehe.

Breaking this up because it's running impossibly long. I'll get the second half out right after this one. But dang Amari, being a badass I see you. And her and Deku are bonding. It's super sweet.

Next Chapter: End of the fight and the repercussions that come with it.


	67. S4 Chapter 17

Breathing heavily, Amari touched her blood filled arm before detaching herself from Deku. Looking down at the surface, she could see the black veins prominent on her skin, now enhanced by the daylight. It was a sign of her mutation, a sign she wasn't human.

She frowned back only for Deku to notice the sight as well, now reaching forward to touch her arms. "Mari-chan, you're arm.."

But just as he touched the surface, Amari flinched now pulling away from the boy in an attempt to hide the defect given by All for One. "Please don't look. I'm sorry you had to see such a hideous sight."

Deku's eyes widened at that before leaning towards the girl in anxiety. He didn't like the words she was using in the slightest. "Hold on, why are you saying that? I don't think they are hideous. I guess I'm just curious, that's all."

Laughing half heartedly, the girl then clutched her arm in disdain for herself. She didn't really want to tell Deku about this but knew it was impossible to hide now that he saw the black lines himself. "They are a side effect for the Nomu blood in my system."

At that, both Eri and Deku turned to her in shock, the boy stuttering out a reply. "W-What do you mean? I thought you stopped taking those pills.."

Yet that's when Amari gritted her teeth, now slamming her hand onto the pavement below in devastation. "It doesn't matter, either way I'm half Nomu. All for One changed me into this and I hate it. Everything I thought was true, everything that I used to keep me going was a lie Deku."

Then her voice lowered as tears lined the corners of her eyes. "What am I going to tell Katsuki? My explosion quirk, it's not even from my family. All for One just gave it to me so I could seem normal. He's going to be devastated. What if, he hates me because of it?"

Putting her head in her hands, Deku watched the rise and fall of her shoulders as she stuttered out a breath, unsure what he should say in this type of situation. Her life was littered with such pain. She only wanted to be a hero like the rest of them, so why had everything seemingly gone wrong for her? He hated it.

He touched her shoulder first, causing the girl to look into his eyes as he spoke. "Mari-chan, I'm sure Kacchan will accept you either way. I've seen the way he stands up for you, supports you. He doesn't do that for anyone else but you. You want to know why that is? Because he loves you."

Shaking her head, Amari's eyes fell. "You don't know if he will. What if..."

Yet Deku only smiled back, his passion reaching towards the girl all at once. "Yes, I do. Trust me, I know Kacchan better than anyone. And even on the impossible chance he doesn't accept you, I do. And I know for a fact that many others will as well."

Taking in his words, Amari felt reassured, now seeing Eri walk towards her all at once, sadness in her eyes. "Sissy, I don't want you to be sad."

At that, the girl's heart broke into pieces, now leaning forward to pat Eri on the head once, a smile lined through her tears. This child was so sweet for being worried for her. "I'm not sad anymore. Thank you Eri. Are you okay?"

Nodding back, the girl replied back frightened, now checking behind her. "What if he comes back? I don't want you to be hurt anymore because of me. I hate that the most."

Yet Bakugo only shook her head lightly. "Don't worry, if he does then Deku and I will take care of him. We won't let him hurt you again. Now, let's get you home, okay?"

Eri agreed silently and Deku moved to stand as well when suddenly a thousand invisible needles pricked his skin, causing him to fall to the floor in agony. He gritted his teeth at the sensation when Amari noticed his state and raced forward, a concerned hand to his shoulder. "Deku, what's wrong?!"

His frantic eyes met his as the boy cried back brokenly with clenched teeth. "I don't know. It's like my body is ripping itself inside out. Like I'm being torn apart from the inside.."

Amari's breathing picked up at that, now looking around in panic. She was all alone with Eri so how was she supposed to fix this? Maybe his injuries were more severe than she thought. "It's okay, it's going to be okay Deku. I'm right here."

That when she heard Eri's small voice behind her, choking out a sob as she cried back shaking. "I'm sorry..this is my fault..I'm sorry…"

Amari turned her head in confusion only to realize what she was saying. If she thinks this is her fault then that means... "Is this your quirk?"

Putting her head into her hands, Eri answered with her tears, giving Bakugo the confirmation that she needed. If this was her quirk, then how did it work, and why had it only affected Deku. Whatever it was, it was bad because now she was left alone.

Just then, Overhaul's voice cut through the space, causing Amari and Eri to stand still in fear. No, not now!. "She can't control her power. She may have activated her quirk but she doesn't know how to turn it off, isn't that right Eri?"

The small girl flinched at his words only for Amari to glare back, now calling back to the invisible voice all at once. "Don't speak to her like you know her. You just never showed her how to control it. It's your fault she's afraid, not hers!"

Yet the voice only laughed as the floor beneath them ripped apart and revealed the mutated and inhuman monster that was now Chisaki Kai.

His body was seemingly swallowed up into the large body of a beast, now towering far over the buildings next to them. Amari widened her eyes in fear before fantastically looking over at Deku who was still struggling. She would have to fight this thing all by herself? No, that was impossible.

Yet that didn't stop her from quickly getting to her feet and moving towards Eri to protect her. Although the only problem was that when she started to move, her muscles immediately ceased up, causing the girl to crumble to the ground in pain. No, not now! "Sissy..!"

All at once, her injuries came crashing into her as the black veins on her skin disappeared. The Nomu blood must have been hiding her pain and now that they were gone, so was the wall in her mind to distract her.

Gritting her teeth, she also felt the drawbacks of her quirk, knowing that she had reached her limit. This was bad, if Chisaki wanted to fight then Amari couldn't even use her quirk, unless she wanted it to kill her, and Deku was on the floor blinded by his own pain a couple feet away. As much as she absolutely hated it, they were at a standstill..

Overhaul only seemed amused at this though, choosing not the attack for now and instead settled for mocking Eri. "Are these the heroes you chose to go with Eri? Now because of you they will die, how tragic is that?"

Shaking next to her feet, Eri felt her eyes glued onto the people that saved her both crying back to Overhaul. "No..I don't want this..!"

Amari tried to speak in order to calm the girl down but found it impossible with her injuries, That's when she saw Chisaki's hand reach out to the child in an attack and she knew what she had to do.

Somehow finding her way to her feet, Amari ran in front of Eri just ahead of the blow before screaming in the process and using the last bit of her energy to create a gold matter shield around the two of them.

Her muscles withered in agony as Bakugo tried to withhold the shield all while Eri stared up at her with a feared expression. "Sissy, no..!"

Although Amari only shook her head as Chisaki pushed his large body into her shield, causing the girl to cough up a bit of blood as the surface cracked. "Don't worry Eri, I'm just keeping my promise. I said I wouldn't let him hurt you again and I meant it.."

Another blow came through and Bakugo felt something in her chest shatter as she coughed up more blood, now scaring the girl in the process. This was all she could do to protect her though, so be it then. "Don't be scared. I'm sorry, I know you don't like blood."

Through her tear filled expression, Eri then looked into Amari's eyes as she continued, her voice obviously pained from the damage she had taken. "Listen Eri, forget what he said about your quirk. It's not your fault that you don't know how to control it. That's how everyone starts out, okay? Even me."

Gritting her teeth through the blood, Amari smiled back, honestly not sure if she would survive this. She was already using her quirk way over her limits. Ah well, at least Eri was safe. "You know, I have a brother Eri. I really hope you get to meet him someday. Even though he's a little grumpy and angry all the time, he's really sweet. He might not say it, but I know he would really like to be your big brother as well."

Her eyesight became blurry then and the girl knew she would probably pass out soon from the over usage, so if she wanted to say anything to the girl then now was certainly the time. She wasn't sure if she'd get the chance again.

So she settled on telling her the things that Amari wished she had heard as a child, the things that would've made her stronger much faster. "I know you don't realize this now but someday you'll meet so many wonderful people who love and accept you. It may be impossible to see right now but your power isn't a curse Eri, it's a blessing."

Just then Chisaki power barreled into Bakugo's back once more except this time, the impact was too strong for her and her shield shattered before coughing weakly onto the floor, blood splatting onto the surface roughly. "Shit..I guess that's all I can do.."

The villain only laughed at this though, taking in the almost unconscious girl. "Your attempts weren't good enough kid. Now just for that, I'm going to kill you just so you can remember this when I piece you back together, the time you failed Eri."

She wanted to move, she wanted to fight but Amari's body had completely given up, now collapsing onto the floor as she fought consciousness. Is that really how it would go? Perhaps she couldn't keep that promise to Shoto anymore. The very idea broke her heart.

Deku opened his eyes just long enough to see Overhaul's fist barrel towards the broken girl as he cried back in terror. No, please no! "Mari-chan!"

Watching the scene as well, Eri looked down at the girl before her hands began to shake at the sight of blood on her clothes. No, please no..anyone but Sissy, Sissy needed to be okay! She just had to be! She was the only one that didn't look at her like a monster.

Suddenly this overwhelming need filled the girl, and before she could even process it, Eri had placed her glowing hands onto Amari's arm, tears leaking from the sides of her face in the process. If she claimed that her power was a blessing, then hopefully she could create a miracle. "Please..I want to help her…!

Chisaki only mocked the movement though, his arm almost reaching the girl in question. "It's no use Eri, you can't control your power. Touch her and she dies, just like everyone one else you've ruined…"

She flinched for a hand and removed her hand, worried that his words were correct. Although something inside of her wanted to keep going, in order to save her, now pushing her hand deeper into Bakugo's skin. She didn't want to hurt Sissy, she wanted Sissy to live. "No! I won't let her. Sissy has to be okay! She said such nice things to me, she said we were family!"

Amari began to glow as Overhaul seemingly had enough of her games, now only a couple inches from them. Her ideas were foolish, it was obvious she was going to kill the girl. "You're wrong Eri, You're quirk is nothing but a curse, you even killed your own father! What makes you think you can save her?"

Then just as his large mutated arm reached the two, an extremely large golden shield cut right through the center of his hand, chopping the surface in half as the large inhuman chunk fell to the ground, Overhaul screaming in pain at the process.

That's when they heard a very familiar voice echo through the space as Bakugo Amari raised to her feet, now more stable than ever before. "Shut up. It seems you don't know anything after all."

Eri's eyes widened, now detaching herself from the girl before whispering out shakily. "Sissy, are you okay?"

Amari turned around then before leaning down and patting the girl on the head once. On further inspection it seemed the large gash in her stomach was now repaired, her skin now gaining a bit more color as well. "Yeah, I'm all better, see? Thank you Eri, you saved me."

The little girl's eyes watered with tears at that before Deku stumbled to his feet, now reaching his hand out to Eri all at once.

Now seeing that girl's quirk in action, he knew what he had to do. "I have an idea, but you have to hold onto me."

Eri hurried over to hop onto Deku's back as Overhaul reeled back from his attack, now fully focused on Amari. "You just keep getting in my way, don't you?!"

Glaring back Bakugo readied herself for a fight only for Deku to stand in front of her, protecting the girl in question as One for All sparked to life under his feet, immense energy now present. "Eri, please lend me your power."

The little girl gasped on his shoulder before nodding her head as the two took off into the air, now shouting back towards Amari roughly. "Mari-chan, recover!"

Widening her eyes, Bakugo knew exactly what he meant, now racing forward and throwing a small explosion in front of the villain to gain his attention. "Hey, you want me right? Well, I'm right here Big Bird!"

Overhaul growled at this, now aiming his fist towards her only for the girl to cover herself in gold matter, blocking the attack. Thanks to Eri, she now felt the strain of her quirk go away just slightly, like she could use it again, if only a little.

Jumping out of the way, Amari taunted again. "Is that all you got?!"

He took the bait almost immediately, swiping his hand to capture the girl, Bakugo dodging again, only for one of his other limbs to grab her body, now swinging her into the air.

Gripping onto Amari, Overhaul tightened his hold only for the girl to gasp back, his large mutated arms now crushing her bones extremely slow as she let out a pain groan. Something was definitely broken. "You thought you could outsmart me? Think again Bakugo. But don't worry, I'll erase your filth in time, and then All for One's pet will serve my cause."

Bakugo only groaned back though, over his speech. "Screw you, Big Bird. I don't take orders from anyone."

Yet Overhaul only squeezed tighter, Amari feeling the breath leave her body all at once. Yes, that's right she should be afraid right now, just like Eri. "We'll fix that."

Although when he looked over, the girl didn't look frightened in the slightest, in fact she looked amused. "Oh, I don't think you will though."

Then she pushed her hands against his and forced her gold matter into his skin as she yelled to an unknown voice behind her. "Deku, now!"

Before the villain could even process it, the green haired boy appeared behind them, his leg jamming itself into the man's body before using One for All to send him flying into the sky.

Given the surprise, Amari was able to slam her fiery golden fists into his skin once more, causing the Overhaul to loosen his grip and drop her onto the ground roughly, the girl coughing back at the impact. It felt like she had broken a rib. That was just great, and right after she was healed too.

Deku gave a worried look to the girl only for her to wave her hand away as she stumbled to her feet, determined in her stance. "I'm okay, just go finish him Deku, for the both of us."

He stared at her for a couple more moments but once she stood up, the boy knew it was his turn to fight. Amari had already done so much, now she could rest.

Amari then watched as Deku used his power to skyrocket into the sky as the girl gritted her teeth. There was no way she was missing this fight, she needed to be there in case something was too much for him.

Ignoring the pain in her legs, Bakugo then took off running down the street, looking up to see the fight unfold as she went. She stopped when she saw Deku slam his fist into Overhaul before a bright light filled the entire space, the sheer power blowing her hair around her face from the wind. "Whoa.."

So this was the power of One for All? It was amazing, he was amazing..

The villain seemed to plummet to the earth in a hard thud and Amari took off running again only to find herself back towards the Yakuza hideout, Deku's green sparks stunning her into silence as she gazed in awe.

Right in this moment, he really did look like the new symbol of peace.

* * *

Endeavor had just finished taking care of all of the Yakuza outside of the building when a loud sound shook the entire building, the wind around them growing into a massive size, enough to cause a couple people to lose their footing.

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, the man walked towards the destruction only to see Sir Nighteye being held up by a female U.A. student, her suit now caked in blood as he noticed a spike right through the center of his stomach.

He raced up to the man quickly, now turning to him with authority. "Sir Nighteye, what happened?"

As the blood trickled down the side of his face, the man just pointed towards his right hand side only for Todoroki's father to lay his eyes on two very familiar figures.

The first one was that boy from the sports festival, his power filling the area as Eri sat on his back silently, and the second, well the second was Bakugo Amari.

She stumbled next to the boy, a slight hobble in the steps as she went, the man now noticing thick streams of blood covering her arms and hero costume, although it didn't look like any of the wounds were open..

Placing a hand to his shoulder, Amari smiled back towards Deku, ignoring the sensation of pain in her chest. Yeah, she definitely broke something.. "We did it Deku. You know, I think we make a really good team."

The greened haired boy nodded his head as well, a smile appearing on his lips as well. "I think so too Mari-chan."

Sir Nighteye watched the two children in awe, wondering how two students could take down such a massive threat. They really were something else, especially that girl.

Even though great pain would soon follow for her, he couldn't help but enjoy her smile. "So that's the path you've decided to take? It kind of makes me wish you chose differently.."

And that's when the man fell unconscious, alerting the other heroes to call for emergency services immediately.

* * *

Once Sir Nighteye was taken to the hospital, the media began to arrive, now swirling around the heroes all at once, trying to get the latest scoop and pictures for their blog/magazine.

Amari was taking it the hardest though. With the expectations of being Endeavor's trainee, they wanted to hear all about how someone as small as her, fought the Yakuza and succeeded. Lucky her. "Ember, Ember! Tell us all about the mission. What role did you play in retrieving the lost child?"

Flashing lights blinded the girl as she sucked in a breath before meeting the gaze of Endeavor before smiling. She knew exactly how she was going to answer. "If you want to be impressed with someone, then you should talk to Endeavor. He's the one that set this whole thing up. I only helped."

At that, Todoroki's father widened his eyes, knowing fully well that Bakugo was the one that came up with the idea of going undercover. Why was she lying then? Didn't she want to take the credit for the successful raid? That's what any other child would have done.

The reporters seemed confused as well, pressing their mics closer to her face. "Is that true? Then the one responsible for the rescue was the new number one hero?"

Endeavor then watched as Amari smiled under her breath before replying. " Well, we all helped out but the one that suggested the details of the plan was him, yes. I know he doesn't look too friendly but Endeavor has good qualities as well, you just have to look for them."

More flashing lights appeared then as the girl suddenly felt an ongoing wave of dizziness come over her. It must have been from that broken bone somewhere that she refused to treat right away. Maybe that was a bad choice.

Falling backwards, Amari stumbled on her feet only to hit someone's strong chest, the man now covering her face from the ongoing reporters. "That is enough. There will be no more reports."

The press whined and complained at that, only for Bakugo to look up and find Endeavor unhappily frowning back. "Endeavor, what are you…"

Yet before she could question it, the man pushed her away from the ongoing crowds with a scowl on his face. "Bakugo, you lied to those reporters."

Rolling her eyes, Amari replied back sarcastically before giving a small pained laugh. Ah she missed his annoying voice. "Yeah, I know I did. What made you figure that out?"

Endeavor only glared back though, not enjoying that she was mocking him. "Why did you do that? I never asked for you to lie."

The girl was silent for a moment before closing her eyes in amusement. "Yeah, but you're so unlikeable I had to do something to make the media favor you for once. All Might you certainly are not but it's not like you don't deserve the spot."

The man's eyes widened then, realizing just why she lied. This girl was trying to make it so the people noticed his presence as the number one hero. Why would she even do that? He never asked for it. He didn't want her pity lies.

Grumbling back, Endeavor scoffed. "But now they won't know your involvement with the case. What about your goal of wanting to be recognized as a hero? Foolish child."

Yet the girl only shook her head, replying back honestly. "Endeavor, this is just a start for me. I have plenty of chances to be recognized as a hero. Besides, you seemed really bothered about not being popular so I wanted to do this, just as a thanks for believing in me."

Amari felt exhaustion overtake her then as she fought to stay awake. She couldn't pass out now, she still needed to see her brother and Todoroki. They must have been really worried.

The man seemed to notice her swaying steps though, calling back to her roughly. "Bakugo, you can rest now."

But the girl only shook her head, fighting the dizziness in her head. "No, I can't. I have to see Katsuki and Shoto. I have to tell them I'm okay."

Then Endeavor heard her voice again, except this time it was filled with emotion and passion. "I promised Shoto that I would always come back to him, so I have to prove to him that I wasn't lying. I already made him worry, I can't..I have to tell them I'm okay."

She said that, but the man could tell that she was on her last legs, swaying back and forth into his chest as her body weight became extremely heavy. She really was holding for his son, wasn't she?

That's when his voice entered into her, calming the girl down all at once as he placed a hand to her shoulder. Endeavor was never good at comfort, but he attempted. "I will tell them, so rest Bakugo."

His words were confirmation enough, Bakugo taking them in before finally giving into the idea and fully knocking out, only for Endeavor to catch her crumbling body before it hit the ground.

Then the man gathered his trainee up in his arms before making his way towards the hospital, but before he reached the building, he vaguely heard Amari's voice underneath her breath, calling back to him softly. "Thank you Endeavor."

Narrowing his eyes, Endeavor stared back at the girl before shaking his head. She was such a handful, just like Toya. No wonder why he saw his son in her. She was just as reckless and selfless as he was. It was infuriating and devastating at the same time.

It was like Amari was his punishment, a constant reminder of the mistakes he had made in the past, except this time he knew that past wouldn't repeat itself. No, it just couldn't.

* * *

EYYY we have not asshole Endeavor? Oh wow. And here we have some of his internal thoughts as well. It seems he really does see Toya in Amari. Let's see how that progresses. And how Amari gives up the recognition of the fight just so the people can like Endeavor more? A selfless queen.

Also Deku and Amari team up is super badass, I stan. I also added more to Eri's rewind power scene with Amari cause I feel like she would look up to Bakugo, seeing that they are both from similar backgrounds.

And what Sir Nigthteye said before he passed out, yes you should be concerned.

Next Chapter: Reunion time with Katsuki and Todoroki, Amari and Eri bonding time and we find out what Sir Nighteye saw in Amari's future.


	68. S4 Chapter 18

When Bakugo got the call about his sister, he felt his heart drop in his chest, now rushing to put on whatever jacket nearest to him before rushing to the hospital. His family hadn't told him much, just to get over there which worried the boy to no yet. All that he managed to get out of them though was that Endeavor told them she was safe.

Yet Katsuki wouldn't believe that in the slightest until he saw her unharmed, now racing up the steps into the very place that he hated most, the hospital, aka the place where Amari spent most of her childhood in Japan. He hated this place more than anything, but for his sister, he would endure.

Swinging the door open he found his parents seated in the corner of the waiting room, hands folded on their laps as Bakugo observed the atmosphere. "Where the hell is she?!"

At his voice, his mother gazed at him before sighing roughly, about to scold him for yelling in the hospital but then decided against it. He was just worried like the rest of them after all. "Katsuki, calm down. She hasn't woken up yet."

Balling his fists at his sides, Bakugo shook his head, ready to yell once more when he caught the very familiar sight of Deku in the corner of the room as well, except he appeared to be pacing. Why in the hell was he there?

When the green haired boy caught sight of Kacchan though, his eyes fell, knowing the conversation they were about to have, and how much devastation it would bring. "Kacchan.."

Bakugo stared at his old childhood friend with disdain when he suddenly heard his parents rising from their seats, knowing fully well that they were in the way.. "We'll leave you alone. Izuku said he had to speak to you about something. I swear, don't you dare be rude Katsuki.."

Then before the boy could speak out against the idea, the two boys were left alone, Deku hands now shoving into his pockets in anxiety. He wasn't sure if he could do this, but for Mari-chan he would try to talk to her brother. She deserved that much.

Katsuki spoke first though, throwing his hands out in anger, explosions at the ready. "You damn Deku, what the hell happened?! You have five seconds to tell me right now or I swear you won't live to see another day!"

Yet Deku didn't seem afraid from his outburst though, having heard them his entire life. No, he couldn't focus on that right now. "Kacchan I have to tell you about something before you see Mari-chan. It's important."

The boy raised an eye at that, not liking the atmosphere around them. "Yeah, well spit it out already!"

Silence appeared then before Deku took in a large breath of encouragement. "When I say this, I need you to be calm, okay?I know that's really hard for you but please just try, for Mari-chan."

Calm wasn't a term that Katsuki knew very well though, in fact he found it hard just talking to this damn nerd without blowing up. Then his throat rang in irritation from the green haired boy's nickname for Amari. Since when had he called her that? "Deku, I swear you better spit it out if it's about my damn sister..!"

The silence appeared again as it looked like the boy was trying to work up the courage to speak to Bakugo with as much confidence as possible. "Kacchan, in order to get Eri back, Mari-chan gave herself to the villains so we could find the two of them as fast as possible."

Katsuki's eyes widened then, already a feeling of anxiety ringing in the back of his throat. The reminder to stay calm echoed in the back of his head but he shoved it down, now gritting his teeth so Deku could continue. He wanted to know everything that happened, even if it was terrible.

That idiot, why in the hell would she suggest something like that?! Why would she risk herself and willingly put herself into danger just for a small child she knew nothing about? It seemed her recklessness knew no bounds.

Seeing the boy silent, Deku felt a chill down his spine. If he learned one thing from his childhood, it was that there was only one thing worse than an explosive Kacchan, and that was a silent Kacchan.

He gulped then, now trying to even his voice not exhibit fear. "The pills she used to take were from All for One, right? She told me before that those villains tried to experiment on her. Is that true?"

Deku then watched as Bakugo's eyes fell, his palms forming into a fist roughly, the calm demeanor scaring the boy once more. He looked pained about his question. "So what if it is? What the hell does this have to do about anything?"

Glancing towards the window the boy could tell that his friend was only one word away from becoming unhinged, although Deku also knew that this was something he had to tell Kacchan, whether he liked it or not. "While she was there, she found out something that devastated her, and I want to make sure that you accept it before you see her."

The dodging of his question was concerning, so much so that it made Bakugo's breathing pick up just slightly. What was Deku even getting at? He wasn't sure if he wanted the answer. "Just fucking tell me already…"

Sucking in a breath, the boy then recalled Amari's frightened touch of her arms before replying with regret and sadness, tears lining the corners of his eyes. "Kacchan, when those villains experimented on her, they turned her half Nomu."

Suddenly, all the calm that Bakugo had was ripped away from him, now replaced by the feeling of absolute horror. It felt like his breathing had stopped, like he was punched in his chest by an invisible wall. "What.."

The last person he wanted to fall apart in front of was Deku but it seemed like the boy couldn't stop himself, now feeling his hands shake almost immediately. Those villains mutated her while she was in America? No, it couldn't be, his sister was human damn it!

Seeing that Katsuki was having a rough time with the information, Deku spoke again, trying to even the air as his voice wavered. It was obvious that both boys were trying to keep it together. "I'm..I'm sorry Kacchan. I wanted you to know in case she tries to hide it."

His half apology seemed to wake Bakugo up though, now taking a step back as a hot and unmistakable desperation came over him. "What, what the fuck does that even mean?! Answer me Deku!"

Reaching forward to grab his shirt, Katsuki's shaking hands wrapped around the fabric only for the boy to stutter back. "Kacchan, remember what I said! Y-You have to be calm!"

Yet Bakugo was already way past that. "Fuck that! You can't just tell me shit like that and expect me to be calm! Now, explain why you would tell such a damn lie! My sister is not a Nomu!"

He shook the boy side to side only for Deku to answer back shakily, now afraid of being punched by his childhood friend. "I'm not lying, Kacchan! I would never lie about something like this. Mari-chan told me herself during our battle."

At that, Bakugo fell silent, just as the boy's voice dropped as well, sadness in his tone. "I saw the black veins on her arms and the way she fought Chisaki. She wasn't lying either."

The realization set in then, causing Katsuki to place the boy back down on the ground, now remaining silent as a heavy wave of devastation washed over him. This gave Deku enough time to continue his words. "That's not all…"

Katsuki's eyes wavered as the boy spoke again, except this time it was way more solem. "Her explosion quirk, it was given to her by All for One. It wasn't because of your family."

The silence after that was deafening, Deku wondering what his friend would do with this information. He was almost waiting for another attack, another blow up aimed at himself. That's usually what Kacchan would've done.

But instead of it, the blonde haired boy only closed his eyes silently before turning on his heels and turning away, causing Deku to internally gasp. What was he doing? He hadn't just rejected Amari, had he?

Cause that was something he wasn't going to allow.

Running up to him, Deku grabbed hold of the back of his arm, desperation in his voice. "Kacchan wait. Please don't blame her for this. She just wanted to be a hero, it's not her fault that those villains used her.."

The boy heard Katsuki's voice answer a second later, his teeth gritted together in reply. "Shut up.."

But Deku refused to listen, pushing further. "No, you can't do this! I won't let you! Just because her quirk isn't yours doesn't mean she still isn't your sister! Don't disown her just because of that. It will break her Kacchan. She's already been through so much!"

Balling his fists to his side, Bakugo's voice echoed out slightly stronger this time, now trying to break away as quickly as possible. "Shut up.."

Yet once again, Deku wouldn't let him, now pulling his arm back roughly. "Do you know the reason why I told you first? It's because she was too terrified to do it herself. Mari-chan thought you were going to hate her because of it. She even cried thinking that you were going to walk away from her. Please don't prove that she's right. You have to stay with her!"

Suddenly, the boy felt a fist connect with his face as he tumbled to the ground in a hard thud, now looking up to see Katsuki standing over him, tears in his eyes.

His back was turned the entire time so Deku couldn't see but, was he trying to hide his tears all along? "Shut the fuck up! You don't get to tell me how I should treat my damn sister! You don't get to fucking tell me what to do because obviously I'm not going to abandon her, idiot!"

Deku's eyes widened as he fully took in Katsuki's devastated appearance. He looked on the verge of a breakdown, as he brokenly stuttered out. "Fuck, this is why I hate you. You're so much like her it's sickening. Ever since we were damn kids, it was like Amari never left with you annoyingly by my side. Enough you damn Deku, I'm sick of it."

And it was true. Perhaps that's why Bakugo couldn't stand the boy since they were kids. His stupid smile, his positivity, his random muttering, his blind faith and actions, everything about him reminded the boy of Amari. As a child he learned very quickly that even when she went to America, his sister never was really gone.

No, instead he had Midoryia Izuku to always remind him of the mistakes he had made, an internal punishment and cruelty known for his entire life.

Balling his fists at his side, Katsuki then replied back with disdain, except what the boy didn't know was that it was directed to himself. "If you really think I'm going to leave my sister for anything, then you really are a goddamn idiot."

His voice lowered than to just above a whisper and Deku could just barely make out the words, but they were there nonetheless. "Especially since it's my fault…"

Turning his brow in confusion, the green haired boy then watched as Katsuki turned around before stomping down the hallways and out of his sight. Yeah, it seemed he was right after all. Kacchan did love his sister..

When Bakugo reached his sister's room, the boy stopped for a couple moments before shakily opening the door to his left and stepping inside, now seeing Amari peacefully asleep.

Her arms were bandaged up, along with her legs all while the soft beeping on the machines next to her kept a steady rhythm.

He hated being here, seeing her like this. Yes it was part of being a hero but Katsuki couldn't' deny the horrible nostalgia from her laying in that hospital bed. He would never get used to it.

Slowly moving to a small chair in the corner, Bakugo sat down before watching the silent intake of her breath, his eyes crumbling to the floor in the process before grabbing her cold hand.

Just when he thought everything was good for them, just when he had gotten over his guilt, a new raging wave crashed down and Bakugo Katsuki realized that nothing had really changed since their childhood.

He was still utterly helpless.

* * *

Blinking to life, Amari shifted in her bed before groaning back internally. Her throat felt like it was on fire as she tried to refocus her surroundings. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was talking to Endeavor after the raid and then, nothing.

She went to lift her hand but quickly decided against the idea when the girl's bones felt like lead, instead turning to see a familiar shade of light blonde hair next to her bed. That's when she gasped, now realizing it was her brother.

Amari forced her arm to lift up then before touching a few strands of his hair of the boy who appeared to be sleeping. How long had he been there? How long had he been waiting for her? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. "K-Katsuki.."

At the sound of her voice, Bakugo seemingly springed to life, now staring wildly into his sisters eyes, the very eyes that had been through so much pain and torture. Just the thought made him devastated. "Amari.."

That's when she gave him that same carefree smile that he had come to know, now piercing through his entire soul. It was like nothing had even happened. "Long time no see, huh?"

Getting the words caught in his throat, Katsuki looked down the hand that was grasping her, stuttering back. "Amari..you...you…"

Just then, the boy detached himself before doing what he knew best, scolding her. "You absolute idiot! What the hell is wrong with you?! When I let you go off on your own I didn't think you'd willingly get kidnapped by villains!"

Closing her eyes at his volume, Amari took in his words before smiling to herself. She really missed him. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that."

Bakugo only nodded back though. "Damn right! You're so stupid. I swear every time I turn my head away for a second, you're jumping into fire!"

His words were harsh but Amari knew the meaning behind them. He was probably petrified after receiving that call. "I worried you again, didn't I? Sorry Katsuki.."

The boy's voice fell then, seeing the sadness in her eyes at the question and Bakugo knew it couldn't be mad at her anymore because of it.

Instead he decided to roughly place a hand on her head before rubbing the surface a couple times to mess up her hair. "Shut up, just don't do it again, or else you're really going to get it…"

Lifting her own hand up Amari then shooed his hand away before replying. "Look who's talking. You're always trying to jump into fire. You can't blame me for our similar traits. I guess it's a twin thing.."

At that, Bakugo's hand fell, now resting at his side. As much as he hated it, it was true. Amari was like him far more than he would've liked.

Pushing her shoulders back a couple inches, the boy scoffed. "Yeah, but I'm not as much of an idiot as you. Looks like I got the brains of the family."

Amari only frowned at that, noticing his playful nature and touching her arm in fake pain as she returned the push. "Ow, brother. How dare you. You can't just hit a hospital patient like that. I'm broken you know.."

Katsuki noticed her mouth hid a small smile though, the boy felt his own lips curve up as well, now pushing her back once more, Amari falling back into her hospital bed. He clearly knew she was trying to mess with him. "The only thing broken is your terrible acting. Seriously, can you be any less obvious, dumbass…"

Giggling back, his sister lifted her hand up to cover her mouth before locking eyes with her brother with unsaid emotion. "I missed you Katsuki."

A lump came to his throat then, wondering how his sister could act so normal given the horrifying things she had to endure without him. She was so strong. "Yeah, me too.."

Just then, a doctor came in through the sliding doors, charts in hand as he went. "Well hello there Bakugo. Good to see you up. How are you feeling?"

Rubbing her arms, Amari answered back plainly. "Pretty good, just a little sore."

The man seemed to nod before checking his files. "That's understandable considering the broken rib and quirk exhaustion you encountered. Honestly I have to say though, I'm impressed that's all you received given the nature of the assignment we recovered you from."

Looking away, Amari narrowed her eyes, knowing fully well that wasn't all of her injuries from Chisaki but because of Eri, she was at least able to heal from some of those.

It made her thankful to the little girl because she would already know Katsuki would be heartbroken if he knew what she really went through. "That's just the power of a Bakugo, Doc. We don't go down so easily, right Katsuki?"

She laughed again only for Bakugo to mutter back. "Damn right."

Noticing the atmosphere, the man then gave a nervous laugh. "Right, well you are a tough one. Although, there is something I was hoping to discuss with your family given your file..."

At that, Amari's face fell now speaking over the man quickly. "You know what, I think I am feeling a little tired more after everything. Do you mind if I rest a bit more?"

She fakely stretched her arms out then, giving to the illusion before fooling the doctor almost immediately. "Of course, I completely understand. We can discuss these things later when you're feeling better. I'll let you rest."

Watching the man leave silently, Amari stared at her blankets, now knowing that it was only a matter of time before Katsuki asked about her file, the files that stated she wasn't human.

Her breathing started to pick up in panic, terrified of starting this conversation. When she did speak though, the girl's voice was barely a whisper. "Katsuki..there is something I have to tell you..."

Bakugo noticed the tone of her voice almost immediately, now watching his once joyful sister turn solem, tightening the hold on her blankets. He already knew what she was going to say though, given the conversation he had with Deku.

The boy then watched as Amari struggled to confess the things he already knew, her hands shaking as her knuckles turned white. "Uhh well...I..umm..back in America something happened and I.."

Her voice began to crack then as his sister fell apart before him. "I'm sorry..I..I messed up Katsuki. I really messed up and now I can't fix it…"

Katsuki then recalled what Deku had told him a couple hours ago, about how Amari was terrified to tell him the truth about her quirk, about how she had cried in front of that damn nerd just because she thought her own brother was going to reject her. And now, it seemed like her actions matched her words. "Amari.."

But the girl only shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but back in America..All for One..he..he…"

Why was she apologizing to him when she was the one that was hurting? Why was she the one that had to shoulder this all on her own? It was always like this, and it broke Bakugo's heart, so much so that he couldn't watch her anymore. "Amari, enough.."

Amari immediately stopped speaking then, terrified that she had already driven him away when his hand rested on her clenched fists, the boy's voice lowered. "It's okay. I already know."

Widening her eyes, Amari's head snapped up to meet his and Bakugo could fully see how truly terrified she was. "W-What?"

He closed his eyes then before replying back plainly. "That damn Deku already told me everything, so stop looking so scared already. I already know."

The girl's head turned into confusion then, partly upset with Deku for telling him her secrets but also secretly thankful because she didn't know how she had the heart to do it herself. "Oh.."

Katsuki then felt drops of water onto his hand as Amari shook her head in reply. "I'm sorry Katsuki...this is all my fault. I was so desperate to be strong that I believed anything they told me. I let them turn me into a monster. You must be so disgusted, I'm sorry.."

Seeing her breakdown, Bakugo felt a sharp pain in his chest. It reminded him of when he secretly saw her crying after the world labeled her as a villain. At least she wasn't hiding her pain anymore this time. It seemed that she had trusted him that much.

Katsuki called out to her then, his voice lowering in volume. "Amari.."

But his sister was too far gone, now placing her head in her hands roughly. "I'm sorry, please don't be upset. I know you wanted me to be strong but I just can't help but think about it, what they did to me…"

Bakugo's voice echoed out again, a bit stronger this time. "Amari.."

Yet Amari still didn't register his words, caught up in her own self loathing. "Just when I thought everything was over, just when I thought I could be normal, I realized that I never can be. Having your sister be inhuman, I'm sure that's not what anyone wants.."

Just then, Amari felt two hands grab the side of her face, lifting her eyes to stare into her brothers matching crimson eyes, anger in his tone. "Hey idiot! Quit acting all depressed and shit and listen to me for once!"

This got the girl to become silent, now transfixed on her brother. "I'm telling you this right now. It doesn't matter what those assholes did to you and it doesn't matter if you don't have my quirk. Don't even think for a second that I am abandoning you for that! You're still my sister and my twin, always have and always will be."

Wiping a few tears from her eyes, the boy continued. "As much as I hate it, you went out there into that villain's hideout and kicked some serious ass, don't ever forget that. That's something only a Bakugo could do, that's something only my sister could do."

The amount of emotions Amari felt from his words were immense, now taking in their meaning. She was terrified that he was going to hate her after everything but hearing him now, it made her overwhelmed.

Leaping into his arms, much to his surprise, the girl then squeezed the life out of her brother, now muttering into his sleeve. "I love you Katsuki."

He widened his eyes at that before slowly accepting the hug, his face now buried into her hair as he replied. "Don't pull that kind of shit, I don't deserve it…"

Amari narrowed her eyes then, pulling away only for her to reply. "Why do you say that?"

Looking away from her innocent expression, Bakugo muttered back. "Who do you think is the one that caused you to trust those villains?"

His words slammed into her all the once and Amari understood what he was trying to say. Did he really think that her decisions were his fault? Impossible. "Katsuki come on that's not.."

But Bakugo wasn't finished, shouting back roughly. "Cut the crap Amari, you know it's true! I read what those villains wrote about you, about how they used the things I told you as a kid to convince you. And when you came back to U.A. I proved their lies by treating you like shit. The reason you're so fucked up is because of me. I haven't forgotten that.."

Just then, the boy felt a light slap to his face as Amari pulled his face down to meet hers. "Stop it, none of this is your fault. Were you the one that gave me those pills, were you the one that experimented on me? You didn't even know about my situation back then Katsuki, it's no surprise you acted the way you did."

Shaking his head, the boy's voice began to argue. "But.."

Yet Amari only put a finger to his lips. "We really are the same, huh? Listen to me, if I can't say that this is my fault, then neither can you, okay?"

Bakugo only frowned at that though. "That's idiotic."

Shrugging her shoulders, Amari countered back. "You're right. Then I guess it really is my fault after all.."

Almost immediately Katsuki shot her down though. "What the hell are you saying? Of course it's not."

That's when the girl smiled, now giving him a knowing look. "Then you can't say it either. That's the rule."

Remaining silent, Bakugo realized that his sister was playing him before sighing heavily. It was true, they were the same, trying to put guilt on themselves. "Fine. I get it."

The girl smirked back then only for her eyes to widened, now recalling something else. "Hey, have you seen Shoto yet? I really hope I haven't worried him too much."

Noticing the change of subject, her brother sighed. "They are all with that kid you saved. Had to pry him away from your freaking bedside. I told him that watching someone sleep was damn creepy."

Amari let out a chuckle then, already throwing the sheets off of her bed. "I can already imagine that conversation. Well, I better go tell everyone I'm okay.."

Although he didn't seem pleased with that, stopping her hand immediately. "Oh no, you just woke up. Would it kill you to relax a little bit first? You shouldn't be moving with a broken rib."

The girl only frowned though, fighting with her brother to let go of the sheets. "Calm down Katsuki, it's not a big deal. A broken rib is nothing to me. Besides, I really need to see Eri and Shoto to tell them I'm okay.."

Bakugo huffed back, now pushing Amari back into the bed. "I said stay put, you idiot!"

Yet the girl didn't give up, pushing against Katsuki as roughly as she could. "Please Katsuki. I missed them…"

Something struck in his side then, now sighing loudly before removing his hand. "Fine, but I'm coming with you."

That seemed reasonable to her, now waiting for Bakugo to bring her a wheel chair or something so she could move.

Although she never expected the boy to wrap his arms around her slender frame, now picking her up all at once. "W-Wait, hold on, what are you doing?!"

Bakugo only grumbled back though, already moving towards the door. "Shut up or I'm going to drop you."

Realizing that he was doing this out of the goodness of his own heart, Amari stopped. Yet still she was somewhat curious about what sparked him to do something like this, although she wasn't complaining in the slightest. It felt nice. "Thanks Katsuki."

* * *

As they turned the corner, Amari could just barely make out the outlines of a couple very familiar figures, specifically one green haired boy and one peppermint haired boy. It made her heart leap just from the idea of seeing both of them again.

Deku saw her first, his eyes widening with excitement as he waved over the girl in desperation. "Mari-chan! You're okay!"

At the name, Todoroki's chest lightened as well, now turning to find the girl he loved, being carried in her brother's arms so carefully. "Amari.."

Bakugo stomped up to the two only for the girl to smile back. "Hey boys, did you miss me?"

She ruffled Deku's hair only for Bakugo to pull her away almost immediately. "That's enough, don't touch that damn nerd like that. You are going to catch his stupid, and trust me, you already have plenty of that."

Hitting his chest, Amari huffed back. "Oh quiet Katsuki. The only stupid one here is you."

Yet the boy only responded by loosening his arms, acting like he was going to drop her, causing his sister to squeak back. "Whoa whoaa okay okay I'm sorry! Jeez..so touchy."

He regained his hold only for Amari to laugh back, causing Deku to breathe a sigh of relief. Their relationship seemed stronger than ever. That was good. He worried about what would've happened if Kacchan did reject her.

Just then, Amari's eyes locked onto Todoroki before softening her stance and replying. "Look Shoto, I kept my promise."

Feeling his cheeks redden at her tone, the boy couldn't help but smile back, now forgetting every terrible thing that happened in the last couple hours. None of that mattered now that she kept her promise to always come back to him. "Yeah, you did."

She smiled then before reaching her hand out and forcing Bakugo to step closer to the boy reluctantly as she touched his face. "I really missed you Shoto. Back in that prison cell I really wanted you there you know. I'm sorry if I worried you."

The girl hadn't just worried him, in fact she had petrified him but it wasn't like he was going to bring this up now with her brother and Deku so close. "I'm just glad to see you safe. Although, you really need to stop being so reckless Amari. When I heard you were kidnapped, I didn't know what to do. I felt like I lost a part of myself again.."

Amari's eyes saddened then, trailing her fingers around his scar lovingly. "I'm sorry, I know it was really hard, especially since you find it hard trusting your father in the first place. But look, I'm okay. I made it though."

Then her tone lowered before cupping his face softly. "You don't have to worry anymore I'm right here."

Todoroki closed his eyes at her warmth before that feeling was ripping away when Bakugo backed up, causing her arm to fall from his face. "Alright, that's all I take of this shit. Wait until you're better to do that kind of disgusting crap. That way I don't have to see it."

Feeling her own face flush, Amari then slapped her brother's chest, already wanting to get out of this situation. She forgot her brother was even still there. How embarrassing.

Just then, her eyes refocus on the plain glass in front of her, desperate to change the subject when she saw Eri sleeping on the other side. "What happened to Eri?"

Deku spoke up then, his hands laying on the cool glass. "She got a fever after using her quirk so they decided to quarantine her until she wakes up. The doctors don't want her using her quirk unexpectedly."

Nodding back, Amari replied sadly. "I guess that makes sense, but I hate to see her like this. She's already been through so much. I just want her to have a normal life."

The greened haired boy watched the girl and processed her words, knowing fully well that Amari saw herself in Eri. That was why she was so determined to rescue her and give her a better life after all. "You've already helped her Mari-chan. Now that she's gone from Chisaki, she can have a better life. You did that."

Taking in his statement only made Amari smile though, Todoroki now noticing how close the two of them were all of a sudden. Something must have changed between them. "Don't forget Deku, so did you."

Deku found himself smiling back when suddenly Aziawa burst through the doors to their left, seemingly out of breath for some reason. "There you are Bakugo. Why are you not in your bed resting? You are causing trouble for everyone else."

At that, Amari's eyes widened, Bakugo moving up to his teacher so that they could talk better. "Sorry Aziawa sensei. I just really wanted to see how Eri was doing. Is there something wrong?"

The man was silent for a moment before locking eyes with Deku and then Amari. "You two are being asked for, especially you Bakugo. Come on, I'll show you the way."

Turning their heads in anxiety, the two kids shared a look before Amari patted her brother's chest. "It's alright Katsuki, I can walk. My legs feel a little more stable. I just have to go slow."

Bakugo didn't really want to let go of Amari given her injuries but Aziawa's words seemed rushed so it wasn't like the boy had a choice, now carefully placing her feet on the ground as Deku moved to stabilize her. "It's okay Kacchan, I got her."

He hated that idea but didn't see a choice once again, as Amari placed her arm around Deku's shoulders to steady herself. "It's okay. I'll be back in a minute. Shoto, later do you want to head down to the cafeteria for some lunch? I know, a hospital date isn't the most romantic thing but.."

Todoroki only shook his head though, placing a soft hand to her arm in reply. "I would love to."

Turning away in embarrassment, Amari then nodded her head before following Aziawa out through the doors. "A-Alright, well I'll see you then."

But as the two were leaving, they really had no idea what they were about to walk into, or the kind of devastation that would follow.

* * *

Following their teacher down the hallway, the three found themselves in a new room, now seeing the very familiar faces of All Might, Recovery Girl and all of Sir Nighteye's sidekicks, looking rather solemn as the tone shifted.

Deku looked into the face of his mentor in confusion. "All Might, what are you doing here?"

Everyone just remained silent though and pointed to their left hand side, the two kids now seeing Sir Nighteye a couple feet away, wires and tubes protruding from his body as he shallowly breathed. "There is nothing else that can be done. It's a miracle that he is even still alive.."

Covering their mouths in shock, Amari felt her heart drop in her chest. It couldn't be, Sir Nighteye was going to..? "No, no it can't be. We just saw him, we just saw him fight! There has to be something you can do.."

Yet All Might only shook his head. "I wish there was Young Bakugo. But even so, he said he wanted to speak to you about something.."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari turned her head, not fully understanding why Sir Nighteye would want to see her out of everyone. He knew the man but they weren't that close, in fact he never seemed to believe in her as a hero. So why on his deathbed had he wanted to speak to her? She didn't deserve that.

All Might then pushed the door open before gesturing for her to follow, Amari feeling like she had no choice in the matter as he shut the object behind her. "I'll give you some privacy. Come out when you're ready."

Hearing the sound of her own footsteps, the girl made her way up to the man before calling out. "Sir Nighteye, you wanted to see me?"

He opened his eyes at her voice, now reaching his hand out for her to come closer. "Ah Ember. Yes, there is something we need to discuss before I go."

She complied to his wishes only to hear him speak again. "When you first came into my agency I was reluctant for you to join the case, thinking that you would only burden the mission, and for that I'm sorry."

Silently listening, she let him continue. "When I used my foresight on you before the raid, your path was uncertain. There were two possibilities to your future, and that was something I had never seen before. Someone with multiple endings. It unnerved me."

Amari eyes widened at his words, not exactly knowing what he had seen in her future, just that it shocked him. "What were the possibilities?"

Closing his eyes, Sir Nighteye replied. "Whatever you decided after finding out about your blood was to set in place for the events for the future. You chose to accept that part of you, so now your future has been decided."

He wasn't answering the question so it unnerved the girl slightly. "Sir Nighteye, what are you not telling me? You asked to see me and we don't even know each other that well. There has to be something you're hiding."

There was a silence then, the quiet beeps coaxing him to answer. "Ember, I'm not sure if it's wise to tell you the future, given that I'm not sure it can be changed. Perhaps it would only be cruel to do so but seeing you overcome your burdens first hand, standing side by side with Deku. I realized that you too had the potential to be a hero."

The man's voice lowered then, a solemn tone to it. "That is why, if you choose to know your future I will tell you. That way maybe you can somehow avoid it, just like I hope All Might will be able to do someday."

Taking in his words, Amari weighed her options. She could very well turn down his offer to know her future, but given his words, it didn't sound like anything good.

Although perhaps if she knew what was coming, then maybe Sir Nighteye could help her in changing the events. The answer seemed obvious.

Balling her hands at her side, Amari speaking clear and determined. "I want to know. Please tell me Sir Nighteye, what did you see?"

The man smiled under his breath then, a small chuckle escaping from his lips. "You really are strong. Even though it may be a burden on you, you still wish to know?"

Nodding her head, the girl replied. "Yes, because if there is anyway to change that future, then I want to know what it is."

Just then, Sir Nighteye's face fell before speaking the words that changed Amari's attitude immediately. "The next time you meet All for One, if you choose to face him, you will not survive."

Amari's heart immediately dropped in her chest then as the man continued. "The only way to avoid your fate is for someone else to take your place."

Widening her eyes, the girl felt the world stop. If it wasn't bad enough that she was going to die at the hands of All for One, it was possibility that one of her friends or family could be caught up instead. She could unknowingly cause the death of someone she loved. "W-What..."

Just then, the doors slammed open and Mirio ran past her vision to grab Sir Nighteye's hand, his voice shaking as he did so, even though Amari could barely register the words. "Sir, you can't die! Please...live..!"

His words were muffled to Amari and stayed that way as Deku and All Might came into the room before she heard a still beep make its way to her ears. He was gone, just like that..

There was crying and screaming all around her but Bakugo still remained frozen, as if she couldn't process the cruel fate that she would have to possibly endure.

Just when she thought she could spend the rest of her life with her brother, just when she found love, that cruel possibility of it being taken away slammed back into her all at once.

Except this time, it was different.

This time Amari didn't want to die.

* * *

Oof oof oof big oof. So basically Amari's future has been foretold. Will she be able to change it? Will she die? Will someone close to her die if they try to stop it? The questions…

And the events of the anime still happened here, All Might, Deku and Mirio all got to talk to Sir Nighteye but with this being in Amari's perspective, she was too shocked to hear anything.

Also besides the big sad moment here I love that Katsuki and Amari are two sides of the same coin. Like they both love to guilt themselves for things they can't control. It shows that they really are twins.

Also I gave Bakugo another reason to hate deku when they were kids, cause he was like an internal punishment for the boy given that Deku is kinda like the sister he sent away. Just another layer whoo

And we are setting up for the final arc of His Reasons! More information about that later.

Next Chapter: Amari deals with the information she was just told


	69. Important Update (Plz Read)

**Please Read **

(Contains Important Info For The Rest of the Story)

Hello! I know this isn't a new chapter and you're probably disappointed but I really hope you will still read this as it has important information about the rest of "His Reasons."

**Reason for No Update Yet: **

I promise there will be a new chapter in a couple days, as I have already started it but with my birthday tomorrow (July 13th) I've been fairly busy with real life things at the moment. The update will be soon though, I promise!

"**His Reasons" is Ending?!**

As I said at the end of the last chapter, the next arc will in fact be the final part to this story. As much as it breaks my heart to end "His Reasons", no story can go on forever and I'd rather it end strong than struggle for content and have no one care anymore. Also, if you look at the enerity that I've already finished, there are over 900 pages and 70 chapters of the series so it makes sense to end it soon. (honestly I'm even amazed that I wrote that much oof.)

**End of Season 4**

Because of that, the next couple chapters will be the end of S4. I know there is an entire arc still left in the anime but in order to map that out, it would take an insane amount of chapters, so I am only going to cover parts that fit with the story. I'm sorry if you are disappointed at that but things such as the school festival and Endeavor/Hawks will stay. (Including my own twist to the events of course.)

**Season 5 and the Finale**

After that there will be Season 5, aka the last season of the story. This will be a little different as well as unfortunately, I am not a manga reader at the moment which means that the only canon content I know is based on the anime. I will read the manga soon but it will take some time and I want to keep up with frequent updates, therefore I planned out the rest of the story without it. I hope that is alright. Trust me, this last arc will be worth it!

**New Content **

Because of that, the upcoming "Season 5" will almost entirely be new content and a new story arch that will be designed by me to fit the story. If you are reading this at a later date (when S5 does become animated) just know that it will not contain canon content, only something by my own design.

"**His Reasons" Merch Coming Soon! **

By popular demand I have been working on the idea of "His Reasons" merch to celebrate the final arc of the story, including a fanfic reading on youtube (among other things) so look out for that!

**Just, Thank you**

Lastly, I just want to thank each and every one of you for reading my story thus far. As I said in Ch1, this was just a small idea I had while watching the show and because of your support I was able to grow it into something I'm really proud of. Every comment, message, and fanart I receive about the series makes me so happy, especially when I see that people love the story as much as I do. You truly give me the motivation to create, so thank you. I don't think I can ever say that enough.

If you read this entire thing, thank you. I know it's not as exciting as a chapter update but if you do read this, then I am very grateful for it.

Here's to Season 5 and the finale of "His Reasons" 3


	70. S4 Chapter 19

This one is really long so warning. There is just a lot of information to fit and I knew I had to include the episode that people were asking for. Hopefully this makes up for the delayed update. Enjoy!

Sighing to herself, Amari stared at the clear glass in front of her. It had been about a month since her fight with Overhaul, now finally being able to move a bit more freely as her broken rib was healed. It really was a pain, having to hobble around and make Katsuki worry about her constantly. It certainly was good to have her freedom back at least.

Although that's when the harsh words of Sir Nighteye slammed into her head, making her brow move with concern. _"__**The next time you choose to face Overhaul, you won't survive. The only way to avoid your fate is for someone to take your place."**_

She felt her breath shallow at the very idea, now feeling a bit of sweat appear on her forehead. Sir Nighteye warned her that his words would burden her and yet even so, she agreed to hear them. That could've been a mistake though because now she couldn't help but think about it subconsciously.

The last thing she wanted was to die, that much was simple. Maybe a couple months ago she would've felt differently but now, now she had a family and those who loved her. There was no way in hell she was going to make them go through that kind of grief, not on her watch.

And on top of that, there was no way in hell she was going to let any of them take the fall for her. No, if it came down to that then she'd rather die. It was as simple as that.

Amari cursed to herself silently, knowing that if she had known this information prior to everything, then she wouldn't have even tried to get closer to Todoroki or Katsuki, she wouldn't have made them so attached.

No, that wasn't completely right. If she had known this, she wouldn't have made herself so attached. But now, now she had to live with the consequences.

Katsuki and Todoroki seemed to notice her strange behavior but wrote it off for grief, knowing that Sir Nighteye had basically died in front of her. Although as much as Amari hated it, she wasn't grieving him. No, she was grieving herself.

Quickly, she willed the idea from her mind, shoving it down into the far reaches of herself. She couldn't think like this, especially since these events hadn't even happened yet. No, it wasn't fair to sign her own death sentence just yet. Besides, a couple things needed to be in place for Sir Nighteye's prediction to come true, and they hadn't yet.

All for One was still in prison so all she had to do was stay away from him, to not face him. It was as easy as that, and then her life would be saved. As much as it hurt her Bakugo side to run from an upcoming challenge, Amari shoved that part down from her as well. No, she was going to survive. She had to..

Walking down the steps of the hospital, she threw open the door next to her and felt the breeze blow through the space. This felt so nice, to finally be discharged from that place after so long.

Because of her health, the girl was forced to stay in that place longer than all the others. It really was a pain having to heal regularly, and not through Recovery Girls quirk. It always put her at the disadvantage.

Running her fingers through her hair, she felt her phone ring in her back pocket before pulling out the object in confusion. Everyone she knew was busy right now, so who could possibly be calling her?

Amari placed the phone up to her gaze before noticing the caller ID. It was Endeavor, but that didn't make any sense. They didn't have training today. "Hey Endeavor, this is certainly a surprise. Not sure if it's a good one but.."

She giggled at her own joke before hearing his gruff voice answer back. "Don't make me regret this call Bakugo."

Flapping her hands to the side, the girl smirked into the phone. "Sorry sorry, I just haven't been able to harass you like I usually do, you know being stuck in the hospital and all. I guess I missed it. I bet you missed it too, didn't you?"

Although she could already see his disapproving head shake from here, even though the line remained silent. "Actually, it was quite the opposite, having a vacation from you was rather refreshing."

Amari couldn't help but pout her lips at that. "Boo, you're no fun. My feelings are hurt, they really are. Besides that though, why did you call me anyways? I thought we weren't training for a couple days."

The line was silent once more before Endeavor replied plainly. "I have something else for you today."

Stopping her steps, Bakugo couldn't help but raise a brow. "What do you mean?"

Yet before she could answer, the man hung up the phone, causing Amari to frown back. Did he just hang up on her!? She was disappointed yet not surprised at the action though, remembering who she was talking to. Yet why did he always have to be so shady about everything?

Grumbling to herself, Amari stomped around the corner before cursing out his name through gritted teeth. "I swear, he's so…"

Yet before she could finish, someone's deep voice stopped her. "Yes, what do you swear, Bakugo?"

Amari immediately froze, before removing her eyes from her phone and now onto a very irritated Endeavor. He was standing next to his signature black car with his arms crossed. Had he just heard her? Crap. "Ahh, Uhh hey Endeavor, I totally didn't know you were here. What's up?"

She gave out a nervous laugh only for the man to sigh before opening the door behind him. He looked so over her antics "Get in Bakugo, before I change my mind."

The girl only seemed confused by that though, lifting her hand up in question. "Wait, where are we going? You didn't really explain yourself on the phone and you know, stranger danger and all that."

Amari laughed at her own joke but Endeavor didn't seem amused in the slightest, only shaking his head. "I'll explain on the way. Hurry up, or we are going to be late."

That didn't give her much information, but Bakugo always trusted the man despite her last comment and followed him into the car, only to find her hero suit on the front seat. "Why is my hero suit here?"

Signaling the driver to go, Endeavor replied with disdain. "You'll need it where we're going. My sidekicks replaced the torn parts with stronger materials so even a child like you couldn't ruin it this time."

She already knew what he was talking about, her fight with Chisaki. It was one that left her hero suit to become littered and torn with traces of blood all over the front.

Just the idea that he had fixed it for her made a small smile come to her lips, so much so that she chose to ignore his insult. "Thanks."

Endeavor nodded back, focusing on the road to his right. "You stated before that you wished to take the next provisional exam to gain your license, correct?"

Amari replied back plainly, now staring at her palms. "Yeah, although I'm not sure that's really possible. It's such a short amount of time and I'm not as qualified as everyone else. I'm not even in the hero course anymore."

Glancing towards his trainee, Endeavor answered. "That is correct, you aren't any of those things. Compared to every other U.A. student, you are marginally behind, never mind your quirk defect that limits your capabilities."

She only rolled her eyes at that. "Wow thanks. I really appreciate the insult. Makes me feel so much better."

Yet that's when Todoroki's father placed a hand up to stop her. "You are behind, but that doesn't mean you can't accomplish your goal. You may not have the qualifications but you have completed far more field work then any other student has."

Staring back at her mentor, Amari turned her head. "What are you trying to say?"

Realizing she wasn't getting the point, Endeavor narrowed his eyes before pointing to her hero suit in the corner. "In order to prepare for your license, you'll need extensive training. So, you better prepare yourself, child."

Amari felt her eyes widened at his words, shaking her head in disbelief. Was he saying what she thought he was? "Wait, are you saying you're going to help me get my license?"

Crossing his arms once more, Endeavor replied. "It would look bad for the Todoroki name if my only trainee failed her exam. Only because of that will I agree to help."

His words seemed harsh, but Amari knew the meaning behind them. He really believed in her, didn't he? That proved it to her, Todoroki's father definitely had a heart. "I don't know what to say, I'm so happy…"

She covered her mouth in joy as the man only leaned back, now afraid of something. "Just don't try to touch me again Bakugo."

Amari lowered her hand at that, a small smirk growing on her face. He was afraid of her hugging him again, wasn't he? "Aw come on Endeavor, are you that scared of a little hug?"

Inching closer as if to intimidate him, the man scooted further away, now proving her point. "Don't you dare, or else I will retract my previous offer."

Smiling back, the girl then leaned back in her seat, causing the hero to relax all at once. "Fine fine, you win, for now at least."

Just then, the air became silent before Amari spoke again. "Listen, I know you probably don't want to hear this from me, but I've seen you lately. You want to have a relationship with Shoto, don't you?"

Endeavor remained silent at that, not answering her question, although she already knew she would probably wouldn't get a response. It wasn't like she wasn't going to try though.

Pushing her lips together, the girl spoke evenly. "I think that you can do it, you just have to take the first step. Shoto is still skeptical so if you want to fix your relationship, then you have to be the one to do it Endeavor."

Once again the man was silent, almost like he was taking in her words before the driver called back towards the two plainly. "We have arrived Sir."

Endeavor then took his chance, now throwing open the car door without a word before pointing at her hero suit once more. Looks like she wasn't going to get an answer. "After you change, the heros will direct you where to go. Don't disappoint me."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Amari to wonder to herself what she had just willingly signed up for.

* * *

Bakugo and Todoroki walked behind one another as they entered their scheduled provisional license course together. After that long lecturing section, it was now time to move onto the physical part which the boys were grateful for. They didn't think they could take another day of that boring classroom like setting.

But then that only brought up another trouble, now having to be stuck together even more. Sure, they tried to be civil when Amari was around but when she was gone, the two couldn't help but butt heads all the time. It was becoming exhausting, for both sides.

Although just as the two turned the corner, he heard a loud voice stomping up to him, only to find one of their previous teammates from Shiketsu High School wave towards them. "Hey, It's U.A.!"

He seemed joyful which was rather interesting, considering the last time they met the group of them couldn't stop fighting with each other. That was the main reason they failed the exam after all.

Bakugo and Todoroki groaned internally, knowing they had to deal with him again. The red and white haired boy couldn't help but dislike him after the man flat out said he hated him, and that he was just like his father. Those were words that made the boy annoyed in itself.

Although before he could answer, another girl giggled into the space, pointing at Todoroki with excitement and awe. "Ooh who's this smoldery looking, two tone boy? You're like super hot. I'm totally excited to train with a babe like you! I'm Camie by the way!"

She winked in his direction only for the boy to cringe. Who was this girl, another fan? Yet he could already tell she wasn't the good kind like Amari, no she was one of those flirty ones. Just his luck.

Not wanting to be rude, Todoroki gave her a short bow before answering back plainly ignoring Bakugo's glare in the back of his head. "My name is Todoroki Shoto."

Camie only seemed more invested though, now taking out her phone in order to get closer. "Wait, I know who you are. You're Endeavor's son! Wow you're hero royalty on top of being a snack?! Now I have to get your number.."

Throwing her phone into his face, the boy immediately took a step back, very uncomfortable with her actions. Amari was one thing, but talking to other girls was still a challenge. "Uhh.."

Yet just as she reached closer, Katsuki slapped her hand away, a glare now present on his face. Just the thought of this girl trying to ruin his sister's happiness was making him pissed off. "You're not getting shit lady. Back away already."

Camie's face dropped only for the announcements to echo above them. "Everyone make your way to the arena. Training will begin shortly."

Scoffing to himself, Bakugo then grabbed Todoroki by the collar before pulling him away from those crazy Shiketsu students, knowing that girl wasn't done with her flirtiness. "Come on icy hot, let's go."

Although it seemed like everyone got the hint, now dispersing as well. This training sure was going to be interesting that was for sure.

* * *

Standing in the middle of the large arena, they were met with someone from the hero commission, his voice giving out a sinister ring to it. "So, we are renting out this sports center to have some specialized training. I'm Mera, today will be fun."

He laughed at his own words, causing everyone to shiver internally. Why did he sound so ominous? That couldn't have been good. "Oh, one more thing before we begin. Up until now we've had eleven people in this class, but now we will have twelve."

Everyone looked around at that, interested to know who the new student was going to be. It was odd to have people join so late in the course after all.

Although they didn't have to wait long as Mera's voice rang out again, pointing towards the open doors to his left. "Because of a little request from Endeavor, she will be joining us today."

Camie huffed at this, obviously displeased. "Oh come on, another girl? I want to see more hot boys, like Todoroki over there."

Yet Yoarashi had other feelings, scolding the girl almost immediately. "Camie, that is unprofessional. How could you say such things about our classmates, especially during training."

He was stopped though as a very familiar silhouette made her way to the center, a small smile on her face as she met up with Mera. "This is Bakugo Amari, please welcome her warmly."

Just then, Yoarashi shut his mouth, staring at the small girl with interest. Suddenly a wave of emotion crashed into him, realizing just how..how cute she was. "Uhh...hello! My name is..uhh...Yoarashi. Miss Bakugo, It's so nice to meet you!"

Amari took one look at the boy before laughing back playfully, causing her to drive an arrow right through his heart. "Hello, it's nice to meet you as well."

Almost immediately, his face turned red as Todoroki and Bakugo both glared at the situation, pulling her back by her collar. Obviously she didn't get what was happening but they certainly did.

Katsuki was the first to speak of course. "Hey nerd, what are you even doing here?!"

She laughed again, except this time Amari seemed embarrassed. "Oh uhh, well Endeavor signed me up for this without asking. Although, I'm grateful because it helps me get some training for the next exam."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes at that, knowing exactly how his father could be. Of course he signed her up for this without her permission. That was so like him. "Although it is a surprise, I'm glad to see you Amari."

Smiling back, the girl nodded her head. "Yeah, me too. I gotta admit, with you busy with your licence training and me being in the hospital and all, I missed you."

He gave a short nod before hearing an extremely loud voice to their left, shouting through the entire space. "Shoto! You never should've failed the initial exam in the next place! Show these weaklings that you are in a completely different league!"

Closing his eyes in embarrassment, Todoroki led out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to. It was his father, of course.

Amari heard the loud shout as well, now hanging her head in shame. Endeavor was probably trying to encourage his son but once again, his words sounded more harsh than ever. But that was Todoroki's father for you.

Placing a reassuring hand to his shoulder, Amari attempted to make his words sound better than what they actually were. "He's probably here to support you, that's a good thing right?"

Todoroki only grumbled back though, obviously not thrilled with the idea when Endeavor spoke again, except this time it was directed to someone else. "And Bakugo, don't you dare disrespect the Todoroki name and fail me! My trainee can only succeed, you got that?!"

Just as he said that, Amari had joined Todoroki in his displeasure, now shaking her head. This man was such a pain in her ass all the time. Why did he always have to be so vocal about everything? The embarrassment was immense because of that.

And to make matters worse, this caused the other students to immediately start talking about her and Todoroki, about how close they were to the new number one hero. Great job Endeavor, just great.

Katsuki himself couldn't help but feel irritation through it as well. He was supposed to be the best and yet it was no secret that Amari was beating him at his own game. She even got a couple pros to notice her.

He was proud of his sister, sure, but he also couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Why did she always have to be rewarded?

Amari's head shook in exasperation as one of the students whispered back. "Whoa, is that Endeavor? The number two hero, wait isn't he the number one hero now? That's kind of random."

Yet then they noticed All Might next to him and everyone immediately started screaming in excitement, causing Amari's eyes to glance at her mentor. Oof, that must have hurt, not being as popular as All Might.

Amari placed her hands then her hands on top of her hips in response before speaking over to the group, a proud smile on her face. Perhaps this would help. "Man, I can't believe Endeavor is back after helping out with that Yakuza raid. It was crazy, you should've seen it."

Almost immediately, the students began gossiping about the situation and giving him props as Amari glanced towards Endeavor with a knowing look. _That should raise your popularity up, you stubborn man. _

He didn't look pleased though, knowing what she had done as Mera spoke over them. "Right then, let's bring out your instructor."

As he said that, another man entered the space, except this time he radiated an ominous presence, his features resampling one of an Orca Whale. "So I've got even more disappointments before me today. There is something I've realized while observing your training thus far, there is nothing heroic about any of you. You are all bottom feeders!"

Everyone internally jumped at his words, realizing just how intense he was, now watching him strolling up to Bakugo, Todoroki and Yoarashi. "Especially you three, letting your disagreements and problems get in the way of the mission!"

Then he turned to Amari, expecting her to jump as well but to no avail. "And you, you shouldn't even be here. The only reason you are is because of Endeavor's favor. Don't think you're so special just because you have the interest of someone powerful."

Amari narrowed her eyes at that, knowing what the rumors were about her already. Although she had already heard them so they didn't really affect her.

Her silence caused the man to huff, now turning away. "Your silence tells me that you already know this fact. Pathetic."

Bringing her eyes down even further the Orca man continued. "Today we will put you through a special trial, it's time you start training a new muscle. If you hold out a hand to someone in trouble, will they take it? Not like you are now they won't.

He lifted his hands to the sides only for the giant double doors to open once more, greeting their opponent. "You need a special connection with the person you are trying to rescue, remember that as you train today!"

Everyone braced themselves for what could possibly be behind that door, narrowing their eyes to fight whatever presence was waiting for them.

But what they hadn't accounted for was for hundreds of children to come pouring through that door.

All of the students looked extremely dumbfounded as the small elementary school children raced up to each of the heroes, now beginning to pull on their costumes or punch them in the knees. Wait, this was the test?!

Amari seemed dumbfounded as well, glancing towards Bakugo and Todoroki who were practically getting beaten to a pulp by the small grade school children. It would've been funny, if she hadn't seen a hoard of kids run to her as well. "And who are you supposed to be? You're not a hero, you're too small!"

They kicked her in the shin, causing the girl to double over in pain. This was literally her worst nightmare, they were like a hundred little Katsuki's. "See, you're not that tough!"

Laughing at her misfortune, Bakugo seemed to notice his sister's distress before pushing her behind him so he could get most of their attacks. "Hey, you better cut that out! My twin is tougher than you'll ever be, you little brats!"

Although they didn't seem convinced, only scoffing back loudly. "Wait, you guys are twins? I thought twins were supposed to look like each other? She looks way weaker than you, so how could you be related?"

Ah, there it was. The same exact words that Katsuki had told her as a child. Back then it hurt more than she could ever know, and to tell you the truth, it still stung a bit. Her mind just couldn't look at these kids without seeing her brother in them.

It seemed that Bakugo felt the same as she watched him grit his teeth, fury now thrown across his features. "You take that back, right now!"

Although, now she knew the truth, blocking Bakugo's explosions and speaking over him. "Katsuki, stop it. They are just kids. They don't know what they are saying."

Bakugo didn't share the same ideals though, shaking his head roughly. "It doesn't matter if they know or not. They insulted you, those brats."

His sister only shook her head though, placing a calming hand to his shoulder. "Yeah, but it doesn't bother me anymore. So, please stop trying to blow up the children, okay?"

Grumbling in response, she saw Todoroki wobble towards her, seemingly utterly defeated by something. It was something the girl could help but inquire about. "How's it going with you Shoto?"

Although the man only glanced down at his hands, seemingly having some sort of existential crisis. "They think my name is five weenies."

Amari raised a questionable eye at that. Did he just say what she thought he did? "Did you just say five weenies?"

He nodded back rather dejectedly causing the girl to let out a soft giggle, much to his confusion. "Sorry, it's just kinda funny, don't you think? I'm so totally calling you that now."

Todoroki only shook his head though, a sullen expression on his face. "Please don't."

The girl couldn't help but laugh once again at his displeasure. Oh yeah, she was definitely going to call him that.

Yet that's when Bakugo stepped in, trying to come up with a strategy for this strange situation. "Alright, the first thing we need to do to win those little brats over is to find their leader.."

Nodding their heads, the group became interested in his plan. If they could convince the leader of the kids to trust them, then the others would join along. "And then what?"

Although in true Bakugo fashion, his next words caused the group to freeze. "And then we hang him up and throw rocks at him to show just how weak they really are!"

Everyone's eyes widened at his sudden idea of violence. Even the teachers seemed thrown off by his comment, now looking slightly afraid for the little ones.

Todoroki didn't seem pleased as well. "Bakugo, they are just kids."

Katsuki only scoffed at that though, remembering his mother's way of teaching. "Yeah, so a little violence is necessary! That's how I was raised and I turned out just fine!"

It was clear though that his methods were far more disturbing than helpful, the group now turning to Amari for an explanation. She just threw her hands up though. "Don't look at me, we didn't grow up together."

Suddenly, it became a little more clear why Katsuki and Amari were so different in terms of personality. Maybe it was a good thing they grew up separate after all.

That's when Yoarashi stepped forward. "Miss Bakugo, maybe you can shed some light on this? You seem like you have that motherly instinct."

Amari just looked at him like he was crazy though, recalling her past. "Uhh yeah I don't think that's going to work."

He didn't seem to understand though. "And why is that?"

Yet the girl only shrugged her shoulders, glancing towards the children all at once. She would've loved to be free like them but sadly that wasn't how her life worked out. "Cause I didn't have a childhood so I don't think I'm the best person for this."

Yoarashi immediately shut his mouth, feeling terrible so bringing up something so personal, although it didn't seem like she minded in the slightest. "Sorry..I didn't mean to..uhh.."

Todoroki and Katsuki definitely seemed to mind though, the two tone boy answering back to snap her out of her own thoughts. "I think I might have a better way."

An air of confidence suddenly echoed throughout the space, causing Amari to stare at his passion. He really had something, didn't he? "Go ahead Shoto, show us what you got."

He nodded his head before making his way over to the children emotionless, determination in his stance. Man, whatever he was going to do, it was going to be powerful.

Reaching the kids, Amari held a hopeful breath, only for him to speak plain and monotone towards the children. "My name is not five weenies, I am Shoto from U.A. and I wanna be a hero. My father Endeavor is currently the number one hero, but to be frank I've always hated him and want to forge my own path. My childhood was less than normal you see so I…"

But before he couldn't finish the children shook their heads, causing the man to stop."So boring!"

Todoroki looked devastated that his plan didn't work as Amari and Katsuki looked at him with blank eyes, causing her brother to elbow her in the side. "Are really in love with this kind of guy?"

Amari only glared though before elbowing him in the stomach and giving Todoroki a reassuring pat on the head. "It's okay Shoto, you did your best. I thought it was a very good try."

Of course she didn't really think so, but it seemed to make the boy perk up which was enough for her. "Sorry."

Just then the kids' quirks all burst to life, causing everyone to turn around in question. It seemed like they were iching for a fight now. "You guys aren't fooling anybody! We're better than you and we'll take you down to prove it!"

The group looked around dumbfounded only for Katsuki to light up his explosions, ready to take them on right now. "They're right. All we have to do is show them how impressive we are. Lose to someone and they are gonna feel like crap. That's not the way to win their hearts or whatever."

Thinking about his words, Amari finally got what Katsuki was trying to do, feeling her own hands warm with newfound heat "You're right. I'll follow your lead Katsuki."

He nodded back before watching the children throw dozens of items in their directions, yet they were easy to doge in between, Yoarashi blowing the children into the air all at once. "You kids are amazing, I'll give you that!"

Then while they were suspended in the air, Amari raced towards them before she called out to Todoroki roughly. "Five weenies, go!"

This caused him to stop for a moment, giving her a look of annoyance. "Amari, I already said my name is not five weenies. I really would appreciate it if you stopped that."

But Amari only smirked, causing one of the female kids to hit him with her quirk, his appearance suddenly turned sparkly and bright as he gave a swoon worthy smile. "Hey, wow you have such a beautiful face, my dear."

The girls screamed in delight as Amari only remained awe stuck, a blush entering her cheeks all at once. What was this, a shojo manga? That girl's quirk sure was scary.

Although before he could say something else, the smoke cleared only to reveal Camie, and blowing a fake kiss. "Sorry kids, just a little illusion for you. We needed a distraction."

Just as she said that, the real Todoroki appeared from behind Amari before using his quirk to create a giant ice sculpture all at once. "Amari, you're turn!"

Nodding her head, the girl felt her palms light up before she threw her gold matter into the sky above as Camie used her illusions to create a beautiful landscape filled with bright purples and greens.

The kids all gasped in surprise as they took in the beauty, now sliding down the ice like it was a makeshift playground, giggling as they did so.

Even the teachers were impressed, taking in the sights. "Playing instead of attacking to create a bond between them. Very clever."

As the kids laughed in joy, Amari placed a hand onto her brother's back, smirking back at the display. "Good idea Katsuki. It looks like we really made them happy. I would've never thought of your idea."

Bakugo himself couldn't help but look up as well, a proud smirk now on his face. Those little brats trusted them now, didn't they? He didn't know why but it made him happy for some reason.

Glancing back to his sister, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself. This wasn't something that Amari came up with.

No, this was something he accomplished on his own.

* * *

Walking out of the training facility, Amari watched as Camie tried to push her way into Shoto to get his number. It was obvious that she didn't know that she was his girlfriend, and was trying really hard for a date. "Hey, so we should hang out sometime! I know this really great ramen place where we could.."

Amari ticked her brow in annoyance as Yoarashi caught up with her, trying his best to flirt as well. "Miss Bakugo, I wanted to apologize for before. I didn't mean to say such rude remarks regarding your childhood and.."

Although the girl just put her hand up, a loud sigh echoing her throat. She didn't want to be one of those invasive girlfriends but Camie was really starting to piss her off. "No worries, it's not like you knew or anything. Don't worry about it."

The man gave her a joyful laugh, causing Todoroki to eye the two with disdain. What Amari didn't know is that he also was getting rather annoyed at her as well interaction. He couldn't hear anything either which irritated him even more. Yet it seemed he didn't want to pry either.

Because of this, Camie was able to wrap her arm around the boy, her voice lowering into a seductive tone. "So I was wondering how often you work out, because your muscles are like really impressive!"

She squeezed his arm to prove the point and Amari felt herself click her teeth in annoyance._ Don't do it Amari. Let him handle this himself. Don't show your Bakugo side. It's okay, she doesn't know you're his girlfriend. He will reject her._

At the same time, Yoarashi patted her on the back, causing Amari to flitch slightly at the contact. "Anyways, I was wondering if we could see each other again? I'd really like that."

Although Amari was way too preoccupied with the conversation in front of her, waving her hand away absentmindedly. "Yeah, I don't think that's such a good idea."

He frowned back only for Todoroki to crawl out of Camie's hold, obviously also uncomfortable. "Please don't do that."

Camie only turned her head in question though, reaching forward to grab his hand, much to Todoroki's discomfort. "Why?"

At the same time, Yoarashi tried to do the same thing, Todoroki's eyes narrowed at the contact of that man's hand between the girl he loved. "Why would you say that?"

Then, at the same exact time, both Todoroki and Amari couldn't take anymore before reaching into each other's conversation, Todoroki speaking as he threw Yoarashi's hand off of her in anger. "Because she's mine."

Amari was shortly after, slapping Camie's hand off of Todoroki before replying back at the same exact time as the two toned boy. "Because he's mine."

The air was silent then, Todoroki and Amari realizing that they had said the exact same thing before Camie stepped away in confusion. "Wait, you two are a thing?"

Nodding back, Amari kept her stance in front of Todoroki before speaking. "Yeah, we are."

Almost immediately Camie's eyes widened before bowing back. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know. But you really nabbed yourself a hot one, didn't you Bakugo?"

She winked only for Amari to cringe in reply. "Yeah, but that's not all that's great about him."

Just then, their conversation got interrupted as they opened the doors in front of them only to find All Might and Endeavor speaking to the Shiketsu High principal.

Noticing her presence, Endeavor moved up to Amari before speaking. "Bakugo, you did good today. You didn't disappoint me after all."

She shook her head in exasperation before sighing back. "Come on, when do I ever disappoint you Endeavor?"

Although the man also shook his head, knowing her reckless and spastic character like the back of his hand now. "Too many times to count."

Amari frowned at that. "Rude, although I have to thank you. Why did you decide to put me in this course to begin with?"

Crossing his arms, the man replied. "You stated you wanted to gain your license. I thought that this training would be good for that."

She blinked in surprise before her lips curled up into a small smile. "Thanks Endeavor, although I hate cheating to get to my goals. I want to win by my own strength, not just because you're my mentor."

Yet the man didn't seem pleased with that in the slightest. "Almost like you gave me credit for the Yakuza raid even though you were the one that did all that?"

Amari stopped then, realizing what he was trying to do. He was trying to help her gain her license as a thank you for lying to those reporters and giving him credit for the raid, wasn't he? This man was really something else. "Touche."

Just then, he saw Todoroki in the corner of his vision before ending the conversation with Bakugo and moving towards him rather quickly. Although it wasn't like Amari couldn't hear everything though. "Shoto, long time no see."

That was certainly true, it having been about a month since the whole Overhaul incident. The girl then watched as Endeavor tried to reach out to his son, causing the girl to widen her eyes. Was he finally trying to make an effort? "Today, you did good."

Although Todoroki was less than pleased, slapping the man's hand away. It was obvious he still wasn't over what happened during Amari's previous mission. "Not interested."

Endeavor was silent for a minute and Bakugo could sense a bit of sadness in him, now balling his hands into a fist as he spoke. "Shoto, I want you to know I'm proud of you son."

Amari's eyes widened at his display, a proud look in her stance. He really was trying to reach out to his son and taking her advice. "Because of that, I swear I'll become someone you can be proud of too. Not just as the number one hero, but as the man you can call father."

Todoroki stared for a minute, before frowning back. After everything, he couldn't help but still have distrust with him because of the past. "I don't care what you do."

And then he turned around and walked away, causing Amari's face to drop. Well, she supposed that could've gone worse. At least he didn't flat out yell at his father this time.

Moving next to Endeavor, she spoke quietly. "It's not going to change over night. You just have to keep trying Endeavor, cause I know he's waiting for you to become someone he can be proud of."

The man only grumbled back though, now remaining silent which proved to Amari that he was hurt by his son's words. Although, they were making progress somehow. It was a start.

Amari soon realized that if she was going to die, then she really needed to get Todoroki back together before that happened.

It was the least she could do for Shoto.

* * *

Sighing to herself, Amari felt herself lost in thoughts, thinking back towards Sir Nighteye's words once again.

She couldn't help but recall the joy she felt working with her brother and Todoroki a couple days ago. She felt so alive back then, so free. If only it could be like that all the time, only worrying about small little things instead of the overwhelming doom that followed her.

Amari wanted to tell them everything, she wanted to explain her fears but thinking back to Sir Nighteye's prediction, she couldn't help but stop herself from doing so. She knew both Katsuki and Todoroki so well, enough to know that they would willingly sacrifice themselves for her in a heartbeat, but that's not what she wanted.

Nobody deserved to die because of her and seeing them today, the girl wanted to protect their happiness, their futures. They deserved the world, and she wanted to give it to them.

Just then, a low and lazy voice echoed back towards her, snapping her back to reality. "Yo, what's with you today? Usually I can't get you to shut up. I've never pegged you as the silent type sweetheart."

Blinking in recognition, Amari snapped her body back from slouching, now staring into the eyes of the person speaking. Oh crap, had she been zoning out again? "Sorry Toya, I just got a lot on my mind I guess."

At the sound of his old name, Dabi groaned back through his cell. He really hated when she called him that. "You're really testing my patience with that name. I already told you, it's Dabi."

Although Amari wasn't swayed, only shaking her head. "And I already told you, I don't care."

The villain narrowed his eyes in frustration before changing the subject, already knowing that he wasn't going to get her to stop. Trust him, he'd already been trying for months with no avail. "So I'm curious, what could be on your mind? Is your little perfect hero world giving you trouble?"

Shaking her head, the girl sighed. As much as she wanted to pour her heart out for the lost long Todoroki, she also wasn't stupid. Like it or not, this man was a villain at the moment which meant she had to stay secretive about some things.

When she spoke, her voice came out harsher than she had meant it. "You wish.."

Putting a finger to his chin, the man hummed back. "Hmm touchy. You're right, I do wish that you'd finally realize that hero society is all one big joke, but it seems like that Endeavor has you brainwashed farther than I could ever reach."

Amari closed her hands in front of her before noticing the use of the man's hero name. "Don't you mean your father?"

At that, the villain seemingly rose from his seat before slamming his hands on the glass roughly, obviously attempting to scare her as he hissed. "That man has never been my father, so you better shut your fucking mouth before I do it for you."

Although Bakugo didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, just leaning forward on her chair. She had seen this before, his temper tantrums when she involved Endeavor. He didn't seem to notice, but she soon realized that they were only because Bakugo was reaching somewhere he didn't want her to go.

He wasn't threatening her without a reason, no he wanted her to stop prying. Too bad that wasn't going to happen.

Narrowing her eyes, Amari replied. "You don't scare me Toya. Throw those threats around all you'd like but I think we all know the truth here, why you lash out. You just don't want to remember the past."

Dabi stared at her in utter shock, obviously trying to murder her with his eyes in twenty different ways before slowly coming to an understanding and throwing up a lazy smirk. "That's where you're wrong sweetheart. There is nothing to remember. I'm just trying to get you to run scared, although it doesn't seem to be working. Pity. "

Shaking her head, Amari replied back plainly, not wanting to give it to his empty words. "Yeah, maybe you should try a different tactic there buddy, cause I'm not going anywhere."

His demeanor became relaxed, now leaning back into his chair and crossing his legs with interest. "Mmm, but what I want to know little Bakugo, is how you think this little sharing circle you make me participate in every week will change anything? As much as I find your pathetic attempts amusing, aren't you tired yet?"

Amari noticed how he avoided including himself in that sentence, now flashing to Sir Nighteyes words before sighing. She had been at this for months, trying to get Dabi to realize who he was, who he could be, but it wasn't working. It seemed his mind was far too clouded.

Shaking her head, the girl balled her fists, facing towards the matter at hand. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how many times I have to come here, it doesn't matter how much you hate Endeavor. I will make you realize that you are not a villain and I will bring you home."

Dabi eyes her blankly before shrugging his shoulders, amusement on his features. "You're stubborn, but I already knew that when you decided to screw me over. Well alright then. I'll let you struggle until you realize it's pointless, until you realize you are wrong and one day find me burning you alive just to prove that point."

His threat was meant to scare her, to show her that he was still indeed a villain, although Amari still didn't feel intimidated. She knew somewhere that he was all talk, somewhere down inside him, he was still a Todoroki. "Right, so that's why you tried to help me instead of killing me when you had the chance?"

Dipping his smirk into a frown, Dabi shrugged. "I do admit, I kept you around because you reminded me of the stupid part of myself I used to have, you still do. Although it seems you are even stupider than I originally thought, and all of it just to make Little Sho happy. My, aren't you a loving girlfriend?"

Amari scoffed back, now bringing Todoroki into her conversation. "You don't understand. He's been through so much. For years I've wanted a relationship with my family and now that I finally have that, I want to help him find his as well."

Dabi looked less than impressed though. "Right, and do you honestly think what he's always been looking for is a villain? Look at you, you are already too ashamed to tell him about me, somewhere you know that I'm not what that family is looking for."

Shaking her head, Amari glanced at the floor. He was trying to twist her words again, manipulate her into believing his ideals. Too bad it wasn't going to work. "They are looking for you Toya, regardless of how you may think. They loved you, still do…"

The man let out a hard laugh at that. "Good one sweetheart. That family is incapable of love. You know the only reason they are so kind to you is because you are worth something to them. The minute you stop becoming useful, Endeavor will label you a failure, just like he always does."

Amari shook her head once more, balling her fists at her side. "That's not true. I've seen him Toya, it may be hard to see but he does care…"

Laughing once more, Dabi only smirked. "Then you truly are an idiot. Just don't come crying to me when he drops you like shit. It's bound to happen Little Bakugo, just wait."

Just then, one of the guards opened the door to Dabi's left and began to lift him out of his seat. It seemed that her scheduled time was over, just great. Nothing was accomplished yet again.

She rose from her chair as well, only for Dabi to throw his head back, giving her one last jab before leaving. "Oh, and I would watch out if I were you. Things are about to get interesting."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the door in front of her slammed shut, and she was left alone once again. What did that even mean, things were about to get interesting?

She didn't know why, but Amari didn't exactly like the sound of that.

* * *

Strolling up to the counter, the man tapped on the desk, trying to get the security guards attention. When she looked up, he flashed her one of his devilish handsome smiles. "Hello, I have an appointment at three."

The women looked up, now utterly won over by the man before checking her schedule and finding his name. She didn't even have to ask him who he was, she already knew. "Sorry, it seems the other appointment is running late. They should be out any minute though."

Twisting his brow in confusion, the hero suddenly felt intrigued. "Wow, I didn't know Dabi was such a popular fellow."

He flung his hair back with his fingers as the woman gushed, now nodded back absentmindedly. "Yes well, you aren't the only one that frequently visits him, so I guess he is rather popular, huh?"

At that, a red alarm rang in the back of his head. Anyone that visited a villain was suspicious, but multiple times? Now that was concerning. Who was Dabi conversing with so much? He never mentioned it before. "Oh, really? And who would that be, if you don't mind me asking?"

Although almost immediately, the woman shut him down, closing the book in front of him so he couldn't peek. "I'm sorry but that information is confidential. Only security is allowed to give out that information."

The man cursed to himself, knowing this wasn't going to be easy before leaning against the counter with a knowing look. "Right, I know, I totally get that but it's just us. I promise I won't tell a soul."

Giving her a seductive look, he wiggled his eyebrows in order for her to cave, but unfortunately it didn't work. "I really would love to, but I can't. I could lose my job."

He let his eyes fall at the idea, internally feeling anxious for being shut down before nodding his head. Fine, if he couldn't get the information out of her, then he would just have to do it another way. "It's alright, I getchu completely. Thanks anyways."

Turning around, the man then stepped away before plucking one of his feathers from his back and gesturing towards the lady. "Here, I want you to have this, just as a little thank you for always being so kind to me."

The woman immediately gushed, grabbing hold of the feather before holding it close to her chest with excitement. "Oh, that's so kind of you! Thank you so much. Now, you really should get going. I'll call when your appointment is ready."

He didn't even argue this time though, just giving her a playful salute before slipping out the door. "You know I can always count on you."

Slipping out through the doors, the hero immediately dropped his fake smile before narrowing his eyes.

Perhaps he was overthinking this. Maybe the person that was visiting Dabi was a crazed fan or a relative or something? Maybe it wasn't anything dangerous after all.

The man stopped his thoughts almost immediately, now hearing the sound of light footsteps vibrate through his feather. He would find out who this person was, whether that lady liked it or not.

They stopped for a moment before the security guard's voice echoed through his wings. "You finished for the day hun?"

He then silenced his breath to almost a hush, now hearing another voice answer her back. This had to be it, this had to be Dabi's mysterious visitor. "Yeah, have a nice day."

It was female, and it sounded sad, maybe tired even? Like she had clearly not gotten what she had wanted from the encounter. That could've been a good thing though. Perhaps it was just a fan after all..

Just then, the security woman replied back, the words making the bird freeze almost entirely. "You too Bakugo."

Bakugo...Bakugo...where had he heard that name before? It sounded so familiar, so painstakingly clear somewhere in his mind. Just who was this girl? Now he had to find out.

Hearing the door next to him open, the hero quickly rounded the corner in order to get a glance at the girl, now seeing her U.A. uniform flash in his vision. Wait, that face..

Suddenly, everything crashed into him and the worst possible solution smacked him in the face. Crap crap crap! Where was she here? Those eyes, he now knew them anywhere, having seen her picture on the news multiple times.

Bakugo, as in Bakugo Amari? Endeavors trainee, aka the girl that went undercover in the league of villains, aka the girl that was close to Dabi during that mission, aka literally the worst possible solution.

His mind started spinning like crazy, trying to make sense of the situation. Why was she here, and why was she making frequent visits to Dabi? She couldn't be a traitor, right? It was clear from those new announcements that Bakugo was made out to be a hero..

Yet then again, so was he.

Running an anxious hand through his hair, he watched the girl leave before cursing to himself. This was bad, this was so bad. This girl, she could ruin everything, she could foil his entire mission if he wasn't careful. It seemed there was another card to play now.

Quickly dialing the hero's commission on his phone, the hero then pressed the object to his ear before letting out an anxious breath. He needed to find out what Bakugo knew, what she was planning and fast.

Because the last thing Hawks needed in this mission was a wildcard.

* * *

Guess who's here? Best bird boy Hawks is here! I'm so excited to write him, I've been reading lots of fanfics about him for *coughs* research so things are about to get crazy. He's definitely gonna shake things up. I mean, he already thinks Amari is a traitor for the league, even though we all know that's not the case. How will they bump heads?

Also we have five weenies time. Man, this episode was so fun and people really wanted me to include it so you know I had to. Amari and Todoroki both saying "He's/She's mine" oof my heart. I love them.

Next Chapter: Hawks tries to find out Amari's connection to Dabi and we reach the end of S4.


	71. S4 Chapter 20

Moving towards the chair in the corner, Hawks plopped himself down before eyeing the villain right in front of him. He had been visiting him all the time after his imprisonment after all. "Hey buddy, long time no see."

From the other side of the glass, Dabi narrowed his eyes, now pointing his head towards the security cameras watching them. "Did you do it?"

Hawks already knew what he had meant though, nodding his head once. "Yep, with my feathers covering the sensors, nobody will be able to hear us. And then when we are done the technicians will only look at it as a glitch, so you have nothing to worry about."

The villain thought about his words for a moment before throwing up a lazy smile, a sure sign that he was now comfortable. "Good, we wouldn't want anyone ruining our fun now."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Hawks replied. "I agree, now let's talk business. I couldn't help but notice you've been keeping around a little birdie."

Dabi twisted his brow in confusion but the hero already knew the truth, even if he tried to deny it. "What are you talking about? The only bird I keep around is you, you overgrown chicken."

Although Hawks had already called his bluff. He had very clearly seen Bakugo Amari exit his cell, which meant that they were connected in some way or another. "Aw come on, don't be like that. I guess what I meant is, I couldn't help but notice a U.A. kid dropped by to see you."

Then the man narrowed his eyes, taking in everything from Dabi's reaction so that he could decipher something about the girls' connection. "I think her name was Bakugo Amari? Weren't you two buddy buddy a little while ago?"

Hawks' voice came out innocent but it had a sinister side to it, now seeing the villains eyes widen just slightly before shrugging his shoulders. That was interesting, it got a reaction. "If by "buddy buddy" you mean that she's the one responsible for throwing me in here, then sure. Although I gotta say, I don't appreciate being spied on Hawks."

The hero supposed that was true, knowing that Amari had been the one to catch Dabi, although that only made his job way more difficult in the end. "Whoa, hold on I wasn't spying. I just happened to hear her conversation with the security. But you know, it's not nice to hide someone from me either. So, do tell..."

Dabi remained silent for the moment and Hawks could see his wheels turning ever so slightly before scoffing back. "There is nothing to tell."

Although the hero wasn't satisfied with that, now pushing harder. "I'm sure it isn't nothing. I mean from what I've heard she's your biggest fan right now, considering you two talk so much. And on top of that, weren't you two teammates a little while ago? It seems you have a history…"

Just then, the villain's eyes casted down, his tone having a hind of something to it. Was that annoyance? "Don't worry, that girl is nothing. With the rate she's been going, she'll be dead soon enough anyways."

His words were strange and Hawks was desperate to put the pieces together. Whatever it was though, it seemed that Bakugo and Dabi didn't have a great relationship, or perhaps the girl thought there was more than there actually was.

Although one thing was for sure, he knew he couldn't let Dabi kill her. She was just a child after all, completely in over her head. "Oh, and why do you say that?"

Yet the villain's lips only curved up into a small, sly smirk. Yeah, he definitely was hiding something. "It's not your place to ask. Besides, why would I tell you that when you haven't even gained my trust yet?"

And there it was, the roadblock in the conversation, the very sentence that forced Hawks to stop talking about Bakugo. He didn't know why but Dabi's words seemed dismissive, like he didn't want to spill the secrets of Bakugo Amari and him. How interesting. "Come on man, I already said you could trust me. Why do you think I come here all the time?"

Although Dabi didn't seem pleased in the slightest. "I don't know Hawks, you tell me. Although it seems like time will tell to see where your loyalties lie. Now, I know you didn't come here to talk about a simple girl. Have you set everything up?"

Sighing to himself, the hero noticed the complete shutdown regarding the conversation and knew he had to come back to it later. If Bakugo was indeed a traitor, he needed to shut her down, and fast. "Yeah, we are all ready to go."

Just then, Dabi's lips curved back into his familiar smirk, a darkness around him as he grinned. "Perfect. Well then, what are you waiting for, bird boy? Let's get to it."

* * *

Making her way towards the large stadium, Amari maneuvered past hundreds of people before finding the backstage entrance located on the side of the building. She then pulled out her phone before re-reading the text she received from Endeavor. This seemed like the right place.

Honestly, she still didn't understand why she was here. It was no secret that the Japanese Hero's Billboard chart was happening today but the fact that Endeavor had asked her to come personally was still a mystery to her. Maybe it was because she was one of the only people that supported him nowadays.

Ah well, it didn't really matter as the girl was just happy to be included. She had seen the Billboard charts on TV so Amari never thought it would be possible to actually see them live and in person. It honestly made her little hero fangirl heart jump in joy at the idea of meeting some more real pros.

She pushed the door open before finding a woman typing away on her computer, now looking up at her presence. "Can I help you?"

Smiling back in response, Amari tried to ignore her rough attitude before pointing her fingers towards the door on her left. "Oh, uhh hello. I'm here for the Hero's Billboard Chart. My name is Bakugo Amari."

At the time, the woman very clearly scanned her up and down before giving a displeasing look and turning back to the computer roughly. "I need to see your badge."

Bakugo nodded her head before opening the zipper compartment in her bag and feeling around the object, except she only seemed to hit air. That was weird, she swore she put her badge in here.

Then she recalled the rushed conversation she had with Katsuki before leaving and groaned to herself. She left the object on her dresser, didn't she? Just perfect. "Hey so funny story, but it seems I forgot it back at the U.A. dorms. Is there any way you can verify with Endeavor instead?"

The woman clearly could've done that but it seemed she already had distaste for the girl, not wanting to do more work than necessary. "Yeah, I can't do that. No badge, no entry. That's all there is to it."

Nodding back, Bakugo tried again, this time adding a measure of importance to her voice. "I get that, but this is really important. I told him I'd be here five minutes ago and I don't have time to go back to get it. I'm his trainee so he'll know who I am. Come on, please do me this favor.."

She placed her hands on the counter only for the woman to scoff back disgusted. "I don't care who you are, Bakugo Amari. You may not understand, but we have rules here that need to be followed."

This woman was seriously getting on her nerves, Amari feeling a tick of irritation in her throat. It was obviously she didn't like her for some reason but now because of her own stupid mistake, Bakugo was going to miss the ceremony.

Putting her hands into her face, Amari grunted in annoyance, trying to calm down before she blew up at this woman, speaking roughly. "I'm not trying to break those rules, but if you would just tell him that I'm here then he would be able to verify my identity."

She didn't seem pleased though, eyeing the student once again with disdain. "And why would I waste the number one heroes time with someone who is clearly a fan that thinks she can bend the rules..?"

A fan?! She thought she was nothing more than a fan? The very idea was utterly ridiculous in every sense of the word. Oh so that's why the woman hated her, she probably thought Amari was just pretending to be Endeavor's trainee.

Amari thought about how to convince the woman, now looking at her phone before groaning. Now she was ten minutes late. Endeavor certainly would have her head because of this. If only there was a way to verify her identity...

Just then, she felt a large weight on her head only to find a pair of arms resting on the surface in a playful matter, his voice smooth and airy. "Heyo, I'm here for the Billboard charts."

The woman's demeanor immediately lightened as he showed her his badge. "You are late Hawks, you almost missed your own ceremony."

Shrugging his shoulders, the hero then removed his arms before speaking back plainly. "You know they can't start without me. But before that, what seems to be the problem with this little chickadee here?"

He then pointed towards Amari as she just stared back dumbfoundingly. She knew who he was sure, in fact the man had made history but that still didn't explain why he was talking about her.

The woman answered back a moment later. "This girl wants to enter without a badge, claiming that she's Endeavors trainee and I told her that it's against protocol. Nothing for you to worry about though."

Amari frowned at her words before Hawks stretched his wings out all at once before placing a hand of each of her shoulders. "Aw come on, you don't know the face of Endeavors trainee? She's practically famous nowadays. You should give Bakugo here some more credit, because she's clearly telling the truth."

The blonde haired girl's eyes widened all at once before looking up at the hero. Was he, helping her? Why would he do that?

Seeming surprised as well, the woman then narrowed her eyes at Bakugo before replying. "Forgive me for being skeptical of her identity but she doesn't seem like someone that would be able to do all the things those rumors are claiming."

Bakugo's eyes fell at that. Of course that's what her first opinion would be, that's what everyone's first opinion was of her. Seems like that wasn't going away anytime soon. "Wait, hold on a minute.."

But before she could finish, Hawks did so for her, flapping his wings in passion for his next words. "What, are you kidding me? Nah this kid has it in her, I can already see it. If you are looking for someone to verify her identity then I can do it, because she is one hundred percent Bakugo Amari."

Amari's stance froze at that, whipping her head to the hero in question. He saw her potential, he believed her? Well, that was new, especially for her.

A small bit of silence entered than before the woman sighed loudly, now picking up a badge to her left and handing it out for the girl. "If Hawks confirmed your identity then there is nothing I can do. Here, don't lose it this time."

She practically threw the object at the girl but Amari was able to catch it, now seeing Hawks push her shoulders towards the door all at once. "Alright, well now that it has all been taken care of, we better be on our way. Let's go little chickadee."

His hands were wide, pushing the girl through the doors, walking a couple more steps before the hero finally decided to let go. Hawks was silent then but all Amari could do was look back at him with interest. He didn't have to do that for her.

Pulling her backpack closer to her, Amari spoke out. "Hey, uhh thank you for believing me."

The hero stopped then, turning around as he threw up his arms above his head in a lazy smirk. "And why wouldn't I?"

Shaking her head, the girl then averted her eyes before answering small and quiet, just enough for Hawks to hear. "Oh, well I guess I'm not used to it. People don't usually look at me like a hero. They tend to underestimate or write me off because of my size. So to see someone that believes in me, it's strange I guess. You didn't have to defend me, and yet you did. So, thank you."

Hawks remained frozen at that, now looking at the girl in question. It was honestly dumb luck that he found her talking to that receptionist, and right after he was stewing about her involvement with Dabi. Yes he did help her but It seemed almost obvious to earn her graces at that moment, just so he could dig deeper.

But already from his first interaction with the girl, the hero concluded that she was still indeed a fifteen year old girl, scared and perhaps a little bit awkward, definitely not qualities to have as a traitor. She honestly looked naive.

Although the man knew better than to trust her appearance. Just because she seemed sweet and innocent didn't mean she actually was. In fact, that was some of the most dangerous kinds of people. It would be good to get her on his side though.

Giving her an understanding look, the hero then walked over to Amari before placing a hand on top of her head. "I get that kid, in fact we aren't much different. People used to look down on me also when I was young."

She twisted her brow in confusion at that. "They did?"

Nodding back, Hawks beamed. "Yeah, but I know one thing is for sure. If Endeavor personally chose to train you, then you must be something truly special. Have confidence kid, kick those doubters to the crib and show them who you are."

Amari eyes sparkled with these words, causing the bird to falter internally. _No, don't look at me like that. I'm only saying this to get you to trust me. _

Just then, a small smile curved to the end of her lips. "Thanks Hawks. I really needed to hear that."

Nodding back, the hero removed his head before ruffling his wings all at once. He felt wrong trying to manipulate her like this, especially when she seemed so genuine. "No problem. Now, I think it's time we split ways chickadee, for now at least. See you."

Then before she could say anything else, the hero was gone, causing Amari to place a hand to her head before smiling under her breath.

Someone that believed in her, it was such a new sensation, one that she never wanted to forget.

* * *

The Hero's Billboard ceremony was interesting to say the least. More so than Amari could have ever hoped for.

The first thing that greeted her when she sat down were hundreds of reporters sticking cameras and lights in her face, now asking her a million different questions. They ranged from her relationship with Todoroki to her training with the new number one hero, and all of them made her very uncomfortable. She supposed she'd never get used to this kind of attention.

Although when they started to announce ranks, they all seemed to calm down, now heading to their seats as well. It was obvious that they wanted to hear every little detail.

One by one, the heroes rose from their seats until they got down to the top three, the first picture flashing on the screen as Amari recognized Best Jeanist, aka one of the men that helped in her rescue from All for One.

Just then, the man she had spoken to earlier, Hawks, swiped the microphone out of another hero's hand before using his wings to propel his body into the air. This guy, he certainly made an impact that was for sure. "Come on guys, who wants to hear this kind of canned crap? Stain maybe?"

The room became hushed as Amari's eyes widened as well, now hearing him speaking out again, this time with raging confidence. "Okay so, if we are talking about popularity, Best Jeanist is ranked at the top, thanks to the boost he got from being on hiatus. I'm runner up, thanks. Edgeshot is third and Endeavor ekes in at fourth. I'll skip the rest. To be honest with you, I think the approval rating is the most important number right now. Isn't about time the charts were overhauled? Don't you think we need to change how we do things? Our great symbol is no more. At this critical time, why does everyone seem to be playing it so safe? Enough with these rehashed PR lines already. Maybe we should stop pretending and start saying what's on our minds, huh?"

Amari's jaw dropped to the floor at his speech. Everyone else was mainly being polite and quiet but this guy? This guy certainly made an impact, whether good or bad though she wasn't sure. The arrogance in his words was clear, but she couldn't help but be kind of impressed. He was the only hero that spoke completely true, and that had to count for something.

The audience seemed shocked as well,now watching him lower to the ground before pointing the mic in the direction of Endeavor. "Now, let's hear from number one, who has a lower approval rating than me."

The man seemed irritated, now swiping the mic from him before huffing. Amari couldn't help but crack a smile though, noticing the clear jab towards the hero. He was messing with him, wasn't he?

Everyone was eager to hear from the new number one hero, wondering how he was going to follow up Hawks' sharp words. From Bakugo's point of view, it seemed like the man himself didn't know how to reply either. "Since this child decided to fan the flames, I won't say much. So instead, just watch what I do."

His eyes had such a clear insanity to them, so much so that she couldn't help but be proud of him for his declaration, now clapping back through the silent room. This caused everyone to turn to her as she smirked, giving him a knowing look.

Another pair of hands joined in then, now seeing Hawks do the same before the rest of the audience followed their lead very slowly.

They seemed unsure about his declaration but Amari knew that It was a start, a start to make them recognize his talent.

* * *

The minute they stepped off the stage, Amari was waiting for them, and it seemed that Endeavor was already in a foul mood, glaring in her direction. "You arrived late Bakugo. Do you know how that reflects on my agency?"

Bakugo only shrugged her shoulders though, pointing to her badge roughly. "Sorry about that, but it wasn't my fault this time. The receptionist wouldn't let me in and she refused to call you about it. I almost missed the whole thing if it wasn't for.."

Yet before she could finish, the man that she was referring to popped around the corner, his lips curled into a crooked grin. "Ah yes, please tell me who your handsome savior was again?"

Amari paused then, seeing Hawks stroll up to them as she gestured to the bird. "Speak of the devil, here he is. He really saved my butt, thanks again for that."

Hawks nodded back before Endeavor grumbled, now remembering his hero's speech and grabbing his black shirt before lifting him off the ground in anger.

His body immediately sprung to flames as he recalled the utter embarrassment he had to do through because of this kid. "You, explain yourself!"

The hero threw his hands out in defense though, not looking imitated in the slightest. "Sorry if I threw you for a loop, man."

Endeavor only frowned though. "What the hell were you thinking boy?"

Hawks shrugged back, a smile still present on his face. "Everyone just kept spouting the same normal boring stuff, ya know? It felt like someone needed to make an impact."

Amari couldn't dent that, now crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't know what to make of this guy just yet. "Well, you certainly made an impression."

Nodding back, Hawks beamed. "Thank ya chickadee. See, she gets it. I meant no harm."

Endeavor still seemed pleased though, already seeing through his act. "You were trying to test me?"

Although that may have been true, the hero denied it as Todoroki's father dropped him back towards the ground. "Of course not. If anything, I was helping you. It turned out well for you. Look, I'm not an All Might fan or anything. I never wanted to become like him. But the point stands, we could really use a new leader, and I thought you nailed it. You sounded super cool!"

Smirking to herself, Amari couldn't help but pick out his words. "So I guess you're an Endeavor fan then?"

Hawks' feathers ruffled in response. "I guess you caught me, but that just means that I believe in him even more. All Might could never match how cool he was."

He threw his hands into an eager thumbs up as Endeavor stood there dumbfounded. It sounded like this man was mocking him still, he could feel it. "And you don't want to be number one yourself?"

Hawks only shook his head though. "Nah, do you really think I come off as a leader? I have more freedom in the lower ranks, down in the twenties."

Bakugo seemed interested in that. It was rare for a hero to be content with where they were, and not want to climb to the top like everyone else. This guy really was laid back, wasn't he?

Just then, he pointed towards Amari with a knowing look."Look, it's no secret that your approval rating has been tanking. You taking on Bakugo here has helped you but you needed to something to inspire the people, that's why I did it."

His action seemed helpful but also manipulative which put Endeavor on edge. There was something about this guy, something that made him automatically dislike him.

That's when it clicked, recalling a familiar blonde girl next him do the same for his sake. The reason this bird put him on edge was because he was just like Bakugo. "Oh no, not another one."

Amari twisted her gaze in confusion as Endeavor continued. "Look, I already have one annoyance in my life, I don't need another. So get lost boy."

Then he started to walk away, only for the winged hero to follow them into the break room all at once. "Whoa, hold on there. I wasn't done talking to you."

Yet it seemed that Endeavor was over him. "Yet I am, so leave my sight."

He turned his attention away after that, narrowing his eyes at Bakugo in exchange for another conversation. "And you, don't think I've forgotten. Why did you cancel our training last weekend? It better have been important."

Hawks suddenly grew silent at that, knowing fully well where she was. That was the day he caught her with Dabi. She skipped training to visit him? Interesting.

Yet Amari didn't miss a beat, grabbing a water next to her and shrugging her shoulders. "I had a ton of homework to make up after getting out of the hospital. Why, did you miss me that much? You should've said so, I would've visited."

She winked in his direction as Endeavor sighed in annoyance. "Just finish it quickly. You have already fallen behind given the hiatus."

As Amari nodded back, Hawks noticed the flat out lie that she told Todoroki's father. It was so quick and confident, and he could immediately tell she was used to lying before. Just great, that was the last thing he needed. It seemed she may be manipulative as well.

Ignoring his comment, the girl shrugged before picking up the remote next to her and turning on the TV, the voice echoing out all at once. **We have breaking news, now following the latest developments from a villain's prison called Tartarus. **

Amari froze then, bringing her hand down as Hawks watched her reactions carefully. It was only a matter of time before she found out about this. He already knew this would certainly tell him something, one way or another. "What the hell.."

Yet Bakugo only threw her up, shooing the winged hero immediately, her voice clearly filled with anxiety and fear. "Shut up.."

Hawks immediately shut his mouth then, watching the girl as she eyes widened at the report on the screen.** It was here just a couple hours ago that two well known villains escaped from captivity. The names being released are Dabi and Toga from the league of villains. **

All at once, Bakugo's heart dropped into her chest. Dabi escaped from prison? No, this couldn't happen. She wasn't done trying to bring him home. Now this would make things so much more difficult.

Squeezing her water bottle tightly, Amari felt like she was going to get sick, barely hearing Hawks' voice echo in her ears. "They must have taken the opportunity during the Billboard Charts while everyone was busy. Hey chickadee, weren't you the one to put them away in the first place?"

Although Bakugo couldn't bother to answer, and instead just threw her hand away as she rushed towards the door. "I'll..I'll..be right back."

Hawks couldn't help but watch her reaction as well, now eyeing her with interest. She seemed really torn up about the news which meant that she was associated with Dabi No one else would have that kind of response. That had to be it.

Endeavor stood to follow her but the hero only put his hand up, knowing now was the best time to interrogate her. Now she was vulnerable after all. "I'll go see if she's okay."

Ruffling his feathers out, the hero then made his way around the corner only to hear Amari's anxious voice whisper to herself as she placed her phone to her ear. "Come on, come on, pick up! Damn it!"

He turned the corner and found her staring at her phone, only to close it a moment later and let out a heavy sigh. She seemed to be leaning against the wall in worry. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

Although after hearing his voice, Amari jumped back a couple feet, clearly etched in her eyes. "Whoa whoa, it's just me. Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you."

Amari took a calming breath then, trying to bring down her own panic attack. That's right, Dabi wouldn't pick up her call. She would just have to find out another way. "Ah it's okay. Sorry, I guess I'm just shaken up about the whole thing."

Nodding back, the hero started light with his interrogation. "I can imagine. You were the one that went undercover for the league back then. You put them away, right?

Amari only narrowed her eyes, touching her arms lightly to calm herself. "Yeah, it was Endeavor's idea, but I imagine they aren't too happy with my decision."

It was more of a fact then a guess though, the girl remembering Shigaraki using his quirk on her and Dabi's disdain all at once, but it wasn't like Hawks needed to know that.

The man pushed a bit further then. "And you were pretty close with that Dabi fellow, weren't you? It looked to me like you guys were pretty chummy."

Amari's face then dipped down into a frown, not knowing where he was going with this. "He's the one that tried to recruit me so it only makes sense that I formed a bond with him for the mission."

Hawks remained silent for a moment before replying, his wings flapping ever so slightly. "Right I get that, but what I want to know is why you're still visiting him then?"

At that, Bakugo's eyes widened, now whipping her head towards the hero. Did he just say what she thought he did? There was no way he could've known about that. "What are you talking about?"

Yet the hero only leaned in closer, the air growing ticker by the minute. "Oh, I think you know chickadee. It's been rumored through the grapevine that you still keep in contact with him. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself a couple days ago. So the question is, why?"

Gulping back, Amari remained frozen. He had seen her come out of Dabi's cell? No, this could be very bad. No one could know about that, it would ruin her entire plan. "I don't have to answer to you."

She wasn't denying it which Hawks was glad for, his wings ruffling with insanity. "No you don't, but you know how bad that looks, don't you kid? Someone that was made out to be a villain not too long ago, hanging out with a villain.."

Amari very clearly knew how bad it looked but it wasn't like she could back down. "And why are you so interested in Dabi anyway? If you've seen me there then that means you visit him also. Now that looks equally bad, don't you think?"

Hawks couldn't help but widen his eyes at that. She had him there, by saying he had seen her at the prison meant that he was there as well.

This girl, he was right to be wary of her. She was already starting to put the pieces together. "Well, it only makes sense as a pro to keep an eye on wanted criminals. Although, the same can't be said for you. You are just a student, so what could you possibly want with a villain?"

Flipping the blame back to her, the girl thought for a moment before glaring back towards the bird. She didn't know why but it seemed like he had ill plans for Dabi, and she wasn't going to let that happen. "I don't know what you're planning Hawks, but I won't let you hurt him."

The hero couldn't help but widen his eyes at that. Her choice of words was so odd. "That's strange, it sounds to me like you are protecting him. I've never seen a hero do that before."

At the word hero, Hawks' voice turned disdained, wanting Amari to know that the words she was speaking were not one of a hero. No, they were ones of a traitor.

Then she let out a small laugh before glaring back. It seemed her innocent sweet aura she was sporting had disappeared and it was now replaced with only determination and malice. "Whatever you think you know about him, you don't."

Twisting his brow in confusion, Hawks didn't understand her words. He had spent months with Dabi, it was obvious that he knew him best. "I think I know enough."

Although Amari shook her head, shoving her phone into her pocket before turning back towards the hero. She had positive feelings about this guy at first but now it seemed like he was trying to interrogate her for something. Yet he wouldn't come out and say that, it was annoying her.

Lowering her voice, the girl then glared towards the Hawks with accusation. "Yeah, I don't think so. Now, let's cut the bullshit already, shall we? What exactly are you trying to accuse me of Hawks?"

Her sharp tone was not lost on the man, now shutting his mouth because of it. She had this edge to her now, a darker more sinister one that made even his spine shiver at her almost glowing eyes. He wasn't sure if her past actions were an act or she was just showing a new side of him now, either way he could tell she was dangerous.

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, trying to decode one another when Endeavor's voice broke their trance. "Bakugo, there you are."

Blinking in surprise, Amari then turned to Endeavor before dropping her sinister tone all at once. "Yeah, uhh sorry. You know how the league is a touchy subject for me. I just needed some air."

Todoroki's father only nodded back though, answering roughly. "There is nothing you can do about it right now so don't think about it too much. Now come on, let's go."

Bakugo took in his words before sadly nodding as well, now noticing Hawks watching her from the corner of his eye. That bastard better not say anything about Dabi or else everything would be ruined.

Although when he did open his mouth, it was playful, now slinging an arm around Amari and Endeavor's shoulders. "Hold up, I got one more thing for ya. I wanna team up with you. One case, that's all."

Bakugo couldn't help but narrow her eyes at that. A couple minutes ago she would've thought nothing of it but now she knew this guy was shady as hell. "There have been troubling eye witness accounts in my hometown. You can even bring chickadee with you!"

Yet the two seemed less than pleased, continuing to move away when his next words stopped them completely in their tracks. "You remember those Nomu things, right?"

At that, Amari's eyes widened, his mention of the Nomu making her immediately nauseous. Endeavor seemed to notice this as well, putting a hand out to stop her from saying anything stupid.

Hawks couldn't help but smile at this though, his naive mention of the topic both stopping Bakugo and Endeavor.

Ah, good. It looked like he got them.

* * *

Making their way down the streets of the Kyushu Distract, Hawks, Amari and Endeavor couldn't help but notice just how impressive the winged hero was. He was having normal conversations sure, but at the same time, the man was saving people and stopping villains all around him. Talk about a multitasker.

The two couldn't help but be impressed as Hawks pushed his arms over his head in a lazy fashion. "I'm a little peckish, so why don't we have our talk over some food? There's a great hot pot place not too far away from here where you can really taste the broth. Does that sound good?"

Just then a woman screamed only for Hawks feathers to swoop in and fix the situation, causing Amari's eyes to widen. This guy was insane. "How are you doing that?"

The hero stopped then before throwing up a smirk, now showing the girl one of his feathers. "I can maneuver each of my feathers wherever I want. I also can pick up sounds with them so that lets me hear cries for help way easier."

Bakugo knew that he was shady but she also couldn't help but gush over his quirk, now beaming with excitement. "That's so cool!"

Hawks beamed proudly only for Endeavor to shake his head in disappointment. "Bakugo, you're acting like a fan."

The man didn't seem to mind though, throwing her a wink in her direction. "Hey, that's not a bad thing. I wouldn't mind if little chickadee became a fan of mine. The more the merrier."

Just then, some of the people around them seemed to notice the hero, racing forward with excitement and interest. "Whoa, it's Hawks. You hardly ever see him out on the streets!"

Hawks threw up a happy wave only for him to get surrounded by everyone in a second, now asking for autographs and pictures like crazy. Amari supposed this is what it meant to be popular.

Yet when she looked over to Endeavor, she couldn't help but notice the frown on his face. It seemed everyone was either ignoring him for the bird or was too scared to approach him. He looked kinda sad about it to be honest.

Elbowing him in the side, she whispered towards him roughly. "If you want the people to like you, now's your chance. Get in there and do what Hawks is doing."

She gave him a soft push which caused the man to step forward, now eyeing one of the scared citizens before extending his hand. "There's no reason for you to be frightened."

The fan looked at him with shock before turning his look of shock into one of disdain, muttering back. "Endeavor doesn't do fan service. Being mean is what makes him cool! This is terrible, you've changed! I miss the old Endeavor!"

Todoroki's father just looked dumbfounded as the man then ran away screaming, only to hear a hard snicker from Amari in the corner. Well, that went about as bad as it could. "Good try.."

He could clearly tell she was mocking him though, grumbling back. "Can it Bakugo."

* * *

Although even when they seated themselves in the restaurant, Amari couldn't stop laughing, now covering her mouth all at once. Hawks seemed amused as well. "Well yeah, what did you expect? It's not exactly your vibe."

Endeavor only crossed his arms though, clearly annoyed as Bakugo tried to calm her enjoyment. "Yeah, Hawks is right. It was a good try though, really.."

The man only narrowed his eyes though. "How long are you going to continue laughing?"

Amari only shook her head though. "I don't know, probably forever. It was just too good."

Reaching across the table to grab more food, Hawks then changed the conversation. "You know, I scouted your son and little Bakugo here after the sports festival. I mean I admit I had ulterior motives. Having the son of the number two hero and a top recommended student at my agency would've looked good. Ah well, things worked out. Shoto failed the exam and Bakugo got dropped from the hero course. That's a pretty big mark against their brand."

Bakugo tickled her brow in annoyance, knowing fully well that he was trying to insult her.

And by saying he'd use Todoroki, that also made her pissed off. "I'm glad we didn't go to you either, considering you just admitted you would've used Shoto for your own gain."

Hawks noticed her disdain though, replying back. "Oh right. I forgot you and Shoto were a thing. It's pretty popular i n all the tabloids nowadays. Ah young love is interesting isn't it?"

The winged hero seemed to notice her displeasure from the conversation though, now changing it up a bit. "Also, I gotta ask. You ended up taking Endeavor's offer instead, right? What made you decide to do that?"

Amari remained silent for a moment before sighing roughly, her hands placed around her tea cup. What good was it to lie? "He told me I wasn't good enough for his son and I wanted to prove him wrong."

He was obviously not expecting that response, now choking on his food as Hawks eyed the girl all at once. "Wait, really? You did it out of spite?"

Nodding her head, she then glanced towards Todoroki's father who had averted his gaze, shame clearly now in his features. "Mhmm, we started out pretty rocky. But it's not like it was anything I hadn't faced before. I told you before, people tend to write me off all the time so it's my job to prove them wrong."

Hawks took in her statement before letting his wings flap, a crooked grin plastered on his face. _Oh no, I won't underestimate you Bakugo, because I know how far someone can go for approval. It's a dangerous thing_. "You're crazy kid, you know that?"

Endeavor seemed to have had enough though, not wanting to remember the past and pointing back with annoyance. "Get to the point. I didn't come all the way to Kyushu to talk about this nonsense. Tell me why I'm here."

Shrugging his shoulder, Hawks smirked. "Like I said, rumors. Whenever All for One was captured in Kamino, they found a few dozen of those Nomu's as well. Luckily, there have been no more attacks since then so that could have meant we got them all, or it could mean that All for One was hiding them somewhere else."

At that man's terrible name, Amari eyes her hands ball into a fist, now letting Hawks continue. "Although there have been sightings of things that look like Nomu's, which leads me to believe the second option. Because of the lack of activity we think the league of villains are looking for those Nomu."

That's when his voice grew serious, his eyes twitching with slight determination. "Also there have been reports of something else the league is looking for, something far more dangerous then just any plain Nomu, although it's hard to get information from it. All I know is that it's a monster like no other, which is concerning in itself."

At that, Amari felt her heart drop into her chest, now playing with her food in an attempt to seem not suspicious. She knew exactly what the league was talking about, yet it wasn't like she was going to tell him that.

Endeavor narrowed his eyes as well. "Stop dancing around and get to the point. What do you want me to do?"

Hawks only gave the hero a knowing look though, now pointing his finger towards him playfully. "I want you to become a dependable hero and look into this, and if you end up finding nothing, then I want you to proudly tell the public that there is nothing to worry about."

Swirling her chopsticks around the food, Amari then glanced out the window only for a small black blob to peak her attention. Was it just her, or was that thing getting closer? "Uhh guys.."

Although Hawks and Endeavor were too busy arguing, the girl now saw the blob growing closer by the minute. Oh crap, that wasn't good. "Guys…"

Yet once again they didn't recognize her voice, Amari now raising out of her chair in slight fear as she shouted back. "Guys..!"

Finally they turned to her, both of their eyes widening at the sight of a winged monster flying directly towards them.

Suddenly, the monster crashed through the window as Endeavor pulled Amari back from the blast, now seeing the creature look around with interest. "Which of you is strongest?"

Endeavor narrowed his eyes before pushing Bakugo towards Hawks roughly, now shouting back. "Go Hawks. Evacuate the area and look out for Bakugo."

Amari couldn't help but frown at that, not liking the idea of being babysat. "Endeavor, I'm not a little kid. I don't need to be looked after."

Yet the man only shook his head, staring back at the Nomu. "If you get hurt, Shoto will never forgive me. Just go help evacuate with him, that's an order from your mentor."

Hearing Todoroki's name, Amari faltered. This was the first time he thought about his son like that. Because of that, she couldn't help but obey. "But what about you? That thing is different from other Nomu. I can feel it."

And that was true, perhaps it was the Nomu blood in her system but Bakugo could feel the evil intentions of that thing, the need to kill and destroy at the forefront of his mind. It made her afraid for the hero.

Although Endeavor didn't seem intimated, only turning back towards the creature, his hands now balled into a fist. "It's alright. I wanted to learn about these things, right? Then this is the best way to do that!"

Feeling the fire between his palms, the man turned to Hawks before shouting. "Go Hawks!"

Then before she could process it, Amari was hoisted up into the air by the winged hero, carrying them throughout the building as his feathers carried all of the people to safety. "I'm on it!"

Leaping from the building, Hawks then hoisted himself down to the ground before placing Amari on the pavement, his eyes still wild as the feathers returned to him. "Stay here chickadee. We'll take care of this."

Yet Amari was already shaking her head, looking up to find Endeavor fighting that Nomu with everything he had. "What, no. I'm helping Hawks. I can't just let him do this alone."

Hawks only turned his head though, immediately shutting her down. "It's illegal for you to fight, remember? You don't have your license so we could get in serious trouble if you were hurt. If Endeavor says no then it's a no kid. Sorry."

The girl only grumbled though, remembering the rule. She was so used to having Endeavor's permission that she had forgotten that she was licenseless. That crazy fool, he should have just let her help.

Seeing that she was displeased, Hawks then placed a reassuring hand to her head before speaking back. "It will be okay. Endeavor just wants you safe, that's all. Don't worry, I know he's got this."

Fluffing his wings out, the man then rose into the sky to help the hero all at once. "Stay right there! I'll be back."

Then he was gone, causing Bakugo to let out a frustrated grunt. Why did she have to be such a kid? If only she could do something to help them instead of just sitting around like a coward.

Just then, she turned her head only to catch a very familiar black and purple blur enter the alleyway to her right. Wait, she knew that deformed purple skin anywhere. That jerk..

Disregarding Hawks' request, Amari turned on her heels before approaching the alleyway, a thick silence echoing through the space. Although she knew better than to trust that. "It's too late, I already know you're here Dabi."

A soft chuckle appeared, only for the man to appear a moment later. It was weird, seeing him without a layer of glass between them. "Nothing escapes you, does it sweetheart?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari scoffed. "What is wrong with you? You went back with the villains? Why did you do that? Come on, you know that isn't you."

Yet Dabi only seemed amused by her sentence. "But it is though, you've just built up that foolish delusion in your head so much that you don't see the truth."

Glancing back towards the Nomu, the girl frowned. "And I imagine that the Nomu over there is your doing as well?"

The villain only smirked though. "Very perspective Bakugo. Although, it's not as powerful as you. That much is a pity I have to say."

Amari glared at his words, fully knowing that he was saying. "Yeah, it's too bad I'm out of commission for the villains."

Dabi only shrugged though. "For now at least, but don't get too comfortable sweetheart. Things are about to change soon."

The ominous air was not lost on Amari as the villain then glanced at Endeavor in disdain and malice. "But at least I can watch the number one hero die. That will be enjoyable."

Narrowing her eyes, Amari sighed now taking a step forward in exasperation. "Is that really how you feel? You know, he's not the same as he was back then. It's not like I'm excusing his actions from the past but Endeavor is changing, he really is. Maybe you should give him a chance before writing him out of your life."

The villain's carefree look started to shift into a glare as Bakugo continued. "Toya, like it or not, he's your father."

Just then, Amari felt a hand grasp onto her throat before shoving her against the wall in a surprised gasp. The sensation of weightlessness appeared as well, the villain lifting her up just enough to watch her feet dangle in panic.

Forcing Amari to look at him, Dabi gave her a sickening smirk. "I told you that your mouth was going to get you killed someday. Now that's time to prove that point."

His hands burst into flame as the girl kicked her legs, now feeling her throat tighten around his fingers. He wanted her to know that he had complete control here.

Dabi then squeezed tighter, causing Amari to gasp back, clearly enjoying himself. "What, no smart comeback this time? Have you finally realized that you are wrong?"

At the same time, Hawks flew across the sky only to see Dabi and Amari alone in an abandoned alleyway, his hand now around her throat as he choked her. What the hell was happening down there!?

He quickly used one of his feathers to listen in, now hearing Amari's strangled breaths. This was bad, Dabi was really going to kill her.

Just then he heard her voice through the feather, raspy and confident for some crazy reason. "I'm not wrong. So, go ahead and try. But I know you can't kill me. You won't do it."

Hawks eyes widened at this. This girl was insane. Dabi has killed before so there was nothing stopping him here. She was going to die if he didn't get down there.

Racing towards the alley, Hawks landed with a tap only to see Amari staring at Dabi with a hundred unspoken words, almost daring him with her eyes as his hold remained.

Yet Hawks was certainly surprised when Dabi closed his eyes for a moment before he released the child, causing the girl to crumble to the ground in a hard cough.

Why did he do that, and how did Bakugo know that she would be safe?

Holding her throat, Amari gasped for air, thankful that her hunch was right. It was already foreseen that All for One would be the one to kill her, not Dabi. So that meant she would be safe with him, for now at least.

Once she was able to get enough oxygen, the girl called back. "See, there is something else inside you. I knew it."

Dabi only scoffed though, shoving his heads into his pockets roughly. "Don't be stupid. There are plans for you Bakugo, so I can't kill you yet. That's the only reason why."

He said that, but truthfully Dabi didn't know why he had let go. He promised to himself that he would get rid of the annoyance that was Bakugo Amari as soon as possible, so he hated that she was right about him in a sense. He just couldn't do it yet.

Frustrated in himself, the man started to walk away only for Amari to shout back. "You keep telling yourself that but I think we both know the real reason Dabi. You know what I'm saying is right, don't you?"

At that, the villain stopped in his tracks, blue fire now erupting from his palms as he smirked. "You think so, huh?"

Just then, he raced up to Bakugo before grabbing her arm and pushing her body close to his own, so much so that his whisperers could only be heard by her.

The blue fire started to crackle under his hand as Amari grunted at the newfound sensation, the villain now burning her skin all at once. "Listen here Bakugo, I'm only going to tell you this once. I don't believe any of the crap that you've been spewing, you wanna know why? Because I am a villain and that is all I will ever be so you should stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong before I place your charred and disfigured body on dear Endeavor and little Sho's doorstep for fun."

His eyes bore into hers, stunning her into silence as her skin sizzled and turned red from his hand before letting her go all at once and throwing her towards the ground. "Remember that."

Then he turned on his heels again as Bakugo touched the raw skin, a handprint now etched into her arm as Dabi left. That would show her. Now she would shut up.

Yet before he could turn the corner, he heard her voice again, loud and confident. "Don't think you can get rid of me like that Dabi. It doesn't matter how you try to scare and threaten me, I will never back down and I will keep being the reminder for what you are leaving behind. This burn is nothing, in fact go ahead and do your worst because I'm not giving up!"

The villain remained frozen at her words, as if he was taking them in and Amari half thought he would turn around again just to prove his point.

Although the only response she did receive was a moment of silence before Dabi wordlessly walked away from her, Amari watching as he went with clear insanity. His silence clearly meant something, she knew she had struck a nerve somewhere.

Hawks couldn't help but be impressed with her words as well, never knowing that a small girl like herself could be so fearless in the face of danger.

There was clearly something else going on here and now the hero was even more desperate to know what that was.

* * *

The moment of silence didn't last forever though, as they were soon both stopped when a loud terrifying scream rang out through the space, causing both Hawks and Amari to snap out of their delusions and rush back towards the streets.

Amari clutched her arm as she went, seething from the burn when she came across a dozen or so small Nomu's blocking her path. Wait, there were more?!

He noticed her presence, now swinging its arm down only for Bakugo to feel the heat build up in her palms.

That was until Hawks stepped in front of her, blocking the hit with his feather sword. "You okay kid?"

Nodding back, she then looked up before seeing Endeavor still fighting that thing with no mercy. This wouldn't do, if there were more Nomu then Amari knew she needed to fight. They were outnumbered here.

She raced past Hawks then, until she could see Endeavor a bit clearer, now shouting up at the sky all at once. "Endeavor, I need your permission! Can I fight?"

The man in question seemed to notice her then, looking around the destruction before them and realizing he didn't have a choice. He needed her in this fight. "Bakugo, I give you permission to engage in combat!"

Ah, that's what the girl was waiting for, now seeing Hawks run up to her all at once, his wings outstretched as the Nomu approached. "You need to be careful. These things are everywhere and my feathers can only go so far. Stay behind me."

Yet Amari didn't seem to share his thoughts, only walking away from his comfort as her palms began to glow all at once. "Thanks Hawks, but I'm not that fragile. Remember what you said before? Well it's time to kick those doubters to the crib and show you what I've got."

Lifting her hands up, the girl then smirked beneath her breath before leaping into action and creating five separate gold matter shields over the small Nomu as they screamed in pain.

Then she reached forward as a piece of rubble came crashing down only for Amari to block the impact almost all at once, the gold coating saving the civilians below.

Just then, another Nomu came barreling towards her, screaming out as she narrowed her eyes, switching to explosions as the heat popped into her palms.

It threw a hand down but Bakugo was quicker, dodging in between before pressing her explosions into its side as it screamed out in pain, now going ballistic.

Amari readied herself once more before a dozen feathers pierced the Nomu's back, causing it to crumble to the ground all at once. "Wow chickadee, I gotta say I'm impressed. I guess I was right about you being special."

The girl only smirked though, turning around so she was back to back with the winged hero, now glancing at the Nomu's that were coming their way. "How about a little tag team birdie?"

Hawks only smirked at that. "Sounds like a dream chickadee."

Reaching them, the Nomu screamed before Amari and Hawks took off in opposite directions in order to take down the creatures one by one.

The creature spotted her almost immediately, racing towards her as the girl's palms grew gold all at once before connecting with it's leg.

Throwing an arm down at her, Amari threw up her shields as she blocked its attack, now throwing a punch into his stomach at the same time.

The small creature crumbled to the ground as she felt her arms start to prick as the Nomu blood rose in her system, although she shoved it down all at once. It was too dangerous to let loose here. She had to rely on just her quirks right now.

A loud animalistic scream then echoed through the space as Hawks and Amari both turned to their left only to find a larger Nomu awaiting them. Oh no, there were more?

Sharing a look, the winged hero went first, leaping into the air before using the rest of his large feathers to stab the large monster as it cried out in pain.

Although it wasn't enough as the creature only swatted the objects away before hitting the hero in the chest, the man now tumbling to the ground. "Hawks!"

Amari gasped at that, racing forward before throwing up her shields to catch the winged hero as he landed with a light tap before sliding down. "My feathers aren't enough. That thing is just too strong."

Narrowing her eyes, Bakugo looked around before recalling how she defeated Nomu's back when she was kidnapped. Maybe they could do that same thing here? "Hawks, can you get me up to its back?"

Although the hero wanted to, he only sighed back sadly. "I wish but I'm all out of feathers. I'm basically grounded until the rubble is all cleared."

Amari frowned then, desperate for an answer before laying her eyes on a building a couple feet away from them. Then she got a crazy idea, one that Endeavor probably wouldn't have approved of if he was here. "It's okay, I got an idea. Just get it near that building the best you can."

Then before he could even question it, Amari was gone from his sight, now swiping another creature with his feather sword. He would just hope she knew what she was talking about.

Racing up the steps of the building, Bakugo panted as she threw open the door to the roof before taking a breath. She knew very well that this was stupid but it wasn't like she was going to die. That was reserved at a later date.

She inched her way towards the edge only to see Hawks push the Nomu back in her direction before it lined up perfectly.

The hero locked his eyes with her as well, his mouth open with disbelief at what he was seeing. Was she going to do what he thought she was? No, that was insane. No one would do that..She wouldn't do that..

Yet he was sorely mistaken as he watched Bakugo take a breath before jumping off the tall surface, her hand outstretched and glowing gold. Oh shit, she would do that!

Running in order to catch her, the man fluffed his small wings out, willing them to get him off the ground to no avail. She was going to kill herself!

Amari then made contact with the Nomu, clinging onto its back before pressing her sparking palms into its surface with as much power as she could manage.

The creature withered at the sensation, crying out as it attempted to throw the girl off but she was determined, now clinging on for dear life.

Pushing deeper, Bakugo twisted her brow in discomfort as it's claws tried to dig into her skin, although she still didn't let go as it withered in pain.

Hawks couldn't help but watch the girl with shock, now seeing a darker side to her as she burned the Nomu with no mercy. Her eyes, they looked crazy and filled with bloodlust now.

Narrowing her eyes, Amari then snapped out of her delusions when she heard a loud crash and turned only to find Endeavor thrown into one of the buildings roughly. Crap, he was losing.

That was enough for the Nomu to take advantage now, using its body to dislodge her hand enough to fling her off to its left roughly as Amari gasped. She shouldn't have lost concentration like that.

Hawks took off running, now seeing Bakugo land on the hard pavement right before the Nomu did the same, a loud groan entering the space as she gritted her teeth. Well, that hurt.

Touching her shoulder, the man called out to her roughly. "Bakugo, are you okay!? You landed pretty hard there. It's okay, don't move."

Amari only coughed back though, already struggling to her feet, a low growl in her voice "Let me go. I'm not done."

The hero put a hand out though, stopping her movements all together. "You've done enough, jumping from that building and taking down that giant Nomu. It's okay, just wait here until the paramedics arrive. I think you broke something."

Yet the girl wasn't satisfied, now hearing the cries from the civilians shake her awake, pushing against his arm. Hawk noticed her hands shake as well, the girl touching them to calm the Nomu blood in her system. "People are still afraid, it's not enough."

Hawks twisted his brow in confusion as she took a shaky step forward, pure determination in her stance as she did so. The last thing she could let happen was for Endeavor to die. "He needs me, so I can't stop now."

Widening his eyes, the hero glanced at Amari only to feel a sickening familiarity to her words. She sounded like a soldier more than a person, and that very idea scared him, only because that was a very commission-like way of speaking.

Then he just watched as she turned on her heels before running towards the giant explosion that had happened a couple minutes ago. She silently hoped that Endeavor was okay, he had to be, for the entire Todoroki family. "Endeavor!"

She stopped a moment later, now seeing the barely conscious outline of her mentor, bleeding and broken only a couple feet away from her. The Nomu wasn't even attacked, it just looked disappointed? "You are weak. Is there anyone stronger?"

Amari's brow ticked in annoyance before stepping forward. Anything to get the attention off of him right now. Maybe then he could regain his strength. "Hey, over here hot topic reject! You want a fight, well I'm game!"

The creature turned around at that, eyeing the girl with interest before speaking low and plain. "We are the same, you are like me."

Bakugo's eyes widened then, now desperate to hide the black veins threatening to climb her arms under her shirt. Perhaps talking to it was way more reasonable than trying to fight it. "No, we are not the same."

It twisted its head in confusion at that. "How so? I don't understand."

Looking down at the ground, she suddenly heard Endeavor echo from her left, sounding rather panicked. "Bakugo.. the cameras.."

She understood what he meant right away. Back when she lied to the press, the story was that the black veins and her actions were only because of the plan to bring down the league. If they found out that she was lying, then Amari would be labeled a villain all over again, and that was one thing she couldn't have.

Narrowing her eyes, the girl replied back. "Because I am a hero."

Just then, Endeavor's finger twitched, causing the Nomu to turn its direction back on the broken man all once, much to her dismay. No, he couldn't fight like this. That thing would kill him!

Before she could even think, Bakugo forced her body to move forward until she was standing in front of her mentor, shields outstretched in protection. "I won't let you hurt him!"

Endeavor felt his hand sway, looking up only to find his trainee risking her life for him, as foolish as that was, now watching the Nomu slam its power into her quirk. Although, for some reason the girl remained strong.

Tapping her foot with his hand, the man grumbled. "Bakugo, that's enough.."

He didn't understand why she was going so far for him. Bakugo had said it herself back at the restaurant, the man clearly tried to run her into the ground when they first met, wrote her off for nothing but an ignorant child. She had no obligation to keep standing there.

Yet the girl only shook her head, taking another hit as she gritted her teeth. "No, I won't let you die, you can't die yet! You still have so much to do and prove! You'll never get the chance if you die here!"

He saw the blood start to drip from her mouth as she spoke. She was going to kill herself over this. Why, why would she do that?

Another hit came and Endeavor grew panicked, trying to reach out to her again. "Bakugo.."

Amari wasn't finished though, narrowing her eyes all at once. "So many people are waiting for you to become a great hero, and I will make sure you get to that! Think of who is watching right now, Fuyumi, Natsuo, Rei, Shoto and…

Shaking her head, she then willed Dabi's name from her mind. No, it wasn't time to tell him that yet. "Your entire family, the entire world and me as well, they are all counting on you!"

At that, Endeavor's eyes widened, recalling the news crew around them. She may have been right, his family could've been watching and he was just laying there and giving up? No, that's not what the number one hero did, that's not what he did. If she was fighting for him so much then he couldn't stop now.

The Nomu barreled into her again, and Amari twitched at the sensation. "Bakugo, put down your shields..."

Amari didn't want to hear it though, knowing that he was trying to talk her out of protecting him. "No! I'm stopping this right now, I can't let you die...they need you...I need you, you stubborn old man!"

She sounded on the brink of panic, like her words were being strangled by her own voice. He had never had someone need him before, it was something that made him want to rise to his feet.

Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder as Endeavor's voice stopped her rambling thoughts. "Amari.."

Freezing at the sound of her first name, the man continued back quietly. "It's alright."

She knew what he meant but was still reluctant, her hands shaking in the process as the Nomu came barreling towards him again.

What if he died today, then her hopes of giving Todoroki his family back would be ruined. And then if she died, he would have no one to fall back on. "But.."

Endeavor only gave a silent nod though, causing Amari to turn off her quirk all at once, now seeing the Nomu's body come towards them even faster.

Then before she could think, Endeavor grabbed the girl by the arm before pulling her behind him so she could be safe, his fist outstretched. "It's like you said. I still have a lot to prove, so I'm not going anywhere!"

Widening her eyes, she then watched as he grabbed the creature before rocketing into the sky. Of course, that was a very clever way of going about things. Now, he didn't have to worry about any damage.

Hawks and Amari then watched as Endeavor blew up the sky with an aura of fiery gold and orange, the Nomu's cries drowning out ever so slightly. Now that was the number one hero.

Although the victory was short lived as the man himself came barreling towards the ground, causing Amari to gasp, already rushing to catch him the best she could.

Feeling the after effects of her quirk, she huffed out a breath before throwing her hands up and giving him the last of her strength, screaming as she did so. "I got you!"

The gold matter began to swirl around in her hands before hovering in the air just as Endeavor crashed into the pavement roughly.

Not being able to see from the smoke, everyone's breath grew to a silent hush before they noticed a hand outstretched to the sky, now covered in a light gold shimmer. He did it, he really did it. "He's standing."

Feeling a sense of relief, Amari crumbled to the ground as the gold flickered off his body, now turning to the girl in concern. "Are you alright?"

She heaved out another breath before nodding back silently, holding her chest as she did so to stop any seizures from occurring. "I should be saying the same to you. You look like crap."

Giving out a broken laugh, the girl then coughed at her own joke just as the civilians and new reporters circling around them. "You did it! Thank you Endeavor, Hawks and Ember! You saved us!"

Amari then pushed her hand to her temple in order to stop an oncoming headache as the room began to spin all at once. She closed her eyes at the sensation and twisted her brow in pain only for a light tap to shake her back to reality. "Are you okay little chickadee? You don't look so good. I really think we should get you checked out."

Considering the nickname, Bakugo already knew who it was, now shaking her head as she panted out. "No, it's okay. This is normal."

Although it didn't seem like it though, yet the hero didn't want to argue and instead let it be, now taking in the victory all at once. Even though it seemed seemingly impossible, they had done it.

* * *

Back at the dorms, Todoroki placed a shaking hand to his mouth as the other U.A. students crowded around him in worry.

After watching that fight, the boy couldn't help but feel afraid, afraid for his father and the girl he loved. He intensely followed the battle, hearing what Amari had said to Endeavor in that moment of imminent death.

Back during the Yakuza raid it was unclear but looking at it with his own eyes there was no mistaking it now, his father had protected her.

He tried to calm his breaths but to no avail, silently praying the entire time that he wouldn't die, trying to tell him telepathically that he was watching to see what his father would do.

So when Todoroki saw his victory, the boy couldn't help but be proud of his accomplishments and what he did in order to save that city.

And whether the boy liked it or not, he realized that through that battle, Endeavor was worthy enough to become the new number one hero.

* * *

This is so long, I'm sorry. This is the longest Ch I've ever written for any of my fanfics but I think it's important to keep it all together as the beginning matches the end. I think this was my favorite CH to write in S4. Hawks and Amari's dynamic is so cool, how they play off each other. I totally realized that they have similar traits like the sneaking around part so it would make sense for them to be wary of each other.

But oh no, Amari isn't doing any favors and now Hawks is really suspicious of her. Looks like he's gonna mettle some more.

And oh boy would you look at that, Endeavor character development! His caring attitude for Amari's safety, his mentor attitude, his non asshole dialogue. Man, Amari and him have really come a long way. I was reading their first interaction to prepare for this Ch and it's like night and day.

Also Hawks' nickname for Amari is chickadee and it's the cutest thing.

Next Chapter: Last CH of S4 because we gotta include the school festival with Eri. Something big changes the game and Hawks meddle in Amari's plans even more as we set up for the final arc!


	72. S4 Chapter 21

Putting her headphones in, Amari raised the volume of her phone before hearing the latest report echo in her ears, words that made her blood run cold all at once.. **_Because of the unfortunate news of the security breach at Tartarus, the executive decision has been made to move All for One to another location. Details to follow. _**

She placed her head in her hands, thinking back to the moment she found out that Dabi had broken out of his captivity. This wasn't supposed to happen. She didn't know how he did it, but now it was practically impossible to make contact with him. Everything was falling apart before her again.

It seemed that because of that, the heroes were growing more afraid of another breach and decided to move All for One to somewhere more secure which she thought was a smart decision. If he broke free, then the plan for her future would have been basically set.

Grumbling to herself, Amari suddenly felt her headphones rip from her ears as a voice snapped her out of her own worry. "What's with you? You've had your eyes glued to your phone all day. You're gonna burn a hole through the floor at this rate."

She snapped her eyes up only to find Shinso looking at her strangely, glancing at her unanswered text messages to Dabi before sighing. "Sorry, I guess I'm just on edge about the news. They say the heroes are planning on moving All for One."

Nodding back, Shinso slid into his seat before placing a reassuring hand to her head. "I heard, but he can't get to you anymore. You should stop stewing about it or else your face is going to be stuck in that unattractive frown forever."

Amari frowned even further at his insult, though it did ring with a little truth to her. What was the use of worrying about things that probably wouldn't ever happen. "Very funny. Yeah, I guess you're right, about All for One anyways."

He couldn't help but smirk at that, noticing her giving him attitude. It seemed his words did perk her up after all. "Of course I am. I'm always right short stuff. You just noticed that?"

The girl only stuck her tongue out in response, clearly not feeling the same way when a bunch of students started crowding around her desk, a hopeful look in their eyes for some reason. "Welcome back Bakugo."

Their voices were kind, a little too kind. In fact before her fight with Overhaul, the rest of the class basically hated her, calling her a hero course reject or cocky. Something was fishy here. "Uhh thanks?"

Nodding back though, one of the guys stepped forward, Amari noticing him as the boy that helped her with Shinso's party a couple months ago. "Right so, you've heard about the school festival coming up, right?"

Bakugo raised an eye, clearly remembering the teacher talking about the upcoming school festival, yet she was far too worried about other life threatening matters to think about it. "Yeah, what about it?"

Just then, her classmate slapped a piece of paper on her desk before speaking, his voice coming out slightly afraid for his next words. "Well, because of your popularity we all decided to have you represent our class for the beauty pageant."

The words entered her mind before she widened her eyes, now sharply reading the contents of the paper and seeing her name in the list of the contestants. Before she could even register it, Amari was raising from her seat, shouting back roughly. "You what?!"

Laughing back, her classmate replied. "Listen, like it or not, you are the talk of Japan right now which would look really good for our class. You have to compete."

Although Bakugo didn't want to hear it, already letting her anger out. "So you signed me up for this stupid ass contest without my permission?! Hell no, you can find another doll cause there is no way in hell I'm doing it."

The boy sighed back. "It was a majority vote, even Shinso was for it."

At that, Amari's eyes whipped to her friend, only for him to look away. That bastard, he was all for this?! "You traitor, why would you do that?!"

Averting her eyes, the boy muttered to himself. He already knew that she would be majorly against the idea but the thought of her in a beautiful dress made him cave. As much as he hated it, he wanted to see her like that.

Although it wasn't like he was going to tell her his real reasons, now trying to hide an irritating blush because of his own imagination. "I thought you'd like it."

Amari was not having it though. "Well I don't, and it's not happening. That's final."

She then made her way to the window only for Shinso to glance at his classmates that were already pushing him towards the girl in order to talk some sense into her. If anyone could get her to agree, it would be him.

Frowning back, Shinso made his way towards Amari who looked super pissed off, her arms crossed over her chest at the very idea of her classmates selling her out. They did decide this without her permission and all. "Hey…"

But if looks could kill, the boy would've been dead where he stood. "Just so you know, I'm still pissed at you."

Sighing heavily, the boy replied. "Listen, I'm sorry for going with their idea. I just thought, you could use something to keep your mind off of what's happening right now."

Amari placed a hand to the window sill in response, knowing fully well that she had too much to worry about right now, and a beauty pageant wasn't going to fix that. "I just can't. I mean, look at me. I'm not beauty pageant material in the slightest. The only reason everyone wants me is because of my popularity. I just feel, I don't know, used about the whole thing."

Shinso completely understood that though, knowing his classmates true intentions. "Come on Amari, sure their intentions aren't the best, but I'd think you'd be really great at it."

Although the girl only looked at him like he was an idiot. "Seriously? You don't believe that. Stop giving me lip service Toshi, I know I'm not that kind of person."

At the sound of his first name, the boy froze. "I..uhh..why did you call me that?"

Bakugo seemed to notice as well, casting her eyes away as if she made a mistake. "Oh, sorry. I guess that makes you uncomfortable, right? I'll stop."

Yet Shinso didn't want that in the slightest, now reaching down to grab her arm, possibly a little too quickly. "No! Uhh... I mean, I don't really care either way. It's not that big of a deal."

His words caused Amari to smile under her breath, knowing she had gotten permission. It was like they were closer friends now and that made her internally happy. "Okay, if you're sure?"

Nodding back, the boy coughed once before settling his mind back on the topic. He needed to pull himself together. "Right so, back to the whole pageant thing, I think you're selling yourself short Amari. Sure you aren't like other girls, but that's what makes the people like you so much, right? Your popularity comes from somewhere. I think you can do it."

Amari's eyes softened at his statement, thinking his words were sweet but she knew better. After spending her life being experimented on, beaten, yelled at and spit out by the world again and again, she knew she wasn't the picture of a perfect U.A. student, neither mind a hero.

But that wasn't the real route of the issue. A little self loathing she could deal with but it was far more than that. With Dabi free, Hawks trying to poke his nose where it doesn't belong, trying to get the Todoroki family back together and the threat of her own impending droom, now was not the time to stew over a class event.

Shaking her head sadly, the girl replied. "Your faith in me is concerning Toshi. I get you're trying to help but it's not about not being able to do it. I just already have way too much to worry about right now."

Shinso frowned back only for one of their classmates to talk loudly, enough for Amari to hear. "You know what, maybe we were wrong after all. It seems like Bakugo's not that right choice. She'll probably embarrass our class anyways."

The girl ticked her brow in annoyance as they continued. "Yeah, you're right. We expected too much from her."

Balling her hands into a fist, Bakugo felt a hard ball of irritation in the back of her throat. These guys were underestimating her and she hated it. Sure she didn't want to do this, but it wasn't like she couldn't if she tried.

Amari then turned around to face their accusations. "Hold on, isn't not that I can't do it, I just don't want to. Get that through your thick skull."

Yet the boy only clicked his tongue. "That sounds like an excuse. Just come out and say it already. You know you can't do it.."

Her boiling point was getting harder and harder to hold after that. She knew they didn't fully understand the situation she was dealing with but they were also underplaying her skills and that pissed her off even more. The last thing she liked was being put down.

Then, before she could think, the girl snapped, her words pouring out without a second thought. She wanted to show them that they were wrong, she wanted to prove herself. Just the very idea overwhelmed her. "Screw you! You know what, fine. I'll enter your stupid contest and I'll even win the damn thing! So just wait!"

Although after her acceptance, the boy's face curved up into a small smirk, placing his hands out in defense and Amari didn't feel like she won. No, it felt like the opposite. "Alright then."

Then all at once, that's when it hit her, now watching the boy walk away from her triumphantly. "I just got played, didn't I?"

Shinso placed a pitying hand to her shoulder in response before nodding back. Yep."

Grumbling to herself, Amari immediately slumped down in her desk before slamming her face into the surface and groaning. She always knew how to push her brother's buttons to get him to agree but she hadn't even noticed that she just fallen for the same trick. "Curse you stupid Bakugo traits."

Shinso patted her head slowly in hopes to calm her own self loathing when a voice broke through the space, stopping both of them immediately. "Bakugo."

Raising her head, she turned to find Aziawa leaning near the doorway, a frown plastered on his face. Although that wasn't anything new for him. "You said you wanted to see Eri, right? She can have visitors now."

At his words, the girl immediately perked up, forgetting all of her internal worries as she hurried to the door. She had been waiting weeks for Eri to get better, to make sure she was okay, and now it seemed like the day. "Really?! Can I go see her?"

Nodding back, Aziawa replied. "That's why I'm here. She won't stop asking about you."

Bakugo's heart flipped at that before giving Shinso a small wave and following the man out of the classroom.

She couldn't help it, she was just so excited to see the little girl, to spoil her and make sure she had the best life anyone had ever seen.

* * *

When she reached the hospital, Amari made her way up the steps only to see two very familiar faces waiting for them, hands outstretched in excitement. "There she is!"

Just then she felt herself being thrown up in the air as strong hands whirred her around all at once, now recognizing Mirio's voice. "It's been so long, angry one's sister! How have you been?"

Feeling the words spin around her, Amari replied back the best she could without losing her lunch. "Whoaa! Hey Mirio, it looks like you've been doing good."

He nodded back before placing the girl back onto the floor, a grin plastered onto his face. "Yep! Although now I'm just bursting with energy! I can't wait till I can get back to school and everything. Being stuck in the hospital for so long wasn't fun at all."

Mirio laughed back before Amari's face fell. She heard about what happened to him, about how he lost his quirk because she wasn't fast enough in saving him. How terrible she was, to have him suffer like that.

He seemed to notice her disinterest though, turning his head in question. "Hey, are you okay? You look a little down."

Snapping back to his eyes, Bakugo felt her appearance crumble. "I know this doesn't make it any better but I wanted to apologize. In fact, I wanted to visit you after everything but I just..I just couldn't."

Mirio only frowned back then, not fully understanding. "Apologize for what?"

A small amount of silence appeared before Amari answered, her voice slightly shaky. "I heard you fighting Chisaki while I was imprisoned. I could've gotten there faster, I could've helped you, but I was scared. Maybe if I stopped being a coward then your quirk wouldn't have.."

Yet before she continued, the boy put his hand up, a small smile on his face. "I'm going to stop you right there Bakugo. What happened with Chisaki was my own fault. I knew what would happen if I protected Eri. Is that what you were trying to tell me back then when you apologized? Ah I see. I get it now."

Then he put an understanding hand to her shoulder before finishing. "It's alright. I'm okay, so don't blame yourself like that, kay?"

Letting her eyes fall to the floor, Deku took in her demeanor before thinking back to their conversation back in that alleyway. The things she said, her entire past was so dark. It seemed like the girl was still conditioned to feel like the world was her fault. Only now could he begin to see her scars tough, and that terrified him.

Amari nodded back silently after a couple seconds, causing Mirio to beam in acceptance. "There we go, and besides, Mr. Aziawa said that once Eri is able to control her power, she may be able to use her quirk to heal me. We just have to wait patiently. So it all works out!"

She couldn't help but admire his strength and positivity. Bakugo knew first hand that he was probably destroyed on the inside, but because of his cheerful attitude, she knew she couldn't break that. "Yeah, I really hope she can help."

Mirio only smiled back as Aziawa pointed back towards the doors. "I'll take you to Eri."

Everyone seemed to agree at that, now following the man before finding a plain hospital door in front of them. This was it, Eri was just behind that door.

Pushing the object open, Mirio immediately shoved a basket of fruit in her face, his body blocking Amari immediately as he beamed. "Hey Eri! You brought you some yummy snacks. Hope you're feeling hungry! What's your favorite fruit? Oh, lemme guess! Peaches are your favorite right? Cause you're a peach!"

The small child took the basket with confusion. "Apple."

Mirio only nodded back though, moving towards his seat. "Right, that's what I meant! And look, I brought some other friends with me. Do you remember them?"

That's when the boy moved to his left only for Eri to lock eyes with Amari, her eyes widening at the sight. "Sissy..?"

Feeling her heart drop in her heart, Amari stepped forward with a small smile. Why did she sound so sad all of a sudden? Maybe she didn't want her here after all. "Hey Eri, sorry I couldn't visit sooner.."

Although almost immediately, the small child leapt forward before wrapping her small arms around Bakugo, her voice coming out in just a whisper. "I was so worried! I thought you were still hurt because of me.."

Turning her brow in concern, Amari lightly touched the child before giving into her embrace. Aziawa had told her that Eri had asked about her but she wasn't expecting this. She could practically feel the little girl shaking under her arms. "Hey, I'm okay. I'm just glad to see that you're alright."

Eri shook her head under the girl's chest though, now gripping onto the blonde haired girl for dear life. It was almost like she was afraid Bakugo would crumble before her. "Even when I had a fever, all I could think about was how much you did for me, how you saved me."

Everyone's heart broke at her words, now listening to her continue. "It's all my fault, all the terrible stuff that happened. I'm so sorry. I know that you lost your power because you were protecting me Lemillion."

Deku felt something inside of him shatter as he took in her cries, now noticing they sounded extremely familiar. In fact, he had just heard the same thing from Amari outside of the hospital. Both girls did nothing but blame themselves.

When Kachan's sister said that she saw Eri in herself, Deku didn't fully understand what she had meant, well until now that is. Because looking between Amari and Eri, Deku could now see the resemblances, the similar pain they both faced. He understood now.

He was taken out of his thoughts though as Mirio placed a warm hand on the child's head, his voice full of understanding and confidence. "I guarantee that none of us think that. In fact, you know what we are thinking though? Man, I'm glad that Eri is okay.."

Looking up from Bakugo's embrace, her tearful eyes met the boy as he continued. "So you see, there's no point in apologizing. Besides, everyone fought because they wanted to see you smile."

Eri seemed to think about this for a moment before twisting her face around in an attempt at something, causing the others to look confused. What was she trying to do?

Yet after a couple seconds, the girl gave up, now speaking sadly. "This is so silly. I think I've forgotten how smiling feels."

At that, Amari's eyes darkened, Deku silently wondering what she could possibly be thinking about that made her so serious.."Eri…"

Balling her fists by her sides, silent tears then poured from the little girl's eyes all at once. "Maybe someone like me, isn't meant to smile."

Everyone's faces dropped in shock, now feeling horrified knowing that Chisaki had broken her like this. A child her age was supposed to be happy, she was supposed to smile. It was supposed to be the easiest thing to do.

Yet that's when Bakugo immediately started reaching for the buttons on her jacket before throwing the object off silently, much to everyone's confusion. "Uhh what are you doing there angry one's sister?"

Amari didn't stop though, now taking off her plain white shirt and tie, the objects falling into a line onto the floor. She did this until only her black tank top remained. "Eri, that's not true."

Then the girl lifted up her hair before tying it up and Deku could see the ugly scars and burns that littered her back. The marks from All for One, from those villains that experimented on her. They were all visible now.

Even Eri seemed to be taken back by the sight, not having seen it before. The last time she saw Bakugo the girl was covered in blood. Oh no, what if she had gotten those when Amari rescued her? "Is that because of me?"

Shaking her head, Amari replied. "No Eri, it's not because of you. Listen, I'm going to tell you a story, okay? Although, it's not a very fun one so be warned."

The girl became silent then, allowing the girl to speak. "A long time ago, I was taken just like you. They used me, experimented on me for themselves. They made me believe that everything was my fault, that I could never be loved. I didn't have any family and even my own brother wouldn't look at me. I hurt myself, I did everything those villains said because I thought the same things you did. I thought that I was cursed, that I was the reason for the people hurting around me. Back then I also thought I couldn't smile, that I didn't deserve it after all the terrible things I've done. That's where these scars are from. They are the same as yours, because of people that wanted to use and break me for themselves."

Amari stopped then, closing her eyes in invisible pain before feeling her own voice grow raspy. No, she could get through this, she had to for Eri. "But I didn't let them. I didn't let them break me Eri. You wanna know why? Because I realized at U.A. that I have people that love me, people that unconditionally support me with everything they have. Back then, I hated myself, I thought I could never be loved but I was wrong, I was so so wrong…"

Feeling tears make their way up to her eyes, the girl brokenly finished. "And I know it can be the same for you. When will you understand Eri, I am you. I've always been you, and if I can be happy, loved, accepted, then so can you."

Then to prove the point, Bakugo's face turned up into a bright, warm smile causing Eri's tears to spill over onto her cheek in shock. "See? It's possible for people like us after all."

The room was stunned into silence then, Deku and Mirio staring at the girl with disbelief. They knew about her scars from the mission but actually hearing about everything she went through was something completely different. It was heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.

Even Eri seemed surprised, placing a hand to her mouth in reply. She always thought the image of Bakugo Amari was something too good to be true, like a superhero that was perfect in every way. They couldn't possibly be the same.

But looking at her scars, the little girl started to think differently. If Sissy can be strong and happy, then maybe it was possibly for her as well. "..I can be like you?"

Shaking her head in reply, Amari wiped the tears from her eyes. "No Eri, you can be better than me."

Eri couldn't believe it, now whipping her own tears. "I don't know how though."

The room became silent then, not knowing how to go about this. There had to be something to make Eri happy, something to get her to smile. They knew that she had it in her, the three just had to bring it out.

Almost on cue though, the door slammed open again as a surprising fourth voice entered the mix. "There you are. I swear, this hospital has too many damn rooms."

Everyone turned their heads at the voice, Amari rising from her seat questionably. "Katsuki, what are you doing here?"

Grumbling to himself, the boy scoffed. "Picking you up stupid. That old hag called and when I told her where you were, she wouldn't stop nagging me about coming to get you. The damn receptionist wouldn't even tell me where you were so you better be grateful for this."

He sounded more on edge then usual and Amari could already picture him yelling at the poor lady at the front desk. "Sounds like you had an adventure."

Giggling to herself, the girl then noticed Eri from the corner of her eyes before gasping. "Oh right, let me introduce you guys."

Then she pushed her brother towards the center of the room as Eri looked at him curiously, noticing how much he looked like Sissy. "This is my brother, Katsuki. I told you about him before, remember?"

Bakugo laid his eyes on the child before frowning back. He was never good with kids so he didn't know where Amari was getting at.

Although his blood completely ran cold as her small fragile voice ran back, now grabbing onto his pants. "Brother..?

Almost immediately, the boy was slammed with unpleasant memories of his sister as a child. Now that he mentioned it, this girl looked awful like Amari, so much so that it made his heart drop in his chest.

Suddenly all that guilt came rushing back as he pushed off her hand. "Who are you calling brother? I only have one annoying sister, I don't need another."

Eri's eyes fell only for Amari to slap his shoulder roughly. "Katsuki, don't be rude. She's just curious that's all. See, I told you he was grumpy sometimes."

Laughing back to ease the tension, Bakugo frowned. "Who are you calling grumpy?! You have a death wish Amari?!"

His words were ironic to say the least, now causing the girl to sigh, not engaging in his tantrum. "You know you're proving my point right now, right?"

Bakugo shut his mouth right after that, knowing she was right only for the girl to notice his shirt. It was different then what he usually wore, now gracing a bright orange shirt with the letters A Band on the front. "Hey, what's with the shirt?"

Looking down, the boy rolled his eyes. "Stupid classmates made them for the festival and forced me to wear it. We're doing a band performance and I'm playing the drums.."

At that, Amari's eyes widened, slightly impressed that Katsuki was willingly going along with something from his class. "Wait, and you're going along with this? Katsuki, you haven't played the drums in forever."

She may have been right about that fact. In fact, their mother had forced them to take music lessons back when they were kids. Katsuki got stuck with the drums while Amari learned the guitar while in the hospital. It was just something she thought they needed in life for some reason and Bakugo always hated it.

Grumbling once more, Katsuki replied. "Those damn extras told me I couldn't do it, so I proved them wrong."

At that, Amari couldn't help but crack a smile, recalling what she had walked into back in class with the whole beauty pageant thing. Why were they so similar? Well, she supposed that's why they were twins. "Of course that's what happened.."

Just then, Eri's voice perked up, now hearing the conversation. "What's a festival?"

Everyone turned then, seeing the curiosity in the child's voice. That's when Deku got an idea. "Eri, do you want to go to a festival?"

Mirio immediately got where he was going with this, now joining in. "Oh, yeah! This is the best idea ever! You should totally come! It's gonna be super fun, there are tons of games and performances, they sell food! It's great!"

Deku nodded back joyfully. "Yeah, and our class is doing a performance! We are going to sing and dance and everything. We'd love it if you came out and watched us."

Sparkles appeared in her eyes, the girl seeming extremely interested before turning to Amari all at once. "Will you be in it Sissy?"

That's when everyone noticed her eyes fall just slightly. "Ahh no, I'm not in the hero course so I can't join in. But I'll be there to support, you should come also! That way, we can support them together!"

Everyone could tell that the girl was slightly disappointed at the fact Amari wasn't going up on stage, although she tried to remain positive. "I'd like that."

Grinning back, the two started talking about how much fun they were going to have as Katsuki watched his sister with concern. She seemed really down about not being able to perform. It must have been because of that kid, right?

And once everyone had left and they began walking home, the boy started to voice his questions. "Hey nerd, did you want to perform with our class that badly? You looked super depressed about it before."

Amari stopped then, feeling the breeze through her hair before sighing. "It's not really about that. Yeah, I would love to participate with you and the rest of your class. Honestly not being in the hero course still makes me sad, but it's more than that."

Then she looked down at her hands once. "Eri was really looking forward to it and I feel like I let her down. I think she really wanted to see me up there with everyone, and I just can't do that."

An air of silence appeared then, Katsuki taking in his sister's aura before grabbing her arm roughly and pulling her back towards the school. "Come on, hurry up."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the girl struggled to keep up with Bakugo's steps, calling back. "Whoaa, hold Katsuki. Where are we going?"

Yet the boy only shook his head, an unreadable expression on his face. "You want to make that girl smile, right? Well, let's go dumbass.."

Widening her eyes all at once, Amari stopped struggling, not knowing where he was going with this but trusting him entirely.

He was going to help her with this, wasn't he?

* * *

The day of the school festival came soon enough and everyone was bustling around trying to get everything completed before people showed up. Amari wished Katsuki and Todoroki good luck practicing before making her way towards the other beauty pageant contestants.

The fact that she was even doing this was surprising in itself, already feeling uncomfortable for the amount of eyes that would soon be on her. She just hoped to get it over with.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Shinso glancing back. "Are you doing okay? Cause it looks like you're gonna be sick."

Bakugo nodded her head back half heartedly. "Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous. I already don't do well with people looking at me in the news so this is out of my comfort level."

The boy gave her an understanding look before pointing to her attire, now noticing something wrong. "You're not wearing that, right?"

Frowning back, Amari took in her sweatpants before rolling her eyes. "First off all, rude. And second, no I'm not for your information. I'm just waiting for someone to get here before I change."

She then glanced at her phone as Shinso questioned. "And who would be that?"

Scrolling through the messages, Bakugo sighed. "Listen, it's no secret that this isn't my area of expertise, so I asked someone who could help out."

As if on cue, that door next to them opened only for a familiar head of white and red hair smiled at her, the glasses on her face blocking her eyes. "Bakugo, it's so great to see you again!"

She then opened her arms before crushing the girl in a suffocating hug. "You too Todoroki, sorry about asking this of you. You're probably really busy and everything."

Although the woman only scoffed before shoving a stack of dresses into Bakugo's arm. "Oh please, call me Fuyumi. Also it's not a problem at all. In fact, when you called me about this I was really happy."

The blonde haired girl raised an eye at that. "Really?"

Nodding back, Fuyumi smiled. "Yes. In fact, I was a little jealous when I heard Natsuo got to take you away for a bit. I mean, I want time to bond with my future sister in law also."

Shinso seemed taken back by that but all Amari could do is blush, now attempting to cover her face. "Whaaa, come on Fuyumi. We are still in high school. You don't know what will happen in the future."

Yet the girl only gave Bakugo knowing look. "Oh trust me, I do. I see the way my little brother looks at you. I'm his sister, I would know. Shoto's never acted that way before, well until you came along. Anyways, we should get started, yeah?"

Blushing even more, Amari turned her head away before muttering back. She could see why Todoroki said his sister was a handful. Her and Natsuo were both very interesting people. "Uhh yeah, we should do that."

Fuyumi then started picking up the dresses before placing each one in front of Amari in order to imagine what they'd look like. "Hmm do you have any suggestions on color?"

The girl only shook her head though. "I'm not really knowledgeable about this kind of thing. I wouldn't even know where to start."

Todoroki's sister didn't seem to mind though. "Don't worry, I'll do the best I can. I'm going to make sure you win that pageant and make Shoto's jaw drop to the floor. Although, that last part won't be that hard."

Raising her brow at that, the girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

Although Fuyumi just smirked, now handing her a long gold colored dress. " Because you could wear a trash bag and Shoto would call you beautiful. That's just how he is. If you're in it, I already know he'll love it."

Feeling flustered, Amari then averted her eyes before glancing at the beautiful garment in her hands. It looked expensive and lavish, with a light shimmer to the skirt. She definitely would stand out in this.

Then before she could answer, Fuyumi was pushing her behind the screen to her left so she could change. "Try it out, see how it fits."

Amari still wasn't sure but trusted the girl, now unzipping the back before unbuttoning her school shirt slowly. "Oh, okay…"

Taking off her shirt, the girl then turned around only for Fuyumi's eyes to widen at the sight of her scars. She had never seen them before and held in the desire to ask, but instead quickly decided against it. Shoto's scar was really personal so she could only imagine that Amari's were the same.

Because of that, she couldn't help recalling the fight that Bakugo and her father were a part of a couple days ago, the woman's eyes falling at the mention of it. "Bakugo, can I ask you something?"

Amari turned around only for Fuyumi to lower her voice. "I wanted to thank you, for what you did in Kyushu. Honestly I've never known how to feel about my father. Shoto seems indifferent and Natsuo wants to write him out of his life but I'm not either of those things."

The girl remained silent then, allowing Todoroki's sister to continue. "I'm not excusing what he did to us, but I always felt horrible for not falling into either category. If he was purely evil then I would gladly disown him, but sometimes I can see it, I can see his humanity. Nobody else seemed to think so though. I always thought I was just going crazy..."

Feeling a hand reach out to her, Fuyumi then smiled in her direction. "But you've seen it, haven't you? You had to, or else you wouldn't have risked your life protecting him."

Amari looked down at the woman's hands before remembering every kind thing Endeavor had done for her. Yeah he was brash and angry all the time but he helped her in more ways she could imagine. "Yeah, I have seen it."

Nodding back, Fuyumi then removed her hold silently. "I thought so. Thank you for that. I don't know many people that would've given him a chance like you have. Although, I can admit that I am surprised at his actions. Taking you under his wing was something I thought would never happen."

And that was true, in fact when her and Natsuo found out about the arrangement, they couldn't believe the words their father was saying. All throughout their life, Endeavor was focused on only one thing, power, and it wasn't hard to see that Bakugo Amari didn't fit his ideal perspective in the slightest. Yet, he kept her around. It was strange and they didn't understand why.

Although her words only caused Amari to sadden, her voice small and meek. "I know why he did it. It's because I reminded him of Toya. Endeavor won't talk about it, but I think he's still really torn up about what happened back then. He regrets it, I think."

Fuyumi's eyes widened at that, not having heard her older brother's name in years. Then she started to put the pieces together. Amari did kind of remind her of Toya. Maybe she was onto something. "Y-You think so?"

Nodding back, a flash of Dabi creeped into her mind before the girl shoved it down. "Yeah, I do. He'll never admit it though, just like someone else I know."

An air of silence appeared then before Amari turned back to Todoroki's sister, passion and determination clear in her eyes. "Fuyumi, I want to help him, I want to help all of you. I know it isn't my place since I'm not a part of your family but if there's anything I can do for you I.."

Although the woman put her hand to stop her. "Bakugo, you don't need to do anything. In fact, you've already done plenty for our broken little family. We couldn't expect more."

Yet the girl only shook her head. "I know I don't need to, but I want to. I know it may sound foolish but I have this silly dream of you all coming back together."

Fuyumi seemed shocked at her declaration, wondering why Bakugo was going so far for their family. She had already done enough, helping Shoto come out of his shell and giving Endeavor a chance. Why did she feel like she needed to do more?

She couldn't deny the sound of her words though, liking the idea. "That does sound like a nice dream, although I'm not sure if it's possible anymore."

Bakugo's face fell then, only before Todoroki's sister continued. "But even though that may be so, I'll still wish for it. It seems I have that dream as well, of one day seeing our family sitting together at the dinner table, just like normal people do."

She looked in thought at the idea and Amari couldn't help but feel even more determined. It seemed that Fuyumi shared the same ideology and desires as she did. With the rest of the Todoroki family so at odds, it felt nice to have someone in her corner.

Smiling to herself, Amari replied. "Who knows, that day may come sooner than you think."

Fuyumi couldn't help but smile as well, even though she knew such things were probably not possible for their family. They had been broken so long, it seemed impossible to piece them back together now. "I'd like to think so. Anyways, enough about me. Go ahead and try the dress."

Blinking back to reality, Bakugo then remembered the object in her hand before fiddling with the zipper once more. "Oh yeah, sure I can do that."

She slid the large amount of fabric onto her body before Todoroki's sister helped with the back, now thinking about something in particular. "This may seem silly, but I've always wanted to dress up someone. My brothers are great but secretly, I wanted a sister as well."

Amari adjusted the collar before recalling a similar thought she had when the girl was a child. Katsuki was wonderful but he wasn't one for dress up or dolls. "Well now you have me."

Fuyumi couldn't help but giggle at that, watching Bakugo turn around before nodding in approval. "Yes I do, and who knows, maybe in a couple years I'll be helping you with your wedding dress. Oh, I can't wait for that."

At her outlandish comment, the blonde haired girl immediately blushed, turning herself away in utter embarrassment. "Fuyumi, stop it. Why are you so determined to marry us off anyways?"

But the woman couldn't help but smile in return, hoping that Todoroki's new found happiness would always remain with her by his side.

Call it selfish, but she didn't want Bakugo to ever leave . "Because I want to have a younger sister, and you are just too cute to pass up."

* * *

After what seemed like forever, Shinso saw the curtains part only for Amari to walk out, now catching the eye of everyone in the room. Fuyumi gave a triumphant smile at her work as the girl smoothed out the skirt carefully. Oh yeah, she was good.

The boy on the other hand, completely lost his composure, now seeing his friend avert her eyes all at once, embarrassment on her features. "I'll never get used to this."

Looking down at herself, Amari took in the stunning gold fabric gracing her body, the shimmer of the skirt moving as she walked. She then placed a hand up to her ear and she found a matching set of gold rose earrings and necklace trailing across her collarbone. The dress was beautiful sure, but the amount of attention she was getting was already giving her second thoughts.

Todoroki's sister only shook her head though. "Nonsense, you're a beautiful girl Bakugo, so don't be afraid to let the people see you."

Then she noticed the purple haired boys surprised and shocked face only to smirk under her breath. Bakugo sure had a lot of admirers didn't she? "What do you think?"

As if blinking back to life, Shinso began to scratch the back of his neck in utter embarrassment before turning his head away. "I think..uhh..it's not bad."

Hearing a heels click across the floor, Amari replied. "Really? I don't really think it suits me."

At that, the boy immediately turned back, Fuyumi's eyes narrowing at his words. This poor boy was trying so hard, she almost felt pity for him. "It does."

Bakugo smiled back at the commitment, but not really sure how to take it when her classmates whistled under their breath. "Damn Bakugo, you clean up good. If your brother wasn't so scary, you'd have people falling over you left and right like this. We are going to win for sure now."

Frowning back, the girl then headed towards her classmate before hitting him on the shoulder before scoffing. "Shut up. The sooner this can be over, the better."

He laughed in response, although stopped when a voice echoed to their left, shaking the two out of their fighting as they turned around. "I have a delivery for Bakugo Amari."

Amari then caught the sight of an older gentleman making his way to them before setting the package down on the desk. "Uhh that's me."

Shinso raised an eye at that, noticing the long box before him. It looked to be some kind of flower delivery service. "Wow, Todoroki is really out here overachieving if he's sending you flowers. Did you know about this?"

Scoffing back, the girl quickly accepted the gift before looking down at the solid black box with a crimson ribbon over the front. "No, I didn't know. Maybe he wants to wish me luck?"

Just then a teacher entered the space, his eyes casted down to the clipboard in his hands. "Alright contestants, make your way to the stage. We will begin in a minute."

The girls all began to giggle softly as the sound of heels clicked against the tiles, Fuyumi now putting a light hand to Amari's shoulder. "I'm going to go get a seat. I'll see you out there."

Nodding back quietly, the woman began to follow everyone out until it was only Shinso and herself left in the room. The boy seemed confused why she wasn't moving though. "Hey, did you hear them? We gotta go."

But Amari only put a hand up, her gaze going back to the mysterious box next to her. It seemed to be calling her name somehow, like she couldn't leave without knowing what was inside. Todoroki was sweet enough to send them anyways. "I will in a second. I just want to see what he sent me."

Touching the cool lid, the girl then began to undo the ribbon, it falling into a line on the floor. "Alright, but hurry up."

She stuck her tongue out in response before slipping her fingers underneath the lid, a small smile on her face. She imagined what kind of flowers could be inside, or what kind of gift he thoughtfully put together for her. The idea made her heart jump in excitement.

But when she lifted the top, the girl couldn't help but stare at the contents. They weren't what she expected to be. In fact, inside were a bundle of pure black roses, the edges burned just slightly for some reason.

Twisting her brow in confusion, she then noticed a small note attached to the top, now unsticking the paper and folding it open.

Yet, when she read the contents, her breathing pounded erratically in her chest.

There in blood red colored font were words that made her heart stop. .

Little One,

You seem to be having fun. Although, it's almost time to come back to me.

Never forget who you belong to.

-Master

P.S. Look at your phone

She stared at the contents, reading the words over and over in her mind before Shinso noticed her remaining completely silent. That was strange for her. "What were his romantic words too much for you? Although, I admit, I never thought Todoroki would be someone to give out black roses. It just doesn't seem like his style…"

Although Bakugo didn't move, she didn't even speak, almost like the message had put her into some kind of trance. The air became thin as the boy started to question her sudden change of attitude. "Amari, you in there?"

His words seemed to be the kick starter she needed to immediately shove her hand into her pockets, now taking out her phone as she aggressively slammed her hands down on the buttons.

Okay, now he was starting to worry. Her attitude was not normal. "Whoaa, calm down. What's wrong with you?"

Yet once again the girl didn't answer, scrolling through her phone before clicking on a video to the left hand side of the screen. She then raised the volume so he could hear as well. **_We are following the latest story here today. During the transportation from Tartarus, the container holding All for One was attacked by a group we now know as the league of villains. We now believe that the previous security breach was only to get the villain out of Tartarus and it seemed like we played into their hands. Heroes have been searching for hours but no leads have been made as of now. All for One has not been spotted so we urge citizens to stay inside and contact any local heroes if they have any information…_**

The room became silent as Amari fully grasped the situation. She kept telling herself that everything was going to be okay, that the horrible future awaiting her would not happen solely because All for One was locked away. Although, now all of that had changed, that man was free and he could take everything away from her in a single second.

Without even realizing it, everything came crumbling down around her and Amari knew these roses were just that villain's way of telling her that she wasn't safe.

Shinso couldn't believe it either, shockingly turning towards the girl before speaking. "Amari.."

Yet the boy could already see the shake in her hands, Bakugo's eyes widely glued to the floor as she muttered brokenly. "No..this c-can't be real...no…"

Feeling her breathing pick up, Amari started to ramble, not paying attention to the words tumbling out of her mouth or making sense of them. "He's free, oh god he's free. It's over, it's over for me….he's gonna take me and hurt everyone. No no, please no…"

Shinso twisted his brow in confusion, now moving up to her and touching her arm only to flitch away almost immediately. He couldn't deny that the motion terrified him. "Amari, calm down. It's okay, it's not over. He can't get to you.."

Yet she only shook her head, pointing to the box of roses before gasping in between breaths. Her breathing was getting shorter by the minute "That's bullshit and you know it! He sent these flowers, he wants me to know I can't run away. He's going to take me whether I like it or not and I'm never going to break free! It will be like before…"

Placing a shaking hand to her mouth, Amari felt the world spin, her past and present mixing together as she crumbled to the ground, broken and devastated. "He's going to make me hurt people again, he's going to make me murder more people.. I don't...I can't...I don't want to die…!"

Shinso's heart dropped in his chest, running over to the girl before looking over her widely. He wanted to help her, he wanted to calm her down but didn't know how. Before at the sports festival he had seen her upset but this was something else entirely. Here she just looked broken. "Amari, look at me! Please calm down. I don't...what should I do? How do I help!?"

She only responded by squeezing her hands towards her chest, heavy sobs racking through her. It seemed she didn't hear him, only drowned out by the sounds of her own fear. "I don't want to die...I want to live...why can't I live…?"

Twisting his brow in internal pain, the boy then went to stand, hoping that her brother or Todoroki could bring her down. "I'm going to go get Bakugo, just stay there and…"

Yet Bakugo seemed to sense his movement, now reaching out a hand out and aggressively pulling off his jacket, fear and terror etched in her eyes. "No! Please, don't leave me..please….Toshi I'm scared…"

Nodding his head in understanding, the boy sat back down, now seeing her shaking hand clutching his shirt for dear life. He knew he couldn't just leave her but he still needed to do something.

Then he noticed the phone next to her leg before swiping it up and seeing Bakugo's name in her contacts. He would know what to do hopefully.

After pushing his number, Shinso heard the object ring before her brother picked up, rough and unamused. "What is it nerd? You sure are taking your sweet ass time. Aren't you supposed to be on stage right now?"

Although the boy couldn't answer any of his questions, now shouting into the phone roughly. "Bakugo, you need to get here. Now."

Yet as if on cue, the boy only scoffed, obviously not taking in the severity of the situation. "And why should I listen to you? Why do you have her phone anyways?"

Shinso only shook his head though, placing the phone closer to his sister so he could hear broken sobs and cries. This would make him come. "Just do it!"

Then he hung up the surface before placing a hand on Amari's head, her shaking underneath him at the touch. "It's okay, it's okay your brother is coming. You just have to hold on, okay?"

It only took a couple minutes for the sound of heavy boots to echo through the hallway, now slamming the door open as sweat poured down his face. "Where is she?!"

Just then, Katsuki caught the sight of his sister, crumbled and broken on the floor, tear stained cheeks and shaking form as she balled herself as small as she possibly could. "Amari.."

Quickly making his way to her, the boy's eyes fell to devastation, now going to touch her only for her to flitch. "No..please don't hurt me...please…"

Her broken cries shattered Bakugo's heart, pulling away only to turn to Shinso. He had never seen her like this before. Crying sure, but she looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. "What happened?"

Glancing to the floor, the purple haired boy muttered. "She found out All for One escaped from prison and completely lost it. I can't get her to answer me. I think her mind is somewhere else."

Katsuki took in his sister once more before his chest twisted in pain, calling out to her all at once. "Hey, Amari..it's me. I'm right here, you're safe. That bastard isn't here, okay?"

Yet the girl only shook her head, tightening the hold around her arms. "No..he's always here..he's going to take me and hurt me again...I don't want to...I don't…"

But the boy only shook his head, reaching out once more and placing a warm hand to her head. "No, I won't let those bastards touch you. You hear me?"

Amari remained silent then, allowing the boy to continue. "Amari, listen to me. Don't let that bastard break you, got that? My sister is stronger than this. He wants you to do this, you know that, right? He thinks you're fragile, but I know you. That isn't you at all."

Silent tears poured down her cheeks as Katsuki then trailed his hands to her back before pressing her body into his, his strong hands wrapping around her frame. "You are the strongest person I've ever met, don't ever forget that you idiot. All for One can go screw himself cause I know you aren't anyone's weapon or pet. He doesn't understand how strong us Bakugo's are, how strong you are."

Before she could reply, the door opened again, except this time Amari just barely recognized the voice of Aziawa, low and monotone. "Bakugo, your class performance is soon. They told me to come get you."

Not noticing his sister's state because she was huddled in Katsuki's arms, the boy only gave a scoff, directing his attention back to her. He couldn't leave now, Amari needed him. "Tell them I'm not going."

The teacher's eyes raised at that, frowning back. "Bakugo, Eri is looking forward to this performance. You can't just cancel."

Yet the blonde haired boy only shook his head. "I already said I'm not going! Just leave me alone!"

Feeling the heartbeat against Katsuki's chest, Amari took in Aziawa's words before thinking about the meaning. That was right, Eri was out there wanting to see her smile, wishing for her to appear. She even hyped up the idea so much and yet what was she doing right now, whining and crying?

She understood her fate, now realizing that Amari was getting caught up in the wrong thing. Yes, she was terrified of dying but if the future was already set, then what was the use of crying, of wasting the precious time she had left.

Closing her eyes, she thought about Todoroki crying over her body, about Katsuki blaming himself, about how Eri would never break free of her chains and Dabi would never realize who he really was. These were the things that made her eyes fall.

Sure dying was easy, but what would happen to the people she left behind?

If she had known beforehand then it would've been easier, yet now whether she liked it or not she had people that would be destroyed by her death. She couldn't have that.

Sucking in a breath of courage, she listened to Aziawa's rough tone to his student., obviously not into performing after seeing his sister break down. "Bakugo.."

Yet that's when Amari placed a hand to her brother's chest, managing out a sentence. "Katsuki, I want to do it."

Twisting his brow like she was insane, Bakugo looked down at his sister before noticing her shaking hands. "Do you have a screw loose or something? You are in no condition for that, and I'm not doing it either."

Thinking back to Eri's tearful expression, Amari suddenly found her strength. "No, I need to do this. Eri's waiting for us Katsuki. I told her I'd be there. I'm okay, I can do this.."

But the boy had doubts, not believing her for a second. He could easily tell she wasn't alright, in fact she was falling apart a second ago. "Bullshit. Amari if you think I believe that for one second than you must think I'm stupid. It's fine, the kid will understand."

Shaking her head back, a flash of Eri appeared in her mind again, causing her to grip onto her brother's shirt for dear life. She was pleading now. "Katsuki, you're right. I am lying. The truth is, I'm still terrified, but I promised that little girl that I would help her smile. Please, I have to do this. Let me do this…"

Her eyes looked desperate, almost wild as her crimson irises met his, searching his face for approval. Honestly, Katsuki was still concerned about his sister, about how she had fallen apart so terribly but he also knew what Eri meant to her.

He knew that she saw herself in the little girl, he knew about her desire to help her, and that wasn't something he couldn't turn down. He would just have to keep an eye of her then. "Fine, but if you overdo it, I'm pulling you away, you got that?"

Almost not believing what she was hearing, the girl nodded her head in response before removing her hands from his now crumbled shirt.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she replied. "Thank you Katsuki."

Her brother only looked away though before turning back to Aziawa sharply. He hated seeing her push herself but somehow he couldn't say no. "We'll be there."

* * *

The crowds were talking over each other when Katsuki and Amari appeared backstage for their performance. It seemed they had a really good turn out, and because the performance would be recorded that meant there was a lot riding on this. She knew she had to be serious.

Deku saw them first, running to the twins before giving a sigh in exasperation. "There you are! We were worried you were going to ditch."

Taking a breath, Amari then smirked before punching Katsuki playfully in the chest. He didn't need to know about her breakdown. "Well this one tried to, but I brought him back."

Bakugo only grumbled in response as Deku bought her words, turning to look out at the crowds. "It looks like Eri just arrived. I hope she likes the performance."

Although Amari only had the utmost confidence. "I'm sure she'll love it."

From the looks of it, it seemed like the students didn't know about All for One's breakout yet, being too busy to turn look at their phones and the TV. Well, maybe that was for the best. She didn't want anything ruining this for them.

Just then, she felt a hand to her back only to find Todoroki staring at her. "Are you ready?"

Nodding back, Amari gave him a thumbs up. It sucked that he didn't get to see her in the beauty pageant dress, in fact it sucked missing the whole thing but she knew that this was far more important right now. She could show him later. "Yeah, let's do this."

The curtains began to rise as the hero course students stepped out on stage, Eri's eyes widening at the sight of her saviors on such a large scale. "Hello! We hope you enjoy!"

Lights started flashing then as the kids began their performance, Amari watching from the sidelines as Eri seemed transfixed. In fact, everyone in the audience looked like they were having a great time.

The song reached its climax, as Jiro's voice lowered with the sound and Mirio lifted the child up to see over the large crowds. "Eri, you're not going to want to miss this! Check it out!"

Then as if almost on cue, the floor opened up and Amari popped into the center before joining in the dance, singing and smiling along with all of her peers. It was a surprise the audience wasn't expecting, considering the girl wasn't in the hero course.

She knew that this was being broadcasted so that meant that a variety of people would see it, including All for One. In fact, he was probably expecting her to be broken and a sobbing mess right about now. No, she wanted to show him Katsuki's words were true.

He would not break her, he would not let her crumble so easily.

Throwing up a joyful smile, the girl then lifted up her hand as Eri's eyes sparkled. Sissy was up there, giving such a carefree expression after everything that happened to her. She was still smiling, therefore maybe it was okay for her to do also..

She felt her lips curve upwards for the first time in years as the hero course watched her, feeling pride in their chest. They did it, they got her to smile.

Feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes, Amari exchanged a knowing look with Bakugo who gave her a nod, now knowing she had made the right choice. Instead, all she could think of was one thing..

_ Come and watch me All for One, see how strong I am_

* * *

At the same time, Class 1-A's performance played through the dingy basement as Toga and Twice watched the broadcast with interest. Toga seemed the most confused though. "That's strange. Old AFO said that she'd be crying right about now. I kinda wanted to see that."

Seeing her joyful, tearful smile through the static, Dabi then narrowed his eyes before fiddling with the can in his hands. He really should've killed her back in that alleyway. So the question is, why didn't he?

When he spoke, the man's voice came out rough and full of anger. "Turn it off."

Yet Twice only turned his head in question. "Aw, what's got you all wound up?"

Dabi only closed his eyes though, seeing that annoying blonde haired girl in his mind before throwing the can at the screen, causing the surface to break. "I said, turn it off."

Then before anymore could question, the man turned on his heels before heading for the steps. Toga and Twice noticed the change of attitude almost immediately. Dabi was always laid back and chill, rarely angry.

So, what changed?

* * *

Once the performance was over, Eri ran up to Amari before tackling her in a suffocating hug. "Sissy, you were great! But I thought you said you weren't in it?"

Crouching down to the floor, Amari accepted her embrace before glancing at her classmates. "I wasn't supposed to, but after I told Katsuki how much I wanted to make you smile, he convinced our teacher and even showed me the dance. We practiced together just so you could see it."

At her words, the small girl then turned to Sissy's angry counterpart, suddenly with new eyes. She always thought that Bakugo was scary but maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Touching his pants with her small hand, Eri stared back at the boy. "You did that for me?"

A flash of a younger version of his sister suddenly entered his mind and because of that he couldn't shake her off this time. "Don't get used to it kid."

Eri only smiled back though, knowing that the boy meant well. "Thank you Brother."

Katsuki's eyes widened then as Amari gave him a warning look, trying to tell him not to be rude. She just wanted to get closer to him after all.

Although her brother seemed to get the message before placing a hand on Eri's head, surprising even Amari herself. "Who are you calling brother, nerd."

His voice was loving and small, causing Amari's lips to curve up into a small smile. Perhaps she was wrong to be worried about him after all. It seemed the little girl was growing on him as well.

Just then, she felt a light tap on her shoulder before turning to find Todoroki giving her an unreadable expression. "Amari, can we talk?"

Twisting her brow in confusion, she nodded before kneeling down to Eri's height. "Hey Eri, I'll be right back. Go have fun with brother Katsuki while you wait, okay?"

She gave her a small nod before Bakugo glared back at the girl. " Wait, hold on, I didn't agree to this! Amari, get your ass back here!"

Yet it seemed that his sister was already gone, causing the boy to grumble to himself.

Great, now he had to babysit.

* * *

Following Todoroki into an empty classroom, she noticed his urgency. It was like something was bothering him. "Hey Shoto, is everything okay?"

The boy stopped at her words before turning around and Amari could see the concern in his eyes. "I should be asking you that. I heard about All for One. Are you okay?"

Placing a worried hand to her face, Amari's exterior began to crack, lowering her brow in hurt. "Honestly no, I'm not okay. But I won't give him any of my tears anymore. He doesn't deserve that satisfaction."

Todoroki took in her words before feeling slightly impressed. For someone that had tortured, experimented and used her, she was taking the news of his break out extremely well. Perhaps too well actually.

Trailing his fingers around her face, the boy cupped her cheek before sighing. "You are trying to be strong. I admire that but you know you don't have to do that with me, right?"

Amari then turned her gaze to the floor before taking in a shaky breath. "Yeah I know, that's why I didn't lie to you. Shoto, he sent me flowers, he told me not to get too comfortable. As much as I hate it, he still terrifies me."

Hearing that All for One has already contacted Amari bought an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He was terrified as well, knowing just how badly that man wanted her. "That's understandable."

Yet that's when the girl shook her head. "But it's okay, cause I have you and Deku and Katsuki and everyone else. You make me strong, strong enough to face this."

Todoroki was honestly impressed with her words, now nodding his head before brushing his thumb over her cheek once. "That's right, and I'm not going anywhere."

Amari really wanted to tell him that she would do the same but then that would be a lie, and she made it a point never to lie to him like that. "Yeah, I know. Honestly the fact that you love a train wreck like me is still surprising in itself sometimes."

He raised an eye at that, not fully understanding her words. "Why wouldn't I? You are one of the most captivating and inspiring people I've ever met."

Amari laughed at herself because of his words.. "Don't forget to include stubbornness in there somewhere."

This caused Todoroki to crack a small smile as well. "Of course, how could I forget?"

Then he leaned down before planting a kiss on the top of her head before speaking against her scalp. "Regardless of what you may think, I think you are perfect just the way you are, flaws and all."

Turning her eyes in a soft blush, Amari muttered. "You need to stop being so smooth Shoto. My heart can't take it."

This causes the boy to crack another smile before reaching down and pulling the hair tie from her hair, her locks falling into her shoulder as he replied. "I can't help it. I just want to show you how much I adore you, how much you mean to me."

If her blush hadn't taken up her entire face before, now it certain did, feeling Todoroki''s fingers comb through her hair. "I think I understand,"

Yet the boy only shook his head, pulling away so that they were face to face once again. "No, I don't think you do actually. I don't think words could ever describe how much I care about you. Simple words could never do it justice."

Smiling to herself, the girl then placed a hand to cup his cheek in response. "I feel the same. I want to give you everything I possibly can."

Todoroki only shook his head though. "But I already have everything, everything I could ever need is right in front of me."

Amari felt her face heat up at his words, happy that he loved her but she wanted more for him. She wanted to give him the world, to make sure he would be eternally happy.

Changing the subject all together in order not to pass out from the embarrassment in her cheeks, Amari stepped back. "Sorry about missing the beauty pageant. You didn't get to see me all dressed up and everything. Fuyumi seemed to think you would've liked it."

The boy watched her move towards the window before placing her arms on the side, looking at the setting sun in front of her. "I imagine you looked beautiful."

Rolling her eyes, Amari cracked a smile. "You know, that's what your sister thought you'd say. Seems like she was right after all."

He didn't like the sound of that. "Please tell me she didn't say anything embarrassing."

Recalling the conversations. Bakugo threw her hands out to prove her point. "Just that she's already planning our wedding and has appointed me as her new sister in law."

Todoroki's eyes fell at that, already feeling the disappointment and embarrassment in his cheeks. "I'm sorry, she has no sense of boundaries. I'll speak to her about it."

Yet Amari only laughed back. "Nah, you don't have to do that. Although, I gotta say your family sure is interesting Shoto. It's never a dull moment with them, that's for sure."

And that was true, between Fuyumi and Natsuo's over the top behavior, Endeavor's rough but sometimes kind demeanor and Dabi's sarcastic tone, the Todoroki family sure was something.

Thinking about that, the air became silent for a couple moments before Todoroki spoke, this time with uncertainty. "Amari, can I share a secret with you?"

She nodded back only for him to sigh. "This may be foolish, but I'm glad you missed the beauty pageant."

Twisting her brow in confusion, Bakugo questioned. "Why is that?"

That's when he stepped forward, grasping her hands lightly. "Because the thought of others looking at you, admiring you makes me uneasy. If you are going to wear something like that, I want to be the one to see it."

Widening her eyes, Amari couldn't help but price together what he was saying. "Wait, were you feeling jealous?"

Nodding back, the boy averted his eyes. "I told you it was foolish."

Bakugo could see the light hue on his cheeks before smiling to herself, now pulling him closer. "Shoto, that's not foolish at all. How about this, I'll have Fuyumi save the dress and then I'll wear it on our next date?"

Picturing Amari in a beautiful dress, the boy couldn't help but feel the heat in his cheek grow. "Yes, I think I would like that very much."

She smiled back only for the boy to pick up a small box that was next to his desk before handing it to Amari. "This was supposed to be for after the contest, but I bought this for you."

Amari eyed the box before opening the contents and finding a single white rose tied with a bright red ribbon.

The contrast to All for One's black roses to Shoto's pure white ones was obvious , now hearing him speak. "When I spoke to the woman, she told me that white roses represent eternal loyalty."

Bringing the object to her face, Amari couldn't help but feel tears prick the corner of her eyes.

Eternal loyalty, the promise to always last forever, a promise to love each other regardless of the struggles and obstacles in their way. It was fitting for them, in more ways than one.

She took in the scent before smiling to herself. "I love it, thank you Shoto."

The boy nodded back before stepping up to her, his hand back on her cheek before leaning closer. "No matter what happens, I will always be by your side, okay?"

Nodding through her tears, Amari smiled before leaning into his kiss, the promise and desire to give each other happiness entering their minds.

Just then, the door opened to their left only to find All Might staring back at them. "There you are young Bakugo. You are needed in the principal office. There is someone that would like to speak with you."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the girl stepped forward. "Who is it?"

Yet the man only shook his head. "It's better if you just see."

Not liking the sound of that, Todoroki then placed an understanding hand to her shoulder before replying. "It's alright, I understand."

Amari didn't really want to leave but after his words, she felt like she had no choice, leaning forward to kiss his cheek in response. "I'll be back I guess. See you Shoto."

He nodded back only for the girl to follow All Might, the man now strangely quiet for some reason.

Why did that feel like a bad omen?

* * *

Moving towards the large office, Amari stopped in front of the door before taking a breath and pushing the object open. Whatever was on the other side was a complete mystery which unnerved the girl. All Might wouldn't even tell her who it was.

Although when she took her first step inside, she found a pair of familiar faces, along with one that was unknown to her.

The first two were Endeavor and Hawks, seated and little ways away, and the second was a middle aged woman in the center. What the hell was going on here?

Lifting her head at Amari's presence, the woman spoke, her voice smooth and authoritative. "Hello Bakugo, it's so wonderful to finally meet you."

Amari couldn't but be confused at that, now seeing Hawks giver her a small wave as well. "Good to see you again chickadee! Hope things have been well."

Although that didn't seem to answer her question, taking matters into her own hands. "Uhh, is everything okay?"

The woman only narrowed her eyes though, taking a sip of her tea. "My apologies, we haven't met yet. I am the president of the hero's public safety commission. I'm sure you've heard the name, correct?"

Nodding her head, the girl couldn't help but be intimidated. The hero public safety commission was a big deal, in fact they were in charge of a lot of things in the hero world.

So the question was, why was the president of the hero safety commission here? "Am I in trouble?"

The woman only frowned before continuing. "I'm sure you are aware of what our organization does, correct? It helps keep order and makes sure everyone is following the appropriate rules and regulations set by the country."

She continued not even a moment later, her stare piercing Amari's soul. " So what I'd like to ask is why a fifteen year old license-less girl has been seen at both a Yakuza drug raid and a wide spread Nomu attack. Given your current status, you should not have been allowed to engage in combat, and yet these reports say differently."

Throwing the reports on the table, Bakugo physically gulped. She was screwed, she was so screwed. "Do you think the rules do not apply to you Bakugo Amari?"

Hawks noticed the girl's discomfort, knowing that the president could have a sharp tongue and tried to help and situation. "Come on president, she was just trying to help."

Yet the woman was not having it. "Her actions could have resulted in her death and therefore create a mark on the commission as a whole."

Balling her hands into fists, Bakugo knew she had to speak out, knew she had to say something. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I just saw someone crying out for help and wanted to fix it. With all due request, isn't that what a hero is supposed to do?"

The woman looked down in response before rising from her seat, now strolling up to the small girl. "Do you know how many reports I've received because of your foolish choices? It has been never ending, the amount of hero's and citizens that come to me, all asking the same thing over and over again…"

Closing her eyes at the fear of getting yelled at, Amari knew that her time as a hero was done. She messed up, now she'll never get her license or join her brother. It was over.

Although that's when the president finished her sentence. "They ask me, why isn't someone like you in the hero course?"

Widening her eyes in confusion, Bakugo replied. "I'm sorry?"

Sighing to herself, she then threw a hand over to Endeavor and Hawks. "Between the number one and number twos hero's recommendations along with the citizens from Kyushu, I've been asked to place you back in the hero course."

Amari couldn't believe what she was hearing. First she thought she'd be deported for breaking the law but this woman was thinking about putting back in the hero course? It felt like a dream.

Turning to the two heroes, Hawks couldn't help but smile. "I gotta admit chickadee, when I saw you fight that Nomu, I was impressed. It's about time you get some recognition for that."

She then heard Endeavor's voice ring out. "And as much as you are insufferable most of the time, you did save my life. That's got to count for something."

Just then, the president shoved a stack of papers in her hands and Amari opened them up only to find statements from the people of Kyushu, thanking her for saving them. It was overwhelming to say the least.

The president then shook her head. "Normally I'd expel someone like you from U.A. But after receiving such a high demand, I would only get criticized for removing you."

Pushing her lips together, the woman finished. That is why, I am transferring you back into the hero course for next semester."

Amari felt the words enter her mind before staring in absolute shock. Did she just hear that right? Was she going crazy? She was going to be back with Katsuki, she was going to be in the hero course.

Feeling tears make their way to the surface, the girl shoved them down before brokenly speaking. "I-I don't know what to say…"

Yet the woman only scoffed, "You will start by gaining your provisional licence. Although, If your health starts to deteriorate again then I will have no choice but to drop you from U.A. all together. Do you understand?"

Nodding back, Amari replied. "Yes, I understand. Thank you, I won't disappoint you."

She narrowed her eyes at that. "Let's hope not. Now, you are dismissed. I wish to speak to Hawks privately."

Bowing her head in overwhelming happiness, Bakugo smiled before heading out the door.

Although she stopped for a moment to silently thank Hawks and Endeavor for believing in her, for supporting her. This was like a dream come true.

Once she exited the room, the tears began to flow, now reaching for her phone before lifting it up to her ear in utter joy. "Katsuki, I did it. I made it back into the hero course."

* * *

After a celebratory dinner with the entire dorm, Amari found herself back in her room, now feeling the quiet around her space, more so than ever before.

When she told everyone about the news, the entire class screamed in joy before tackling the poor girl into a hug. Katsuki and Todoroki congratulated her as well but their reactions were far more muted with all the people around.

For the first time in a while, Amari felt loved. After all of the darkness in her life, these groups of people really saved her, physically and mentally. She wanted to repay them somehow but didn't think she'd ever find a way, now seeing the impact they had on her life.

Back when All for One gave her that message, Amari realized that she only thought of herself, what she would lose and how she would suffer.

But now looking at the faces around him, the girl realized that wasn't what mattered. No, instead of protecting her smile, she wanted to protect theirs.

How much would they suffer when she was gone, how much pain would she cause them in the end? That's what she wanted to save.

It wasn't like she accepted her death but Bakugo needed a backup just in case her horrible future did come true.

If she was going to die, then she wanted to make sure they'd be alright

Moving to her cabinet in the corner, Bakugo then picked out a simple notebook before grabbing a pen and narrowing her eyes.

Her writing soon filled the pages, the words dancing in her mind as she tried to memorize every single one of them

**Bucket List (Just in Case) **

1\. Make sure Katsuki's alright

2\. Give Shoto his family back

3\. Help Deku become a great hero

4\. Get Shinso into the hero course

5\. Make Eri smile as many times as possible

Then she took a shaky breath before writing the last point on her list, the tears filling her eyes as she added

6\. Be Remembered

* * *

Looking back at the president, Hawks whistled through his teeth, now back at the commission after their talk with Bakugo.

As shady as she was, the bird was happy for Amari, knowing that she had really wanted to be let back into the hero course. He was happy he could help with that, if only a little.

Although it wasn't as if his words didn't have alternative meanings, now knowing that Bakugo would be much easier to keep track of in the hero course. His spying would be far easier as well.

The president looked down at her desk before beginning. "How is the assignment?"

Ah yes, the assignment, the reason why he was doing all of these things in the first place. "Dabi still won't trust me, regardless of what I do."

The woman didn't seem pleased at that though. "Try harder then. And what of the girl, Bakugo Amari?"

Thinking back to that Nomu fight, the man shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Nothing I haven't already told you. She's definitely up to something though, I can feel it. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on her in the future since it's still undetermined if she's a traitor or not."

She nodded back before slamming a new report on her desk, the stack of papers not looking inviting in the slightest. "Don't play babysitter for too long. It seems we have other issues."

Twisting his brow in confusion, the woman pointed to the top piece of paper. "What do you know of All for One's masterpiece? It's been brought up even more recently."

Hawks stared at the contents before sighing. "Not much, in fact that's one of the deepest secrets in the league. All I've heard is that it's stronger than anything anyone has seen before, that it can topple the hero society in a single swoop. Although that's gotta be spooky stories, right? There is no way the league has something that strong."

The president only tapped her finger on her desk in response though. "Don't be so naive Hawks. This isn't something we can ignore."

The man only shrugged his shoulders at that. "Yeah but we don't have any proof that it exists, only word of mouth and that's not very reliable. I think it's just something made up by the league to instill fear."

Shaking her head, the woman then pointed to the file. "Open it."

Hawks didn't fully understand but did so anyways, opening the contents only to see graphic pictures of mutilated body's, blood everywhere as Hawks tried to not to gag. "What is this?"

Narrowing her eyes, she answered. "Five years ago, the American branch sent in five separate teams to investigate suspicious activity on the edge of town. They lost contact and three days later, the branch found their remains as pictured."

The bird tried to put the pieces together before widening his eyes. Was she saying what he thought she was? "You think that they came across All for One's masterpiece?"

Nodding back, the president replied. "The facility belonged to All for One so it's not a far stretch. But if it was that thing that murdered those agents, we can't out rule the possibility of its power."

Just the idea of a monster murdering hero's was enough to make the birds' blood run cold, never mind that kind of weapon in the hands of one of most dangerous people on earth.

She lifted her hand out then. "Although, because no reports of that kind have been reported in Japan, we can safely say that All for One does not have the weapon fully at his disposal. This gives us an opportunity."

Hawks then watched as the president slid down into her seat, the sure sign from his childhood to tell him that she was serious. "What do you want me to do?"

Placing her hands in front, the woman spoke words that Hawks didn't understand would be so incredibly dangerous in the future. "I want you to find the All for One's masterpiece before he can get his hands on it."

The man only nodded back, not realizing what her words actually meant at the time. "And then what?"

That's when the president's voice rang out, sharp and cold. "I want you to kill it."

* * *

Remember when I said last Ch was the longest one I've written? Welp, I topped myself oops.

AHHHHHHH oh no, Hawks has agreed to kill All for One's masterpiece but we all know who that is. Amari oof girl you got a storm coming. Have fun talking to the girl you are supposed to kill now Hawks.

Also lots of things here omg. Since it's the finale I wanted to include a little bit of everything, good boy Shinso, cute Eri, caring Katsuki, Todoroki fluff, Dabi being conflicted? and sadness of course.

Also my baby made it back into the hero course. I'm so proud. Although there's a hell of a shit storm coming with that.

Next Chapter: We begin the finale arc of His Reasons.


	73. S5 Chapter 1

Hello and welcome to Season Five. If you are reading in the future here is a small reminder to tell you that this arc will be mostly original content. Small parts of the manga will be used but it will not follow the canon of the real show. It will still be a crazy ride though, so I hope you will enjoy! I've been very excited to start this arc, so let's go!

* * *

A soft ringing echoed through Amari's dorm room as she rolled over sleepily, groaning as she did so. After finding the object she was searching for, the girl then slammed her hand over the microphone, silencing the beep all at once. Setting alarms was never really her thing.

Although today was different, the girl slumping out of her bed before moving towards her calendar and crossing off the previous day. Another day alive, another day of opportunity. Amari was thankful for it, knowing that someday soon everything would be cut short.

Then she glanced at her phone before picking up the object, her fingers dancing across the buttons. It was time to get to work, and she knew exactly how to start it.

After a couple soft rings, he heard the boys voice on the other side, his words slurred as if he was confused. "Amari, what's going on, is everything's okay?"

It was obvious that he hadn't expected her call, causing Amari to smile into the line, continuing like nothing was wrong. "Hey Toshi, what are you doing today?"

Yawning back, the boy answering half heartedly. "Sleeping?"

The girl only chuckled at that, possibly a little too quick as she replied. "Since when? With those bags under your eyes all the time?"

Shinso didn't seem to share her amusement though, given that it was so early. "Did you call just to insult me?"

Smirking back, Amari answered. "Possibly?"

The boy only groaned at that, shaking his head before already pulling the phone from his ear. "I can't deal with you this early. How about you try again when the sun's actually up?"

That's when Bakugo panicked, leaning forward on her chair all at once. She pushed him too far, and now he was going to ruin her plan. Amari knew she had to draw him back quickly. "Hey hey, come on. Don't be like that. I was just wondering if you wanted to train with me today?"

This caused him to pause, which Amari was thankful for. "You want _me _to train with you?"

Nodding back, the girl knew she had him back, leaning forward on her chair. "I mean, yeah. It's been so long since we've had a match, and plus I gotta see those new skills you've been hiding. Can't have you beating me now, can we?"

A small pause appeared then, hoping that he would take the bait she so clearly laid out for him. Yet what she got instead was uncertainty. "I don't get it, why me? Go ask your new hero course buddies to help you. We won't even be in the same class in a couple weeks."

Bakugo's face fell then, her eyes saddening at his words. She had no idea the boy was upset by her placement back into the hero course. Perhaps he thought she was mocking him because of her position? That's not what she wanted at all.

Placing a hand to her desk, Amari's eye's fell onto her open notebook before answering. "Hold on, just because we won't be in the same class doesn't mean we can't be friends."

The line was silent once again only for the boy to respond, regret now in his tone. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry short stuff. I guess I'm just a little jealous about your situation. I know you deserve it, it's just…"

Amari answered for him though. "It's okay. I completely understand, although don't sell yourself short. Besides, you never know what will happen in the future. You just gotta have faith Toshi.

The girl then smiled to herself, knowing that he wasn't going to have to feel jealous for long, now continuing. "Come on, let's train together like old times. Besides, I haven't kicked your ass in quite some time, I think I'm due."

She could hear his laugh through the phone, Shinso replying back a moment later. "Fine, but I'm not going anywhere until the sun is up. You'll just have to wait till then to lose."

Whistling back, Amari shook her head. "Oh, confident aren't we? Alright then, that's fair. I'll send you the location in a couple hours. I actually have something to do beforehand anyways."

Yawning once more, Shinso's voice echoed back before hearing his line rustle. It sounded like he was crawling back into bed. "Mmmm now let me sleep."

Bakugo then kicked her feet towards the ground, hoisting herself up as well. "Alright alright. See you Shih Tzu."

She heard a low grumble before he barely muttered back, obviously catching his old nickname. "Watch it short stuff…"

Then the line hung up, allowing Amari to shove the object back into her pocket, determination on her features.

Yes it was true, her time was limited, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to make the most of it, especially for those she held dear.

* * *

Knocking on the surface in front of her, the door opened only for Amari to be immediately tackled by something running onto her legs, knocking the small girl over all at once. "Whoaa!"

She then looked down only to catch the sight of a very familiar head of white hair. "Sissy, You're here!

Amari couldn't help but smile at that, touching the small child's head a patting it twice, something Katsuki seemed to do for her to show affection. "How have you been Eri? I hope Mr Aziawa hasn't been too grumpy to you."

She giggled at her own joke when another voice entered, the man obviously not amused by her words. "Bakugo stop acting like I'm not in the room."

Putting a playful hand to her neck, Bakugo stumbled back to her feet. "Ah, there you are! Just the man I wanted to see! Thanks for agreeing to meet with me today. I know it's an off day for you and everything.."

Aziawa only shook his head though. "It's alright, Eri has been keeping me busy as it is anyways. Besides, you seemed to stress it's importance so this better be good."

Amari knew that he had taken the small child under his wing, given that she was still dangerous with her quirk. It was the only way to make sure she was safe but it didn't seem like Aziawa seemed to mind.

Nodding back, Bakugo replied. "Yeah, it is."

Giving her a look, the man then sighed before leading her into another room, closing the door after them so they could speak freely without Eri listening in. "Go on then."

Bakugo remained silent for a moment before realizing this was it. She really had to get him onboard with this or else everything would fall apart. "It's not about me, it's about one of my classmates."

Reaching into her bag, she then pulled out a stack of papers before slapping them on the desk in front of her. "Hitoshi Shinso. He's currently in general studies but I believe that he belongs into a hero course as well."

The man stared at the papers on the table before narrowing his eyes in disinterest. "Is this what you came for? If so, then you can pack up your stuff and leave."

Balling her hands into fists, Amari expected this, now speaking out again. "Hold on, just hear me out for a second. Shinso is just as capable as me but no one has given him a chance to show off his talent. He's grown since the sports festival and…"

Yet the man only shook his head, glancing at the purple haired boy pictured in the center of her folder. "I admire your loyalty to your friends but that's not how this school operates. Just because you think someone belongs in the hero course doesn't mean you can do what you want."

Shaking her head, Bakugo fired back. "Yes, I know and I'm not expecting anything. I just want people to look at him, to give him a chance to show everyone what he can do. I'm not trying to cheat his way into the course, I just want to give him the same opportunities I had."

Aziawa still did seem pleased though, now staring into her eyes before replying. "So you're saying that this boy has the capabilities to become a hero?"

Amari only nodded though, a serious expression on her face. "Yes, I would bet my life on his potential Sir."

Narrowing his expression, Aziawa noticed her determination for the boy although he knew very well where her loyalties were. Yes it was obvious that she wanted to help her friend but he was unsure if it was because of her relation to him or because of his talent. Those two lines tend to blur so easily after all.

He then let his voice come out cruel and cold, causing the girl's eyes to widen all at once. "What if you had to give up your spot in the hero course in exchange for his?"

Amari stood silent then, her heart dropping into her chest. She had wanted nothing more than to join her brother, Todoroki and her friends, to prove to the world that she was worthy enough to be that course. She had worked for months to get back, and now he was suggesting she'd give it up?

But then she thought about Shinso and his past, his determination and desire to be recognized. He was pushing himself so hard and no one was looking in his direction, nobody was given him the chance to rise above. She could do that for him, she could make people know his name.

Yes the sacrifice would hurt, but if it made his dream come true, then Amari would happily claw her way back to the top. She had done it once before, she could do it again.

Her voice returned confident, surprising even the man himself as she replied. "Yes, if that is what it takes for him to get recognized, then I would give up my spot for him."

Aziawa stood there, dumbfounded by her decision. She obviously didn't understand what she was saying. This girl had worked so hard to get back into his class, and she was just going to give it up for that boy? "Bakugo.."

Yet Amari only shook her head, cutting him off. "Before you claim I'm not serious, I've wanted nothing more than to be in the hero course this entire semester. I've worked my ass off to stay at the level of my classmates but I also know I've been given the support by so many. Endeavor, Hawks and Sir Nighteye believed in me, they helped me get to where I am. But for Shinso, if I have to give up my spot just to give him one of the chances I've been given, then I would do it in a heartbeat."

After her declaration, Aziawa stood silent, now realizing just how serious she was about the boy. At first he thought she wasn't serious yet from the tone of her voice to the thick air already then, the man soon figured out how much this meant to her. Bakugo would really give up everything just to help him succeed? He wasn't sure if he had ever met someone like that before.

Balling her hands into a fist, the girl then finished strongly, pointing to one of the pictures before them. "If you still don't believe me, come watch him fight today, see for yourself how strong he is, because I know you'll see it too. You will see the potential and passion he has for this, just like I have."

Amari then closed her eyes, knowing that was all she could do, hoping that it was enough for the man to listen to her. She supposed time would only tell after all.

Not expecting an answer, the girl began to write something down on a stray piece of paper before placing it onto the table silently.

Amari then turned around on her heels before walking out of the door, her voice carrying one last and final time before leaving. "Take a chance on him Mr. Aziawa, I promise you won't regret it."

Then just like that, the girl was gone, only leaving the teacher to contemplate what she had said, and the decision he now had to make because of her words.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Shinso showed up to the location that Amari had texted him, duffle bag in hand. He was still confused as to why she would choose him to train with, given that she had much stronger allies now, including the big three. She could have picked anyone and yet the girl was still hanging around him.

Although he couldn't help but be glad for it, now seeing her run up to him happily, a little hop in her step. Why did she have to be so damn adorable all the time? "Toshi, there you are! Come on you slow poke!"

The new nickname she gave him wasn't good for his heart either, strolling up to her before placing a hand out in exasperation. "Whoa, hold on. Why are you in such a rush?"

Yet the girl only shook her head, keeping her eye out for Aziawa but coming up empty. She supposed it would take some more time, that is if he took the bait at all. "I guess I'm just excited. You've been talking really big the last couple of weeks and everything after all."

This caused Shinso to smirk under his breath, the two making their way to the training area all at once. "Yeah, you better prepare yourself Amari, I've had some practice."

Bakugo only looked ecstatic though, placing her bag down before taking a long swig of her water. "Alright, same as always. No quirks, just hand to hand combat. I wanna see if you still suck."

At her insult, the boy scoffed playfully before they moved to the center of the ring. "Are you underestimating me? That doesn't sound like Bakugo Amari at all."

Yet the girl shook her head, readying her fists. "Of course not Toshi, I know how good you can be. So go on, show me what you've got."

Then before Shinso could react, the girl threw a fist in his direction, causing the boy to just barely miss, now stepping to his left to avoid the blow. "Whoa, okay so that's how it is..."

Smirking under his breath, he then stepped onto his right foot before throwing one of his own punches, Bakugo spinning around to block his hit with her forearm.

The force was stronger than before, but still not painful which meant that Shinso was still holding back on her, and that was something she couldn't have, especially since they could have eyes on them right now. "Is that all you got Shih Tzu?"

But before she could finish that sentence, the boy side swept her leg, causing the small girl to tumble to the ground in a hard groan, her elbow jamming into the title. "That's cheating, you jerk!"

Shinso only smirked back though, coaxing her with his words. "Oh, what's this? Is short stuff being a sore loser?"

This caused Bakugo to narrow her eyes, enjoying his mocking tone. His confidence had definitely improved since she last trained him, which she was glad for. He had every right to know how amazing he was. "Oh, you're gonna regret that."

Reaching down to get to her level, Amari then smirked before kicking her leg to connect with his nose, now using her hands to backbend herself back to her feet proudly. "What was that about being a sore loser?"

Shinso groaned at the action, noticing that her hit wasn't as strong as usual, probably so she wouldn't break his nose. He then realized that she was matching his punches so they were at the same level. That was such a technical thing to do, and yet she was doing it like nothing.

Rubbing her arm, Amari then tilted her head towards the viewing platform, now seeing a black outline watching their fight. She couldn't make out the shape of the person, but she hoped it was who she thought it was. Now it was time to get serious.

Amari snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Shinso's fist barrel into her again, this time connecting with her left shoulder as she stumbled back. Although like before, his hits were not serious, they were light, like he was afraid to hurt her.

That wasn't going to make Aziawa notice him in the slightest, Amari now frowned back at his hit. "You call that a hit?! Bullshit, come fight me like you mean it!"

Shinso only stared at her in confusion though, not understanding her anger. This was like last time back at the summer training camp. "Amari, I don't want to hurt you. Even if this is training, you're still my friend."

Yet the girl only shook her head, balling her fists. "It doesn't matter. You'll never get anywhere if you keep giving me these weak ass hits. Are you holding back because you think I can't handle it? It doesn't matter if I am a friend, you need to show me that you're serious!"

Racing at him again, Amari outstretched her fist, as if she was daring him to hit her with everything he had, although Shinso still faltered. He knew what she wanted, but he just couldn't bring himself to hurt the girl he had feelings for.

Shinso then stepped to the side, sliding under Bakugo's swing before calling back to her roughly. "Amari, I can't."

Hearing the words of rejection in her ears, Amari paused. This wouldn't work, she knew he could do better. If she was a villain then he would have had no problem hitting her. She needed to do something and fast, before Aziawa lost interest.

If he could only fight a villain, then Bakugo realized she had to be that for him. "Then you're a coward, and you wonder why you still aren't in the hero course."

Her sharp words stopped the boy completely, a look of disbelief and irritation now lining his features. _Yes, that's good Shinso, get pissed off so you can let loose_. "What did you just say?"

Knowing she had got him, Bakugo ran at him again, kicking her leg up to connect with his side, using her entire power to show him that she was serious. "You think you can get anywhere in life by holding back? I made it back into the hero course because I worked my ass off, so what are you doing Shih tzu?! Are you not serious about it after all?!"

She purposely used his old nickname to tick him off even further, knowing fully well that Shinso had also worked his ass off to get where he was, but she needed to work him up. Amari knew she'd have to apologize later.

Not giving the boy a moment's peace, Amari then aimed her leg again, only for Shinso to wrap his fingers around the surface, fury in his eyes. Ah yes, that was the look. "You don't get to tell me I'm not serious. I've worked my entire life to be a hero!"

Narrowing her eyes, Amari gave him another verbal jab, causing the purple haired boy's eyes to widen. "You could've fooled me with those weak punches. You say you're serious? Then, prove it…"

That was the last word the girl was able to say before Shinso balled his fist as it connected with Bakugo's stomach, now feeling the absolute power from it. That wasn't weak at all. She had him.

Smirking under her breath, Amari then went to swipe his leg only for the boy to dodge, stepping away almost entirely, his voice full of malice. "Fine, if that's what you want. I can deliver."

Then before the girl could ever think, Shinso was after her again, except this time he was much faster than before, Bakugo struggling to block his hits now. He was using his tall nature to his advantage now, very clever.

Throwing a fist up, Amari lifted her hands only for the boy to trick her, now using his leg to kick her knees forcefully, the girl crumbling to the ground in sharp pain.

Yet she didn't have time to react, now seeing another fist come towards her face, Bakugo rolling away in time as Shinso's hand connected hard with the title.

He groaned as Bakugo scrambled to her feet, only for her legs to before being pulled back by Shinso, his long arms dragging her across the floor as she squealed.

Once he brought her back, the boy aimed a fist for her face again, only for Amari to panic. It was obvious that he was too focused on the fight to realize the amount of damage he would cause if he punched her with everything to her face.

As the hand flew down, Bakugo knew she couldn't let him win, now throwing up a gold shield to block his hit. Hey, it was cheating but at least she wouldn't have a broken nose.

Seeing her cheating, Shinso eyed her with confusion as she reached forward, her gold hand burning his hold on her leg all at once. "Sorry, I had to."

He seethed at the sensation, allowing her to scramble away and regain her place standing. Serious Shinso was not to be messed with, that was for sure.

The action seemed to make him even more pissed off though, staring at her with disbelief. "You don't get to tell me how I feel, about the obstacles I face with my quirk. No, the great Bakugo Amari would never understand how much shit I go through just to be considered as more than a villain."

Knowing that Aziawa could be listening, Amari played along, knowing that Shinso was just rambling because of his anger. He probably wasn't even realizing what he was saying. "Oh, cry me a river Shih tzu. We've all had shit to deal with, but half assing your way into the hero course is not what your parents would be proud of!"

She knew that would further his anger, causing him to narrow his eyes in fury at her words. "Don't bring them into this. Those people were never my parents so don't ever call them that. You wouldn't understand, you have a family that supports you, all I have is myself. So don't you dare tell me that I'm not worthy enough to be in that damn course, because I will prove to everyone that even someone with a villain quirk like me can be a hero!"

Amari couldn't believe his statement, knowing how hurt he was by his past but never truly seeing his passion so openly like that. He was hurting, just like she was, he was trying, just like she was. It was obvious how much Shinso wanted this, and Bakugo wanted to give it to him.

Slowly letting her hands fall to the sides, Bakugo then gave out a shaky breath before holding her arm from the sting. "Yeah, I know you can be a hero Toshi. In fact, you are gonna be a damn great one. I can already tell."

He blinked in confusion then, as if her words had snapped him back to reality, now staring at his bruised hands and Amari's purple arms. "W-What?"

Shaking her head, Bakugo laughed to herself. "Sorry, before I was just trying to piss you off. I didn't mean it, because I already know how hard you work. I just wanted you to show it instead of taking it easy on me."

Shinso realized what she had deliberately done before letting his own head fall. Of course she would do something like that, now moving up to her before placing a hand to the growing purple mark, Amari flinching at the touch. "You idiot. I hurt you.."

The girl only scoffed though, shaking her arm out to get rid of the sting. "Ah, don't worry about it, this is nothing. I'm just glad you finally hit me with your real strength. I gotta say Toshi, I'm impressed, you've definitely improved."

Laughing to herself, Amari then said something else but Shinso didn't hear her words, only focusing on the bruises he had caused. Bakugo sure was crazy, that was for sure.

Amari then glanced back towards the viewing window only to find it empty. She sighed to herself, hoping that their display was enough for the wandering eyes.

Although, now the ball was in his court.

* * *

Yawning once, Shinso turned the corner to get to the train only for a voice to stop him almost immediately. "Hitoshi Shinso, is it?"

The boy then turned only to find a very familiar pair of eyes staring back at him. He knew this guy anywhere, in fact he was legendary in the hero world. Eraserhead, aka one of U.A. teachers. "Uhh yeah. That's me."

Crossing his arms across his chest, the man sighed. "I'll cut this short. I was told to watch you fight today, and I didn't really see the purpose at first. I wondered why I should waste my time on a general studies kid."

Shinso only frowned back though, wondering why this guy was here just to insult him. "I don't.."

Yet Aziawa only put up his hand, not allowing him to finish. "That is what I thought, until I saw what she meant. Your quirk is brainwashing, correct?"

Nodding back, the boy answered with confusion, "Yeah, although it's not really great for physical attacks. That's why I botched the entrance exam last year."

Aziawa only narrowed his eyes though, as if he was processing what the boy was saying. "That's right, I recall your file. You don't know how to use it for physical fighting."

He nodded back only for the teacher to speak again, his voice plain and smooth. "You said you wanted to join the hero course, right? You won't be able to do it without proper training."

Shinso didn't know where he was going with this. Did this guy come out here to insult and belittle him for not being as strong as him? "What, are you saying you'll take the job?"

He meant it as a joke, but the boy certainly stopped when Aziawa replied back. "Would that consisted be a problem?"

Widening his eyes, Shinso blinked twice, not sure if she had just heard incorrectly. "W-What? You can't be serious…"

Yet the man only turned his head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He felt his mind go in a hundred different directions, now sputtering back. "Because I'm not even in the hero course, and my quirk is so hard to handle, especially for battle."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Aziawa then turned his head to the sky, thinking about something in particular. "You said before that you didn't have anyone to rely on, that you had a villain quirk. Those were things I used to say back when I was your age."

Shinso stared at him with disbelief as the man continued. "People forget that erasing someone's quirk could be considered villainous as well. That's what everyone used to think anyways, until I showed them differently."

Then he turned his face back to Shinso's before finishing. "Decide what you want, but if you want to show them you're not a villain, then it's now or never kid."

Trying to take in his words, the boy realized what he was trying to say. Could it be that Aziawa faced the same challenges as he did? That he understood the struggles of a villainous quirk? No, it couldn't be. Easerhead wasn't like him.

Shinso looked down at his hands before knowing his answer immediately. He wasn't sure if he could be what he wanted, but the boy knew he had to try. He would be stupid to waste this opportunity of a pro looking in his direction. "I want to do everything I can. If you'll take me, I would be honored to be your student."

Aziawa seemed pleased by that answer, nodding back once. Curse that Bakugo girl, she probably knew that he and Shinso shared the same past. That's why she had that crazy amount of knew it would end like this.

Well, whether he liked the methods or not, it looked like he had a new trainee. "We have work to do then."

* * *

Staring at the unread messages to Dabi on her phone, Amari sighed heavily before closing the object, the noise carrying across the space as she reached for the remote to her left.

It had been weeks since the incident in Kyushu and because of Endeavor's newfound popularity, his agency was bustling with business, causing the hero to become even more absent.

It wasn't like Amari was upset by it though, in fact she was happy that the people were putting their trust in the new number one hero. Although it brought a new worry into her mind, her training.

Because Endeavor was so busy, it had left little time for her training, the girl now falling even more behind than before. The provisional exams were coming fast, and she didn't have a trainer to help her anymore. She knew Todoroki's father was trying his best but it seemed impossible to do both.

Just then, one of the man's sidekicks poked her on the back, causing Amari to turn back all at once. "Bakugo, can you deliver this down the hall? It has to be on Endeavor's desk by tonight."

Nodding back, the girl quickly grabbed the file before standing. She knew they were just giving her busy work to get her mind off everything, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. "Yeah, of course."

Bakugo slipped out the door before making her way down the hall when something plowed into her back, causing the girl to trip almost immediately, making her way towards the floor.

Although that didn't happen, Amari instead finding a strong hand wrapped around her waist to support her, the sound of wings filling the air all at once. "Whoaa, you okay chickadee?"

Amari recognized the nickname all at once, up looking up to find Hawks grinning back joyfully. "Hawks, what are you doing here?"

She didn't thank him, only because his presence seemed suspicious. The man didn't seem to mind though, placing her back on her feet. "Just helping a damsel in distress. You know, normal hero stuff."

He avoided the question which made Bakugo throw up a skeptical eye. She clearly felt something push her to the ground a second ago. Did this guy really just use his feather to push her only to act like her savior? Of course knowing his record, that seemed like something he would do.

Brushing herself off, Amari only scoffed. "Mhmm sure, and do all heroes push someone down just to act like they are saving them, or is that just you?"

Hawks' eyes widened that silently then before flexing back into his crooked grin. This girl was smart, perhaps too smart. "What, of course not. That sounds cruel. I just wanted to help ya out. Is that so wrong?"

Bakugo still didn't seem pleased though, only brushing off his comment. "Sure, let's go with that to make you feel better. Well, I won't thank you for that, but I'm glad you're here Hawks."

The man raised an eye at that, wondering why she could possibly be glad, although he didn't have to wait long for her to answer. "You gave me your recommendation so I could get back into the hero course, didn't you? I wanted to thank you for that."

Now realizing what she had meant, the bird's feathers relaxed, although he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about her words. He clearly didn't have good intentions when he did that. "Oh, it's nothing chickadee. You deserved it."

That was true, Hawks did feel like she deserved it after seeing her fight, although the real reason the president agreed was only because Amari could be watched closer in the hero course. It was more on the record, which meant the commission would know her movements.

So his guilt certainly didn't lessen when Amari only smiled back, her innocence slamming into him like a truck. "Still, it seems you keep having my back, and I'm thankful for it. We don't even know each other that well, but you seem like a good person."

Hawks shook his head then, internally regretting what he had to do to this girl. Traitor or not, she was still only fifteen. _Chickadee please don't give me those eyes. I'm not a good person. _

Throwing a hand to her back, the man only beamed. "Ah well, thank ya chickadee. Now where is the man of the hour anyways? I wanted to chat with my good pal Endeavor."

That was a flat out lie, in fact the only reason Hawks came to the agency was because he knew that Bakugo was going to be there. Although it wasn't like he could say that.

The girl only shook her head though, sighing roughly as if she was disappointed. "Well you're out of luck birdie, he's on duty today. After what happened in Kyushu, calls keep coming in nonstop for him."

Notching her touch her arm, Hawks pushed deeper into her insecurity. "Why the long face? You seem upset about his newfound popularity. Isn't that what you wanted?"

He then watched as she narrowed her eyes, seemingly like she was annoyed by his statement. "It's not that, I'm happy for him. It just makes things more difficult I guess."

She meant that in more ways than one. Of course she meant her training but it also meant her plan of bringing Todoroki's family together. With Endeavor so absent, it would be harder to create a bound with his kids. Amari knew she'd just have to keep pushing through.

Hawks on the other hand seemed very interested in the last detail of her sentence. "How so?"

Blinking back to reality, Bakugo then stared back at the bird, not realizing she had said that out loud. "Huh?"

The man eyed her curiously before replying back. "How does his popularity make things difficult? What, you got some sort of plan or something?"

He meant it as a joke, but stopped speaking when the bird noticed a tiniest amount of fear in her eyes. Wait. Did that mean she really had a plan for Endeavor, but what could it be? Was it something sinister, something to do with her being a traitor? Hawks really wanted to know.

Although he lost his chance when Bakugo shook her head. "Nah, it's nothing. Never mind. I'm just rambling. It happens when I'm stressed."

The hero didn't believe that for one second though, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. No, there was something definitely up with her words. He'd have to investigate that later.

Then he decided to get down to business, fluffing his wings out in a carefree manner. "Mmm okay. Well maybe you can answer my questions then, since Endeavor is busy."

Twisting her brow into uncertainty, Amari replied. "What makes you think I would know the answer?"

Hawks only smirked then, already knowing she would give him something. "Oh, I think you will. It kinda involves you after all."

Narrowing her eyes, Hawks continued. "How well did you know All for One?"

Bakugo stood silent then, feeling her blood run cold all at once. What did he want with All for One, and why was he asking her about it?

The hero couldn't help but notice her reaction at his words, the name causing her eyes to light up with such clear fear and terror. Before she was able to hide it but it seemed like that villain was so powerful to her, that she couldn't help but react.

Touching her arms, Amari replied back as evenly as she could, although it wasn't as calm as she would've liked. "Why are you asking about him?"

Another sign of fear, the move itself causing Hawks to push further. "Well, I'm sure you heard about the breakout that happened yesterday. You met him before, right? I guess I'm just wondering what he was like."

Closing her eyes for a couple moments, Bakugo replied. "He kidnapped me, so I'm sure you can imagine what he was like."

Nodding back, the bird continued to push. "Right, but did he say why he wanted you? It was never covered in the news, so I guess I'm just curious."

He was getting close, far too close to important information. She had to lie, to throw him off before he discovered anything dangerous. "I don't know, he didn't really say. He just liked my quirk and wanted it for himself. I think that's what it was."

Flapping his wings in thought, Hawks picked up on her fear, but that was about it. It was hard to tell if she was telling the truth or not based on her response. He didn't have any reason at the moment to be skeptical of her answer, but he also didn't want to be naive. Hawks already knew the girl could lie, and lie well.

Then she watched as she placed a shaky hand to her cheek before answering. "I don't really like talking about it. Can we please go onto something else?"

Hawks' eyes softened then, truly seeing the torment his name brought her. He supposed it did make sense, he did kidnap her after all. Who knows what terrible things that man could have done before the heros rescued her. She was just a kid after all. "Uh yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Taking a calming breath, the girl replied softly. "It's okay. Sorry I don't have the information you wanted."

The hero only shook his head though, feeling bad for bringing up something obviously so personal to her. He was going to ask her about All for One's masterpiece but now wasn't really the time. Her fear would just cover up any information she had right now.

He did know one thing though, she couldn't be working for All for One given that response. She was too afraid. "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it kid."

That's when the bird recalled their conversation before coming up with the perfect plan, one that would most definitely figure out Bakugo's intentions. "In fact, how about I bring up your spirits a bit! I just got a great idea, you're gonna love it"

Flapping his wings in excitement, Amari's face twisted into confusion. "What are you talking about Hawks?"

That's when the winged hero gleamed with joy. "You said that Endeavor's been absent because of his hero work right?"

Bakugo nodded back, unsure where he was going with this. That is, until he spoke again. "I was thinkin, that since ol number one is busy, how about I help you get ready for your provisional exam!"

He expected her to be happy, to jump for joy at his offer. Although Amari did none of those things, instead she just looked at him like he was an idiot. "Why would you do that?"

Scoffing playfully, Hawks answered. "Because I wanna help ya out chickadee. You remind me a lot of myself so I wanna do what I can."

The man did want to help her, but he also knew that having Bakugo as his short time trainee, he could really integrate her. Hawks knew that with this method he could get her to trust him enough to tell him her secrets. The man just had to get her to break her walls down for him. _Come on Bakugo, take the bait. You know you want to. _

Amari seemed skeptical as well, knowing fully well how shady this bird was. "Didn't you just accuse me of working with Dabi not too long ago?"

At that, Hawks only laughed the comment away. "What, can you blame me? The information looked bad. I can't help that. But now that I've seen you in action, I should know what side you're on, right?"

His words were calculating, like he was telling her that he still didn't know what side she was on. Hawks hoped she wouldn't catch onto that. _That's right chickadee, I don't trust you. _

Although it seemed like she didn't, now sighing back in response. Sure he was shady, but he was also the number two hero. He could really help her in her provisional exam, if she was careful. She really hated relying on this obviously suspicious bird, but what choice did she have?

Already knowing what she was going to pick, Hawks gave a triumphant smile, knowing he had her right where he wanted her. Soon it would be game over for her.

Shoving her hand into her pockets, the girl then took another breath before replying clear and confident. No matter how nosy Hawks decided to get, Amari already knew she wouldn't let him break her of her goal, not one bit. "I accept your offer Hawks."

* * *

The game is on. Hawks, you are gonna be in some serious deep water when you find out about Amari. Oop. Man it would really suck if they grew closer, given the information we know. I guess we'll just have to see. I love writing Hawks and Amari interactions since they are both onto each other's shady actions. Like they both know that they are trying to play each other. Also as we can see, they both share manipulative tendencies.

And here we have Amari really out here, making things happen for the people she loves. We love to see it. She's really trying to check off that list the best she can.

Next Chapter: Amari starts to train at Hawks' agency and U.A.'s new semester with our girl in the hero course


	74. S5 Chapter 2

Walking down the dingy and dirty basement stairs, Dabi caught the sight of All for One sitting at a nearby desk, dozens of files and pictures of Bakugo Amari thrown on top of the tables in a singular line. The placement looked exact, like the man had very carefully placed each one in a particular order.

Honestly the purple haired villain thought it was kinda creepy, wondering just how hung up he was on the girl. He must have really been stuck on her in order to act that obsessive.

Yet that's when he heard a low chuckle admit from his lips, the man's eyes gazing towards the old TV that played her and Endeavor's Nomu battle from Kyushu in the background. He looked to be studying it, enjoying it. "Dabi, is it? You're the one that sent out that Nomu, correct?"

Hearing his voice, the man stopped, now turning with a lazy smirk. He knew how terrified Amari was of this man, but he didn't share the same emotions towards him unfortunately. "Yeah, what about it?"

Pointing his fingers towards the screen, All for One hummed. "Seeing my masterpiece in action was truly wonderful, even if she's being rebellious right now. All that will be over soon though."

Just then, he opened the drawer next to him before lifting up a vial of red colored blood, the liquid swirling around in his hands. "No matter, she can do as she likes for now. Bakugo was only the beginning after all. We have work to do before then, isn't that right Shigaraki?"

Kicking his legs back from the wall, Shigaraki then smirked through withered lips, his voice coming out cruel and excited for the future destruction that would soon occur. "What's the plan, Master?"

* * *

The halls were busting with various students, a mummer of excitement in the air at the idea of a new semester. The newly appointed first year students were all hungry for information, checking the roaster in front of them to see what classes they would be assigned to. Everyone knew that this was their chance, a chance to make an impression on the hero society.

A couple of kids moved down the hall when one of the boys felt themselves lose balance, now tripping over their own feet as they tumbled to the floor. Ignoring the chuckles from the people around him, the boy twisted his brow in confusion as a voice rang past him. "Move it extra, you're in my way."

Well, that wasn't very friendly, now wondering who the hell that guy was. He seemed kind of scary, that was for sure. That's when he's friends sighed behind him. "Bakugo Katsuki really is a piece of work. I'd be careful not to piss him off Kazumi. For a second year, he's really scary."

The newly appointed first year, Kazumi, only shook his head though. He had heard rumors of Bakugo Katsuki, the man with an explosive and terrible attitude. It seemed like the universe hated him, and now he lost his course schedule because of it also.

Sighing to himself, the boy suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, only for a small blonde haired girl to smile back. "I'm sorry about that. Are you okay?"

Kazumi blinked in surprise, now seeing her staring back at him. Oh no, this was bad. He was never great with girls, never mind someone as cute as her. "Uhh yeah, I'm okay. I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."

He watched her shake her head in exasperation before extending her small hand out to him in response. "Here let me help you. I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you a first year?"

Touching his palm against hers, Kazumi felt the warmth in the center of her hand before she hoisted him up, careful not to knock her down because of her size. Once he righted himself, the boy could really see the height difference, her only reaching to his shoulders. "Uhh yeah, I was just trying to find my class, but these halls are really long."

The girl couldn't help but giggle at that, fully understanding his words. She almost got lost the first time as well. "Well, it's a good thing you ran into me then. I can show you the way.."

Then she turned on her heels only for the boy to hesitantly follow behind. Wait, was she serious? She really was going to help him. "Wait, that's okay. You don't have to.."

Yet she only shook her head, waving him away playfully. "It's not a problem, besides, it's the least I can after you got bumped into and all."

Hurrying to catch up with her, Kazumi tightened his hold on his backpack. "Yeah, what was up with that guy, is he always that angry?"

She couldn't help but smirk at that, a tiny laugh escaping her lips. "You would think so. Although, don't that tough guy act fool you. He's more than he seems.."

He didn't know what that meant but enjoyed her happy demeanor that the conversation brought, now watching them stop in front of a large door to their left. "Here we are, first year hero course classes."

Looking into the class, he found a variety of students already hurrying to their seat while others joined in casual conversation. It was overwhelming to say the least. Kazumi was a socially awkward boy but even he knew how important it was to make a good first impression for his future.

This was a big step for any first year, and the girl seemed to know it as well. "Hey, don't think about it too much. I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting to be a hero, but don't forget to have fun, okay? You'll never know when you'll get something like this again."

Blinking in surprise, the boy turned to find a soft smile on her face, almost like she was reminiscing on something in particular. She kinda reminded him of himself actually, now that he thought about it. Maybe the girl was thinking that same thing.

Of course that seemed strange, now looking at her appearance. She looked to be rather frail to be in the hero course. In fact he was even afraid to squeeze her hand too hard when she helped him up. "So, are you in general studies then?"

At that, her face fell, obviously realizing why he said that, before shaking her head. She didn't seem surprised at his words but still somehow disappointed nonetheless. "Not exactly."

His words clearly upset her for some reason, causing the boy to take an invisible step back. Was he wrong about her, perhaps she was in the support class then? "Sorry if I said something wrong. I just wanted to thank you. I'm Kazumi by the way."

The sound of his name seemed to perk her up though, the girl now placing a hand to the back of her neck in excitement. It seems that she completely forgot about that small detail. "Oh! Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet, how rude of me. I'm…"

Yet before she could even finish, one of the students inside the classroom slammed their hands on their desk before hurrying over in excitement and awe. They seemed eager to speak to the strange girl for some reason. "No way! Is that, Bakugo Amari?!"

Her words seemed to bring the rest of the students to life, the first years gasping in surprise as they crowded around the entrance, eager to see the blonde haired girl. "Whoaaa! You're right. Why is she standing outside of our class? This is so lucky!"

Kazumi seemed dumbfounded though, the name slapping him in the face all at once. No way, this was Bakugo Amari? No wonder why she looked familiar, the girl was practically famous nowadays.

He'd seen flashes of her Nomu fight on his parents television but because of the entrance exams, the boy didn't really get to see her face. He did hear about her though.

For someone so young, this girl had faced a crazy amount of field work, never mind being on the new number one hero's good side. She'd been in and out of the news for both good and bad reasons, so much so that the public didn't really know what to make of her. But the fact still remained, Bakugo Amari was the talk of the hero world right now.

Kazumi wondered what that kind of girl would be like, about how powerful and scary the rumors were making her out to be, but looking at the small tiny blonde haired Bakugo, he couldn't help but be surprised. This isn't what he pictured Ember to be at all. She didn't really look all that intimating to him.

Then a new thought popped into his head. Oh no, he literally just insulted her by assuming she was in the general course and then criticized her brother a moment before that. Crap, he really screwed up, and right after she agreed to help him. Bakugo was so kind to him and yet he probably offended her immensely. Wonderful start to the year Kazumi, great first impression.

Amari didn't seem to mind though, now trying to fend off her new fans with an awkward laugh. It seemed like she was uncomfortable which was strange given how much she was in the news. Perhaps she wasn't great at this kind of thing? "Uhh yeah, that's me. Hey everyone."

Knowing he had to say something, Kazumi tried to speak although it only came out stuttered and short. "Wait, you're _the_ Bakugo Amari?"

She noticed his voice before turning back to the boy, an awkward hand to her neck in reply. "Yeah, I guess you've heard about me too, huh?"

Smiling back slightly, the first year could only nod his head. "Yeah, you're practically famous. Sorry, I didn't know that's who you were."

Amari only crossed her arms over her chest though, a sad smile on her face. "Not as interesting as the rumors, right? Sorry to disappoint then, those people really say some crazy things."

Not realizing that he had insulted her again, the boy put his hands out nervously, trying to backpedal as fast as possible. Crap, that last comment made it seem like he was disappointed in her appearance. "No no, I didn't mean it like that. I guess I was just surprised, that's all.

Amari only giggled back though, enjoying his panic before lifting her head slightly. "I'm just teasing, it doesn't bother me. Besides, you're not the first person that's done it. I know I don't look like much at first, that's my secret."

Putting a finger up to her lips, she smirked under her breath before the rest of Kazumi's class hovered around her, their voices reaching her ears all at once, a multitude of kids shouting out.. "Bakugo, I can't believe it's you! I saw you on TV, you were so cool! Is it true you went undercover with villains? Weren't you afraid? How did you do it?!"

Putting her hand up, Bakugo tried to quell their questions but to no avail. All of this crowding was really making her uncomfortable now. "Uhh well you see.."

Yet the first years didn't seem to listen, now talking over each other as Amari was hit with a thousand more questions. "How is the number one hero?! Is training with him difficult? I heard you talked with Hawks as well, how is that?! Man, you're so lucky Bakugo!"

Blinking back, the girl started to become overwhelmed, another nervous chuckle escaping her lips before another voice cut through the excitement, except this time it was full of disdain. "Oh come on guys, all that is obviously rumors to make her look good. I mean, the only reason those heroes notice her is because she's dating Endeavor's son. I'm sure she gets lots of favors. It's obvious."

Kazumi watched her smile drop at that, a hint of annoyance in her expression before snapping back to her usual carefree look as the first years huffed back. "Come on, that's not true. Endeavor asked to personally train her, remember?"

Yet the boy only scoffed back. "Yeah, but come on. You guys aren't blind, do you honestly believe the girl in the rumors and this shrimp are the same people? She looks like she'd run scared if she saw a villain."

The class began to mutter at his accusations, many of them thinking the same thing but just not voicing their options. In person, Bakugo Amari didn't look like much of a threat, in fact many assumed they could take her on easily, given their first impressions.

Being Bakugo Katsuki's sister, all the first years thought that she would yell at him or try to use her quirk, given what they've seen from the explosive boy, yet she only stood silent, as if she was pondering his words, hanging on the meaning.

That's when she cracked a smile, leaning against the frame of the door lazily. Her posture confused everyone in the room, now seeing her eye the rude boy with amusement. "That's fine if you want to believe that. It will just make it easier for me in the end, you know."

Twisting his brow in confusion, the boy sprung up from his seat, disdain on his brow. He didn't know why but he felt like Amari had just insulted him somehow. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Bakugo only turned her head though, narrowing her eyes slightly as she spoke. "Just know if you keep thinking with that close minded attitude of yours, you'll never get far. In fact, it will just be even more satisfying when a "shrimp" like me kicks your ass easily."

Everyone's mouth dropped to the floor at that, realizing the sharp words that were directed at the boy. He did deserve them, but they were just shocked to hear such a clear declaration of war come out of this small cute girl's mouth.

The rude boy seemed to realize it as well, now stomping up the Amari so he was towering over her in an attempt of intimation. Although everyone was surprised when she didn't budge one inch, just looking into his eyes unamused as he hissed. "You better watch yourself Bakugo, you don't want to make an enemy out of me. Now go run back to your hotheaded idiot of a brother while you have the chance, since we both know you could never be as scary as him."

Yet the girl only rolled her eyes before replying back with a smirk. Just then her demeanor completely changed, now revealing something far more cynical. "And you don't want to underestimate me, because then you'll see how much I'm really like my brother, extra."

At the sound of Katsuki's signature phrase, Kazumi felt a shiver down his spine. Her tongue danced on the words, just so he could tell that she was fully mocking the boy all at once. This girl had guts, although that wasn't any surprise given the rumors. Perhaps they really did underestimate her after all.

Even the boy looked kind of imitated, now taking a step back as another voice entered the space. It was rough and short, like he was already annoyed with the situation. "Hey Amari, what the hell are you doing here? The bells about to ring, idiot."

Turning towards the voice, Amari's stance immediately brightened up, waving happily towards the blonde haired boy. "Hey Katsuki! Sorry, I was showing one of the new first years to their class, you know since you knocked them down before."

Katsuki only clicked his tongue in annoyance though, shoving his hands into his pockets and glaring at Kazumi. "Dumbass was in my way, he had it coming."

The class immediately shrank, now very much afraid of Bakugo, but before he could do any damage, Amari patted her brother's head twice, reaching onto her tiptoes to do so because of her height. "Ah come on, don't be like that. We are upperclassmen now, we gotta make a good impression."

Then she turned to the first years before giving an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, he's really sweet I promise. You just gotta get past all the stupid."

At that, Katsuki felt his throat tick in annoyance, shoving her hand off of him before pulling her back by her backpack. "Ha, what did you just say?! You forget that you share the same type of stupid, dumbass!"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Amari couldn't help but smirk. "So you do admit you have stupid in you then? Good to know."

Bakugo felt his fell face, realizing that his sister had gotten him before quickly trying to leave the conversion. He didn't like knowing he lost. "Excuse me?! I didn't admit shit. You got a lot of nerve Amari, get your ass moving before I pick you up again. We're gonna be late."

The fear of being thrown around like a sack of potatoes flashed in her mind before she visibly shivered, now turning to Kazumi before throwing out a hand to shake. "Looks like I gotta get going, it was nice to meet you Kazumi. I can't wait to see what you do in the future. I'll be watching."

Her smile infected the boy, his heart now hammering in his chest at her kind words. Man, she really was different then her brother that was for sure. Kazumi knew he had to do his best now, if great people like her were watching. "Yeah, I'll do my best!"

Amari's grin then stretched a little bit wider before she heard a loud groan behind her, Bakugo's annoyance clearly known to them now. "You're taking too long!"

Then before she could process it, the girl felt herself being lifted into the air before landing on Katsuki's shoulders as he turned back to the hallway. "Whaa Katsuki, what the hell?! Let me go, you asshole!"

Yet the boy only smirked under his breath, ignoring her plea's as he continued through the halls, now feeling Amari's hands pound into his back lightly. "Not a chance, you took too long. Why are you talking to those extras anyways. They aren't worth your time."

Wiggling her feet underneath him, the girl huffed. "I don't know, I wanted to be nice. Something that I'm not sure you are capable of half the time."

Katsuki shook his head though before answering back with amusement. "Is that really something you should be saying to me right now? I can drop you on your ass anytime I want so go ahead and keep insulting me dumbass."

As much as she hated it, he was right. Right now Bakugo could very well drop her on her head right in the middle of the hallway if he wanted to. She wasn't exactly sure if he was buffing or not so it was better not to push it. "Alright alright I cave. Although that's a really underhanded move, Katsuki. "

Bakugo could only help but smirk though, now reaching their classroom door. He couldn't deny that he missed this, the two of them in the same class. Expect this time, he would do it right, he would protect her. "Say what you want. You know you lost this battle. Now get your ass in there. They are waiting."

Groaning back, he then threw open the door only for a loud group of voices to fill the area, all excited and shouting in unison. "Welcome back into the hero course Amari!"

Katsuki placed her feet on the ground, allowing her to turn around only to find all of her classmates clapping towards her happily. On further inspection, there was a large homemade banner across the board with the letters WELCOME BACK AMARI across the front.

Lifting a hand to her mouth, Amari eyed casted across her classmates before her voice filled with emotion. They did all this, for her? "G-Guys, What is all this?"

Smiling back, a familiar shade of green appeared from the crowds as Deku replied. "We all wanted to welcome you back Mari-chan. I know how hard you worked to get here, and I wanna say I'm really proud of you."

Just then, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder only to find Mina winking back. "We all are. In fact, I missed you gal pal!"

Kirishima raced forward as well, clapping his hands together in an aggressive thumbs up. "Yeah, and the way you handled those Nomu and that Yakuza villain was totally manly! You totally belong here."

Hearing her classmates speak about her so proudly made tears well up in the corner of her eyes. She had worked so hard to get back here, to stand with Katsuki and the others and now she had really done it. "Thanks guys. I'm really happy to be back."

She whipped her eyes only for the class to aww at the sight, now racing forward at the slight, mushing her face in the process. "Aww, we are happy too!"

Giggling slightly, she then turned to find Todoroki staring back at her with an intense gaze, as per usual. Although now, there was a small smile upon his face. "Congratulations."

It was only one word, but that word brought a shiver to Amari's spine, causing the entire class to giggle once more, now pushing the poor girl practically into Todoroki as Mina whined. "That's it? Come on Todoroki, give your girl some love. She deserves it!"

Stumbling forward, the boy quickly placed his hands on her arms to steady her fall, a small frown of concern on his face as Amari blushed back. "G-Guys, cut it out. Stop teasing him."

That didn't quell them though, Denki huffing back with amusement. "I bet you lovebirds are happy to be back together, huh? You should have seen Todoroki without you. He looked like a lost puppy."

Now it was Todoroki's turn to be embarrassed, the boy turning his head away from his classmates in order to cover his red cheeks. "I was not a puppy."

Asui was quick to the draw though, her honestly cutting through the space. "He kinda was though.."

At that, The boy's face turned even more red, causing Amari to let out a loud giggle, the attention now being moved to her. She couldn't help it, she was just so happy. "I really missed you guys."

This seemed to get the pressure off Todoroki, everyone aww-ing once more at her tone, now going in for another hug. Catching Katsuki's gaze from the corner of her eye, she could just barely make out a small smile as he looked at the display in approval.

Closing her eyes at the sensation of being loved, Amari tried to take in this moment, to remember with everything she could, knowing that one day it would probably all go away.

As much as the future sucked, there was a good thing about Sir Nighteye's prediction, and that was that she could now savor every detail of her life and really cherish it.

Even if it would disappear, Amari knew that she had right now, and that was all she needed to keep smiling.

* * *

Leaning against the railing in front of U.A., Hawks adjusted his yellow glasses before waving to one of the citizens passing by. He had decided to pick Amari up after school in order to seem like a good trainer. That's what the media would want to see anyways.

Truly, he wasn't into nurturing the next generation but being able to keep Bakugo so close meant that he would find out her intentions even faster, and with Dabi so close on his heels, the bird knew he couldn't misstep. There was just something about the girl that didn't sit right with him, something unnerving, although he couldn't put his finger on it yet.

Just then, he felt his phone ring in his back pocket, the man frowning back, now laying eyes on the private number. Just great, what the hell did that crusty purple skinned bastard want now?

Flipping up his "Hawks" persona to its fullest in order not to seem suspicious, the man accepted the call. "Hey, if it isn't my old pal. What's up man?"

He could hear Dabi's annoyance from here, already over his over the top demeanor. "Where are you?"

Looking around the space, Hawks debated telling him the truth, not really liking the villain so close in his personal space. But then she realized that this was the perfect opportunity to use Bakugo's name. That way he could hear the man's reaction.

Hawks flapped wings out in response before smirking. "Oh you know, doing my part in nurturing the next generation. I couldn't help but be interested in that little birdie that's been flying around you lately so I decided to take her under my wing. Aren't I nice?"

He waited and waited for Dabi's response to that, making sure to sound slightly sinister in his intentions just to get some sort of emotion from the villain.

And after a few seconds, he got just that. "And why would you do that? You got some sort of plan I don't know about Hawks?"

The response sounded gruff and perhaps a little annoyed, like the bird's statement rubbed him the wrong way. He now knew needed to push more.

Although it wasn't like Hawks could answer truthfully. Dabi couldn't know his real plans. "Nah, just bored I suppose, and she seems interesting. You certainly have taken a liking to her after all. I thought we could share."

His words disgusted even himself, but the hero knew he had to sound villainous, saying such awful things to ween the suspicions off of him. Hawks actually had no plans to hurt Amari, she was just a kid after all. He couldn't do that. Yet, that's not what Dabi was supposed to think.

Silence filled the line once more before the villain's tone turned playful, holding onto each word with ease. "Liking is a strong word. The girl is an annoyance and nothing more. Whatever you're looking for with her, you're out of luck. She's just a certified idiot."

That was interesting, he wasn't denying her relationship with him. It seemed like Dabi was over pretending she didn't exist to him, which was a smart move. Hawks had already seen them together in that alleyway a couple weeks ago so saying that they weren't involved would definitely be a lie. It seemed the villain knew that.

Wanting to know more, the hero curved up his lips slightly, trying to push Dabi even further. He was getting somewhere with this. "Well, I don't know about that. Seeing Bakugo take down those Nomu was pretty impressive. Besides, any friend or yours is a friend of mine."

A low chuckle erupted into the hero's ear as Dabi's voice returned, the humor in it draining just slightly. "Everything you said about that sentence was incorrect. So, what exactly is your plan with the girl then?"

Realizing he had circled back to the first question, Hawks raised an eye. "I thought I already told you man, I don't have any plan, I just.."

Yet that's when the villain cut him off, his tone low and full of malice. "And I've told you that I still don't believe a goddamn word that comes out of your mouth yet. You think I'm a real idiot, don't you? It's obvious you want something from her, otherwise you wouldn't have bothered."

Shit, all that time with Dabi had really screwed him over, because now the villain was starting to piece together his habits and words. It really was like walking on eggshells with this guy. One move and Hawks knew he would be fried chicken, never mind messing up until the mission. He knew he needed to do a better job, knowing that perfectly well that the villain was just as manipulative as him.

Giving a half hearted laugh, Hawks thought about backtracking but then decided against it. No, this was the perfect time to push deeper. "And what if I said I did want something from her? You aren't normally the one to care about what others do, Dabi. It's out of your character."

That was true, usually when the hero tried to talk to Dabi, he would always just blow him off and not bother with anything if it didn't involve himself. Although, his behavior was certainly different all of a sudden. It was like he didn't want Bakugo to get hurt. Strange thing for a villain to want honestly.

A hard silence echoed through the space once more before the bird finally got his reply, now noticing the tone had shifted once again, this time into something darker. "Have you forgotten your place, pigeon shit? You can't do anything without my permission, that is if you want to get accepted into the league."

Ah, there it was. The threat that had to make Hawks step away. Was he really threatening his standing with the league all because of a comment about a fifteen year old girl?

To anyone, his comment seemed like a normal villain strategy but for Hawks, it meant that for some reason, the villain didn't want him touching Bakugo Amari.

Rolling with the idea, Hawks smirked under his breath, knowing that he had somehow gotten to the purple skinned man. "I don't know man, if you ask me, that sounds like you are trying to protect her. You guys have some kind of relationship I don't know about or something?"

The sound of rustling echoed through the space before Dabi suddenly gained back his lazy and amused tone, shaking away the tense atmosphere that filled the area a few moments prior. "Not exactly, but that girl is important for the future, so don't get any ideas or else you'll have some really nasty people after you, and they are far worse than me."

Dabi's words slammed into Hawks all at once. Far worse than him? What kind of crazy and twisted things had Bakugo gotten caught up in? That thought alone scared him. He didn't know much, but from Dabi's words, it seemed like she was on the hit list for a lot of villains.

Although then he remembered Amari's past with the league. She did imprison half of Shigaraki's team and expose thousands of plans. Obviously she would have a target on her back after that. But the question was, what did they want with her now?. "Who wants her ,Shigaraki? It's because she screwed you guys over, right?"

That's when he heard the purple skinned man laugh, it sounded cynical, like he was mocking the bird for misunderstanding the meaning. "Sure, if that's what you want to think. Although, I'm gonna give you some advice. You should really get your feather out of this one birdbrain. It goes far deeper than you think."

Twisting his brow in confusion, Hawks stood up from his spot on the railing nervously. What the hell did he mean by that? All he knew was that it couldn't be good. Why did it feel like Hawks was missing a big part of the information, and that Dabi was mocking him for it. "What.."

Yet before he could finish that sentence, a bunch of students exited the gates of U.A. until the hero spotted a familiar head of blonde hair through the kids, now talking and laughing joyfully with another taller blonde haired boy. This was it, this was his chance to get closer to her.

He didn't even have time to talk with Dabi right now. No, he needed to get to Amari.

Letting his feathers ruffle in anxiety, the man quickly pressed his phone away from his ear before speaking happily to mask the concern in his stomach. "Ah well, this was great and all but since you don't need me for anything I gotta go meet my little chickadee now. Talk to ya soon!"

He vaguely heard Dabi call for him before the hero quickly hung up the phone, using his wings to propel themselves forward towards the girl in question. This was important, he couldn't mess this up.

Although what he didn't know was that at the same time, Amari was talking about the very hero with her brother. His voice now carrying out lazily. "So, you going to Endeavors to train now?"

Yet the girl could only laugh nervously, silently wishing that was the case. It seemed like she had a new problem to worry about instead. "Ah well, not exactly. You see he's been really busy lately so someone else offered to help me with my provisional training."

Katsuki raised an eye at that, wondering who his sister was talking about when he didn't have to think long, now seeing a flash of red zoom past his vision and land his arms on top of Amari's head. "Hey there chickadee! Took you long enough."

Watching the man lay his arms on his sister so casually, Bakugo already felt annoyed yet was somehow beaten to it when Amari groaned loudly, shoving his arms off. "Hawks, what are you doing here? Wasn't the plan to meet at your agency after school?"

Yet the Hawks only playfully scoffed, his wings purposely hitting the poor girl in the face in the process. "Yeah I know, but I was just too excited to train with ya. That's why I wanted to pick you up. I bet Endeavor hasn't done that, huh?"

He did have a point there, Endeavor hadn't picked her up from school but she already knew that wasn't really his style, plus the man seemed to respect her personal space, unlike this bird. "No, he definitely hasn't done that."

The man seemed happy about that, fluffing his wings out in approval as a flash of light blinded the three of them, Amari now turning to see a bunch of citizens blocking their path. "Whoa, is that Hawks?! Hey man, haven't seen you out in a while!"

Seeing the flashes of light made Amari feel slightly uncomfortable, still not over the time when she was isolated as a villain.

Although everyone seemed to really like Hawks, the man gushed over the crowds. "Hey everyone! I'm just picking up my new trainee!"

Just then, the girl felt herself being pulled towards the hero, his wings stopping her from moving so the reporters could get a good shot. Why did it seem like he was using her right now? "I'm sure you all know her and her impressive skills. Well, as a favor to my good friend Endeavor, I'm helping her get ready for her provisional exam!"

He beamed with excitement as the crowds gasped at the information, now gossiping about how wonderful the Hawks agency was. "Ember, is that true? Are you really teaming up with the number two hero for training?"

The hero immediately noticed her displeasure,the girl shrinking in front of the reporter as she replied lightly. It seemed she didn't like this kind of attention. Interesting. "Uhh yeah, it's true. He offered to help me after the battle in Kyushu."

Everyone seemed to eat that up though, now gushing about how generous and kind Hawks was, and that was true. Amari was thankful for the hero for giving her the chance to train with him but she couldn't help but have a bad taste in her mouth because of it. Somehow it didn't feel like he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart.

Although before she could think anymore, Hawks opened his wing just enough to cover the small girl's face, smiling back happily. "Yep, well as much I'd love to chat, we really should get going. Just remember that the Hawks agency is always looking out for ya."

Now why did that sound like an advertisement for his agency? It was like he only showed up to her school just to get some positive press. Then it hit her. That stupid bid man, he really was just using her, wasn't he?

He winked which caused a couple girls to swoon before turning his head towards Bakugo, now lifting his hands out. "Well, what do you say chickadee. Ready to go?"

Exchanging a shocked look with Katsuki, Amari willed the idea from her mind. Even if she had caught onto his plan, it wasn't like telling him would change anything.

She'd let him feel like he won for now. "See you Katsuki. I'll be back later tonight, okay?"

Bakugo didn't even get to process everything that had just happened though, now locking eyes with the number two hero. Amari was really training with this guy? Yeah he was popular but the man seemed like more of a careless flirt then anything. He already didn't like him.

Taking a step forward, her brother then narrowed his eyes towards Hawks before scoffing back. "You better take care of her birdbrain, or else I'll blow you up myself."

The man only whistled back though, a lazy smirk on his face. He had read about Amari's brother while checking up on her. He was loud and explosive but really nothing to worry about in terms of a threat. It seemed like Amari got the brains of the family. "Ah don't be like that. I promise to get your sis back safe and sound, you can trust me!"

Katsuki didn't seem convinced though, yet decided to let it go knowing that Amari had already made the decision to go with him. Why did she want training from this kind of guy anyways? "Tck, you better."

Hawks only took that as approval though before respectful picking the small girl up and flapping in wings. "You got it! Now, let's go Bakugo!"

Then before she could even question what he was doing, the man took off into the sky, causing Amari to cling onto him for dear life. "Whoaaa, Hawks! Seriously, not even a warning!"

She didn't seem afraid by the heights which was reassuring to the bird, knowing many people that freaked out because of how high they were. At least she wasn't one of those. "Come on chickadee, enjoy it! You are one of the lucky few that get to fly with me. Many would kill to be in your shoes about now."

He then winked in her direction causing Amari to groan, her knuckling turning white in the process. She really hated this but the girl was out of options, hoping the man wouldn't lose his grip as some kind of sick joke. "Just don't drop me."

The bird only laughed though, shielding his eyes from the sun before replying with slight amusement. Ah, maybe she was a little scared then. How cute. "Wouldn't dream of it kid."

* * *

Gonna break this up and start the second half right now since it's running long. Second part should be out either tonight or tomorrow.

Here we got Amari being gushed over which honestly she deserves after the hell she has to go through, and then we got Hawks and Amari realizing that they are both full of crap. Let's see how that plays out.

And Dabi's attitude is changing for some unknown reason. He doesn't like the kind of Hawks messing with her, hmmmm. Interesting.

Next Chapter: Amari and Hawks fight and bond together at his agency.


	75. S5 Chapter 3

Getting thrown to the ground, ten year old Keigo Tamaki coughed out a stream of blood as the small child wiped his face of the pouring sweat that had accumulated over the amount of hits and punches he had received. How long had this been going on? It seemed the sun had already set but it was honestly hard to tell from the commissions windowless walls, his amber eyes covered with a thick black blind fold as well.

Another kick to his chest shocked the boy out of his thoughts, the voice roughly shouting back in the blonde's face, with such malice and hate in the unknown voice, causing Keigo to groan loudly. "Get up Hawks."

The boy felt his body scream out in agony, begging him not to move and actually relax for a moment, although he already knew they wouldn't allow it. No, this would just continue until the commission was satisfied for the day. He had to keep going.

That's when Keigo groaned as the man's leg connected with his small body once more, irritation now very present. Crap, he was disappointing them again, wasn't he?. "I will not ask again Hawks. Get up. I didn't allow a break."

Against his better judgement, the boy's red wings lifted up before digging his hands into the floor, gritting his teeth as Keigo shakily made his way to his feet. He needed to keep going, he needed to become a great hero like Endeavor, and this was the only way to do it.

Seeing him comply, the instructor only nodded in approval, although it wasn't as if the boy could see it, given his blinded eyes. "That's better. You said you wanted to be a special hero right? You want to make the difference in this world, then stop acting like a coward. Attack me like you mean it, little boy."

Ticking his lips into a frown, Keigo always hated that phrase, the man using it when the bird wasn't reaching his expectations. It only pushed him harder because of it, wanting to prove that he wasn't just some little boy. No, he was going to be a hero.

The sweat dripped down his face as the boy tried to focus on his feathers, sensing the man's movement even without being able to see. He needed to predict his movements better in order to win and finally get a break. Now all that's left is to keep pushing on.

Keigo then closed his eyes before feathers began to shoot out of his wings, the man moving out of the way immediately. No, he couldn't mess up again and risk a punishment. He needed to be better than that. The president said he was special, so he knew he had to perform well.

Moving him almost immediately, a harsh wave on fire came barreling towards him and the child lifted up his wings to shift the blow before feeling the pain burn up the feathers he had just thrown. Keigo felt on the brink of exhaustion, desperate to lean over in agony before twisting his brow in frustration.

No, that wasn't good enough, and the man knew it just as well, taking the time to mock back. "You're losing your composure. What if the camera's were watching you, what if the world was watching you? You can't falter, nobody wants someone weak like that, the world doesn't want a hero like that."

Then feeling another wave of fire consume his body, little ten year old Keigo gasped, falling towards the ground in an instant, not being able to take it anymore. He just wanted to go home, to be able to sleep and be done with all this. But that wasn't possibly anymore. Somewhere the boy already knew that.

That was when his instructor harshly hissed into his ear, cruel and plain. "Have you forgotten, the world doesn't want Keigo Tamaki. They want Hawks, so give them Hawks."

There it was, his trigger, the thing that was drilled into his mind from day one at the commission. It was the one thing that made Keigo's hairs stand on the back of his neck, the sense of irradiation now present in the back of his throat. He knew Keigo wasn't good enough, that's why he was here, that's why he wanted to change to be a better hero.

The boy hated being told that, now wanting to scream and suddenly keep moving forward in order to please the president and everyone watching. Keigo may have been a coward, but Hawks was not.

Groaning to himself, Hawks then took a shaky breath before righting himself up straight, willing everything within himself to keep going. If a hero couldn't do this, then he was nothing.

Hawks then put up a facade, now sporting a small grin even though he really wanted to cry inside. That gave the commission exactly what they wanted, a face for a public, a face that could do anything they wanted with him. It's as the president said before, it didn't matter what he had to do to succeed, about what happened to him, because it was all for a safer society.

That was right, The world didn't need Keigo Tamaki, it needed Hawks.

* * *

Landing with a light tap, Hawks slowly unhooked his arms from Amari before placing her onto the ground, now seeing a fairly large building in front of her. "Here we are, the Hawks agency!"

He lifted his hands in excitement before already moving towards the steps, causing the girl to quickly follow after him. The hero then started sprouting out some kind of nonsense about his rise to hero hood and gloating about how amazing he was but Amari tuned it out for the most part.

She had learned the trick from Endeavor back when she first started training with him. If any one boosted himself excessively, it was Todoroki's father, although this bird wasn't too far off from taking that prize.

Although she did have to admit, for someone so young, his place in the hero world was impressive. In fact, being in a pro's agency still gave her that little fangirl moment of excitement. She needed to shove it down though in order to seem professional. She was sure Hawks didn't want to see her squeal and freak out about the idea.

Just then, they stopped in front of a large door before revealing his very simplistic office. That was odd for him, she would've expected something flasher. "Well come on, are you impressed? I bet you wished you took my offer for your internship now, don't you?"

Gazing at the large bookshelf on the left, Amari only sighed before picking up an old book and flipping through the pages in order to seem more interested than she actually was. "I gotta say, I am pretty impressed Hawks. This is really something."

The bird flapped his wings out in excitement at her comment, fully happy that someone was noticing his accomplishments, even if it did sound a little lackluster. "Why thank you chickadee."

Although that's when Amari spotted a file resting on his desk before recognizing a familiar head of blonde hair poking through one of the photos. As her eyes darted further, she noticed her name labeled on the top tap. Wait, this was a file on her. That stupid bird, was he really spying on her out in the open like that?

Usually he was sneakier than that so it was strange that the man would just leave it on the table then. Maybe he just forgot? That could've been possible.

Hawks seemed to notice her stare though, glancing at the file before picking the object up, like he had no problem in showing it to her. "Ah, you must be looking at this. I decided to do some reading up on you before we trained. You know, like your fighting techniques and stuff."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed at that. His words certainly did make sense, maybe she was just over analyzing him this time. She had to admit, the bird did have her a bit on edge after accusing her connection to Dabi. "Oh I see.."

Noticing her tone, Hawks then threw his hands out in defense. "Hey, I know what you're thinking but I swear I'm not some creeper, stalker or pervert Bakugo. I just wanted to know how to go about training you. That's all, honest."

That was not all in the slightest, in fact the hero had purposely left that file on his desk in order to cover up his sudden excessive knowledge for her. He had done his reading on her at the commission but it would seem creepy if he just started knowing these things about her. With that file on the desk, he could explain away the information now.

He was relieved when Amari sighed, obviously giving up on the conversation and starting a new one. "By the way, how did Endeavor react when you told him about your offer to train me anyway? I couldn't really get much out of him and I'm curious..."

Happy about the change in subject, the hero put a finger up to his lips before recalling the conversation almost immediately, hearing the man's short tone in the corner of his memories. "Actually it was strange. I was expecting him to reject it but he just laughed at me and said "good luck" whatever that means."

In fact, the hero didn't know what he had meant by that, causing Amari's head to lift in question. "That old man, he's probably happy I'm out of his hair for now."

She said that sarcastically but Hawks could detect a slight hint of sadness in her eyes. Why did she look like that? Did she want Endeavors approval or something. "Ah come on chickadee, I know for a fact Endeavor cares about you. He wouldn't have asked me to watch you during that Nomu fight if he didn't care."

He expected her to brighten up at his words, although the bird only received a hard sigh as Amari shook her head. "Yeah, I guess you're right...

The truth for Bakugo was, things weren't moving with the man like she was hoping for. Of course Amari knew getting the Todoroki family together wasn't going to be easy, but now that she was on a timer, things weren't improving the way she hoped.

The girl couldn't even see Endeavor now because of his hero work which only brought more pressure on her. How could she speed things up, how could she accomplish her goal before All for One tried to get his hands on her? That was inevitable so she needed to think ahead, to be smart about this. But the question was, how?

Hawks seemed curious about her response as well. There was something else in her eyes, something she wasn't telling him. This wasn't just about approval, the girl was really distraught yet trying to hide it. That was concerning to say the least. _Just how many secrets do you have, kid?_

Just then, the door to the office opened and one of his sidekicks walked in, carrying a file in their hands as they explained. "Sorry to interrupt Sir, but here is the information you wanted about that case."

Nodding back, Bakugo watched as the hero smiled before carefully taking the folder in response. "Thank ya very much."

She only bowed though before exiting the room quickly, allowing Hawks to open the file in front of Amari, his wings twitching with insanity. "What's that?"

It took a moment for the hero to answer, obviously engrossed with whatever was inside the beige folder, his fingers tracing the information slowly. "Just something to keep an eye on. Apparently there have been a couple missing kid reports lately. Although, they are both high school kids so it could just be a case of rebellion. That's usually what it is anyways.."

Hawks didn't seem concerned by the reports, mostly because it was rather normal to get these kinds of things. High school kids seemed to like running away from home from time to time. Although, they would always show up a couple hours later so he was sure it wasn't anything to worry about.

The hero then saw the girl eyeing the file before closing the contents and handing out to her silently. Usually he wouldn't have let a kid see this kind of thing but this was a simple issue, nothing too serious.

Besides, Bakugo had already faced far worse. Maybe her insight could be useful. "You wanna look, see if you find anything interesting?"

Although he was surprised when Amari didn't eagerly take the file like he thought she would. No, she just shook her head. "That's okay. Like you said, I'm sure it's nothing."

Widening his eyes in surprise, Hawks realized Bakugo's reaction was odd. No, it wasn't just odd, it was strange. He hadn't known her for that long but given her file, the hero knew enough, and this girl didn't back down from anything.

This was the same girl that had jumped off a building to take down a Nomu and put herself in harm's way along with being willingly captured by a crazed Yakuza because of one small child. Yet she was ignoring the offer to help in this case? No, that wasn't like her. So what changed, what made her want to turn away?

Hawks turned his head at that, wiggling the paper in front of her face. "You sure? That's surprising, I never took you as one to back down from a challenge."

Amari only frowned though, pushing the object away almost immediately, her eyes casted towards the ground. Hawks could tell it physically pained her not to grab the file.

And Hawks was right, Bakugo really wanted to open that file but that meant that she would be involved with another case, which meant that the precious time she had left would be used for that instead of cherishing the moment she had with her brother and Todoroki.

She was already running low on time and as much as it pained her, Bakugo couldn't give in. No, she had her own set of goals to worry about without adding more tasks to the list. "I just want to enjoy the rest of my high school life. Is that so bad?"

It wasn't a lie, that is partly what Amari wanted, to spend time with her family, to make sure they'd be okay after her death. So for that, she would have to do the one thing the Bakugo family frowned upon, walking away.

Eyeing her response, the hero then pulled the folder away before placing it on his desk to read later. "No, I guess it isn't. I just thought you'd be interested, given your track record."

Hawks then crossed his arms over his chest as Amari realized she had to respond in order for the bird to change the subject. "I've already done way more than a normal high schooler should. I just want to relax for once."

And the man couldn't blame her for that, knowing that his life as a pro was a constant hell. There were definitely no breaks, that was for sure. She should relax while she has the chance, because in the future things will never be that easy. "No shame in that chickadee, I getchu."

Lifting his wings, the bird then stretched his arms out before pointing towards the door. "Alright well, time to get to business I suppose. Talking isn't going to get you ready for those provisional exams."

Amari was thankful for that, now able to get her mind back into focus on why she was here. That was right, she needed to get serious for the provisional exams, in order to stand equal with Katsuki. Then they could get their hero licenses together like she promised. "Right, well let's go then."

The hero enjoyed her sudden passion, now making his way out the door and gesturing for her to follow. It was time to see what she was made of. "After you chickadee."

Bakugo then took one last look at the file on Hawks' desk before willing the idea from her mind and turning her back towards the idea. No, she couldn't get distracted.

If only she knew at that time, if only she looked inside, even for a moment. Perhaps she would've seen the truth of the situation.

Then maybe she would've been able to avoid the regret that would soon follow for ignoring that file.

* * *

Following Hawks into the large training facility, the then man turned around only to flutter his wings in anticipation for the training they were about to endure. He couldn't help but feel the sickening sensation of his past slam into him as he glanced at Amari, now seeing flashes of red in the corner of his vision.

The girl seemed to notice this, taking in the hero's frowned expression, something that wasn't normal for him. "Hawks, are you okay?"

_No chickadee, I'm far from okay_. Is what he wanted to say, but of course that's not what came out of his lips, now forcing a smile. "Whaa, yeah of course. I'm just thinking about how to go about this. I'm gonna be honest, I never thought I'd be a teacher and yet, here we are!"

His grin stretched further up as Amari only shook his head, mistaking his words for excitement. That's what it sounded like anyways. "Why did you offer then?"

Lying smoothly, Hawks replied almost immediately, a hand ruffling her hair to prove the point. "That's an easy one kid, it's cause you're so cute and serious about all this. I've never met a fun sized hero before, so I thought I'd be fun to see what you got."

At the short comment, Amari's brow ticked in annoyance. "Why do I feel like you just insulted me?"

Hawks only laughed though, throwing his hands up in defense. "What, I would never. I already said, I just wanna help you out chickadee. That's all. Why do I feel like you're so skeptical of everything I do?"

He laughed again but this time it was far more muted, like he was hoping she would pick up on the very obvious accusation. She really did pick apart everything he did, which was extremely dangerous. In fact, she kinda reminded him of Dabi sometimes.

Bakugo only narrowed her eyes though, turning away from the hero before making her way to the corner. "Sorry, I guess I'm just wary of people that accuse me of working with villains and so obviously have hidden motives most of the time."

The hero then froze internally, eyeing the girl nervously. Crap, had he messed up? What did she know? He could already feel the sweat start to accumulate his brow. "Hidden motives? I think you're sounding a little paranoid there."

Yet Bakugo crossed her arms, recalling many instances where the bird could be considered shady. "Mmm, so showing up at my school just to get free advertisements for your agency isn't considered a hidden motive? I'm not stupid Hawks, quit thinking you can pull one over on me."

Shit, this girl was smarter than he originally thought. Perhaps he needed to be even more wary of her, it was almost like she had the intellect of a commission agent. That was a scary thought, a girl working with Dabi with that level of intelligence? He would have to walk on eggshells with her as well. Just great.

It was good she hadn't figured out any truly important information yet though. He knew he'd have to be careful of that. First, he would have to get her to put her guard down, because it was so obvious that she didn't trust him right now. Hawks certainly had his work cut out for him.

Seeing no use in denying the claims as it would just make Amari trust him even less, Hawks sighed loudly. "You're smart Bakugo, I'll give you that. Alright I admit, I thought I could use you to up my popularity with the public, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in your skills. I clearly saw how talented you were with that Nomu fight."

It was the truth, but not that full truth, allowing Bakugo to drop her arms. Hopefully this would quell her suspicions for now.

She took a few minutes before letting out a bitter smile, shaking her head in response. "At least you're honest now. I already knew you were up to something when you asked me."

Taking the bait, Hawks was relieved but now there was a new problem. What if she walked away because of this, what if she rejected his offer to train? Then he wouldn't be able to spy on her as easily. He hoped that wasn't the case.

The hero opened his mouth then, willing something to his lips in order to get her to rethink that idea, although he was stopped when she spoke first. "Well, regardless of your intentions, you still agreed to help me, and for that I'm thankful."

Hawks couldn't help but stand dumbfounded at that. This girl literally just confirmed that he was using her and yet she is still grateful? He didn't get it. Any normal person would be furious with him and expose his lies. "H-Hold on, I'm sorry I don't think I heard you right chickadee."

Amari only smirked at that though."Don't get me wrong, you're shady as hell but you could've walked away from me and just ignored the poor little short girl like everyone else does. But you are the first person that recognized my talent without me having to prove myself. It meant a lot to me.."

Hawks should've been happy about her declaration but instead, the man only felt shame. No matter her relation to Dabi, this girl was so incredibly naive and innocent. She really believed that his intentions were nothing but pure, and that felt like a sword through his chest.

If she hadn't been so close to those villains, then he wouldn't have even given her the time of day, and the comment he gave her at the billboard awards was only to gain her trust. "Ah, don't say that kid…"

Yet Bakugo only strolled up to him almost immediately. "It's the truth though, and for that I'm going to help you."

Hawk's eyes widened at that. What was she saying? This girl was crazy. "Help me?"

Nodding back, Amari pointed towards the hero before replying. "Yeah. You want promotion for your agency, right? Well, I'm going to help you with that. Just stop trying to lie to me, will you? It's annoying."

The hero had to blink a couple times before actually processing her words. She was allowing herself to be willingly used by him in order to make his agency look good, just because he said some frivolous comment about her potential? Great, now he felt even worse.

His intentions were only to spy on her because of Dabi, the thing with his agency was just a side perk she figured out. "Whoa, I appreciate the thought, I really do, but you really don't have to do that."

Yet, Amari only shook her head. "Yeah I know, but I want to. Think of it as a thank you for believing in me."

Her innocent smile beamed through then, causing Hawks' face to drop, his persona cracked and broken for a split second. Traitor or not, the man could tell that Amari's intentions were pure, and for that he knew he needed to save her from whatever Dabi had her involved in.

Feeling a loss of words, he then watched the girl turn her back once more, pointing towards the training arena they were standing in. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's see how impressive you are, bird boy."

This seemed to snap Hawks back to life, pushing away the idea for now. He'd get back to that later. "Alright alright, I'll take it easy on you for now so you can get your bearings."

Almost immediately, Bakugo's face snapped into a frown. "Don't you dare. If you are going to face me then you better give me everything you have. Otherwise that's just insulting."

Hawks had other opinions though, recalling the gruesome and torturous training he had to complete for his childhood. No, he couldn't do that to her. "Ah, but I gotta warn you chickadee, that's not going to be easy."

Amari only scoffed though, fully welcoming the challenge.. "Trust me, I faced Endeavor. I think I'll be okay."

The hero couldn't help smile at that as well, recalling Endeavor briefly saying about how reckless she was when they first meant. He supposed she had a point. Holding back would just seem like he was underestimating her, and Hawks wasn't about to do that. "If you insist."

Then before Amari could even think, the hero sent a multitude of feathers in her direction, the objects cutting through the air and heading straight for the girl in question. Ah, good, he wasn't holding back.

Quickly igniting her hands with gold matter, Bakugo lifted up her arms in order to form a shield in front of her, the feathers cracking the surface almost immediately as she grunted. Man, his feathers were stronger than she originally thought.

Hawks saw the failed attack and quickly pulled out his feather sword before racing towards her in a hard slash almost immediately.

Bakugo gasped and covered her arm with her quirk before grabbing the tip on the sword and pulling it forward to catch the bird off balance.

He certainly did stumble, causing Amari to smirk under her breath, allowing her explosions to pop in her hands, thinking she had gotten a hit on him.

Yet before her hand could even make contact, the girl felt her body zoom into the sky, Hawks' wings sky rocking her towards the ceiling almost immediately. "I don't think so, kid."

Gasping in surprise, Bakugo looked up and found her hand just barely hanging onto his feather sword, the only thing keeping her from falling onto the hard ground below. Oh, that's not good.

Hawks seemed to notice that and used the opportunity to throw the sword to her left, causing Amari to hold on even tighter. That jerk, he was trying to fling her off.

Not letting him do as he pleased, Bakugo then felt herself lose her grip, only for her explosions to propel herself into the air for a quick moment, plowing into Hawks' back all at once. "You idiot, I can't fly. That's cheating!"

Her palms turned gold as she pressed the surface into the middle part of his shoulder blades and the bird groaned with pain, obviously not realizing what she was going to do. "Fine fine, then how about this?"

Then almost immediately, Hawks flipped his body around and Amari barely had time to process the movement before her body was flung off the hero, plummeting her to the ground almost immediately. "Ahh, shit!"

She felt the breeze blow her as the girl internally panicked, now willing her gold matter to cover her body in an attempt to soften the blow. Cursing initially, she closed her eyes before she could hit the ground.

But when she was only a couple feet from her destination, the girl felt a strong force shove her into the nearby wall, the plaster cracking slightly at the hit. Amari groaned back only to find herself completely stuck by ten little feathers, each of them holding her in place.

Pulling her body away, Bakugo found herself immobilized, now seeing Hawks fly down to meet her, a cocky grin on his face. "Is that all you got kid? I would've thought Endeavors trainee would be a bit more impressive than that."

This caused a fiery tick of annoyance to rise in Amari's throat, her expression turning dark. She supposed she needed to turn it up a notch. This bird was really bringing his best for her.

Feeling her explosions pop and crack, Hawks then watched as the girl covered her body in gold matter, slipping from his feathers all at once and landing on the ground.

Then before he could even process it, Amari raced forward again, intent in her stance as a tiny growl escaped her lips. But as soon as she realized it, the girl shoved it down. The last thing she wanted was for her Nomu blood to kick in right now. "You better take that back, you overgrown chicken!"

Hawks felt his lips twitch into a smirk at that, seeing Bakugo race towards him with her fists outstretched. Ah yes, there was that fire he saw from Kyushu. She was really serious now.

Throwing a punch, the hero easily stepped to the side before using his wings to slam into her small body, the girl falling to the ground roughly. She was good but it was no secret that Hawks was still a pro with far more experience.

She then felt even more feathers come barreling towards her only for Amari to lift her hands up, creating an explosion in each hand and igniting the small objects on fire, causing them to wither away almost immediately. Interesting, maybe that was his weakness?

Hawks seemed to notice this as well, going for a more physical approach, aiming his sword towards the ground in an attempt to slash her. He wasn't being gentle by any means which meant he was clearly taking this serious, hoping Amari would move out of the way.

And she did in fact move away, now rolling to the side before seeing the sword had embedded itself into the ground, the object cracking the floor underneath her. Amari had to admit, the amount of power he had was frightening.

She gasped as a fist came barreling down, causing the girl to throw up a shield, his bones clanging against the hardened matter. Hawks groaned at this before Amari rolled back to her feet, her eyes widely darting around for his next attack.

Throwing up her fists just in time, Amari blocked his next attack before the man seemingly disappeared before her eyes, causing the girl to twist her brow in concern. Where did he..

Although she didn't have time to think as she felt her back scream in pain, the girl's small body crumbled to the ground as Hawks lightly sliced through her back with his sword.

He then landed with a light tap, knowing the battle was already over. His hit would leave a mark sure, but it wasn't anything someone like Recovery Girl couldn't fix. Besides, this was nothing in comparison to the training he had. "Good try chickadee, but looks like Endeavor hasn't perfected your technique yet."

Hawks then saw her trying to stand, only to push his boot lightly into her back, pausing her from her movements in order to claim victory. "So, do you admit you give up?"

Amari closed her eyes at that, feeling his words bubble into her throat in a heavy ball of shame. No, it wasn't over. Giving up was never an option. She recalled the hot pain that coursed her throat, the words of various doctors and villains telling her that she could never give up, that if she did, then she was better off dead.

The very thought made her frivolous, like a switch clicked inside her mind as another growl unwillingly escaped her throat, causing Hawks to frown. "Chickadee?"

Yet before he could process it, Amari dug her fingers into the floor and screamed before a large golden shield shoved the hero away, the man stumbling back in the process. Whoa, what was up with that power so suddenly?

Suddenly he felt the air wiz past him as Amari threw a blind fist, anger etched in her eyes, far more than there ever was before. Now, she almost looked almost like a villain. "Don't ever use those words."

Twisting his brow in confusion, Hawks threw his hands up, his wings blocking his body in slight fear. Something had clearly changed with her. "Whoa whoa, calm down Bakugo. That wound I gave you is gonna get worse if you keep going. Just say you give up and then we can stop."

But once again, his words only caused a growl to admit from her lips, Amari feeling the after effects of her quirk sink in. No, she couldn't stop now. She had to show him what Endeavor's trainee was made of. This was the chance to impress him, to show that training her wasn't a mistake. "Stop saying that, I will never give up! This is far from over..."

Hawks stood there for a moment before taking in her appearance. He knew he probably should've stopped her but the man was just too interested to see how far she would take this. The look in her eyes was the same one as the murder gaze she wore while taking down that Nomu in Kyushu after all.

And because of that, he only pushed her even further, readying his wings for another attack. "You want me to stop saying it, then make me."

Amari's stance turned dark then, the golden light surrounding her entire body as she ignored the pain in her stomach. She already knew that in order to impress him, she had to push herself.

Throwing her hands up, the girl then raced forward again, except this time, before Hawks could grab her, Amari let off a large explosion, the blast blinding the hero's sight for a moment as the crackle absorbed the space.

Hawks then closed his eyes, knowing she was going for a hidden attack and flung a couple feathers out until he found a moment from above him. Ah, an aerial attack. Interesting.

Stepping to the left, the hero then planted his feet before using his sword to swing upwards, the object catching on Bakugo's gold colored hands. Then she pulled the object towards her body, causing the leaning to learn forward and connect with a light explosion in front of his face.

Hawks began seeing spots, backing away to avoid another hit, although unknown to her, the hero didn't need his eyes to see. No, the commission's blindfold made that trick very easy for him.

Thinking that she had won, Amari then reached forward only for Hawks' hand to grab around her arm, pulling her into him as the hero barreled a fist into the girl's side.

It was possibly more rough then he originally intended but Hawks couldn't help but be surprised at her attack, now seeing the girl on the floor, coughing out a spit of blood from the impact.

Seeing her hurt made the man falter, now seeing flashes of the commissions torture in his mind. Hawks didn't want that for her, he didn't want her to learn the way he did. "Why do you hate the idea of giving up so much?"

Bakugo only groaned back though, feeling the black spots threaten the corner of her vision. Her defects were even stronger now, the pain reaching her whole body. She knew she needed to stop, but for some reason, she couldn't.

Hissing back, Amari then dug her fingers into the ground before forcing herself to her own shaky legs, intent in her stance. "Because, giving up is the same as dying."

The hero seemed stunned at that, staring at the small girl with concern. Her response, it sounded to robotic, like it was something that had been drilled into her mind as a child. Something about that phrase didn't seem right to him, because that sounded like something the commission would use to brainwash him.

Taking a cautious step forward, Hawks lifted his hands in response, hoping it would cause her to stop pushing herself and yet the other half wished she showed him the full extent of her power. He was such a terrible teacher, partly wanting the girl to hurt herself for this. "Bakugo, what are you talking about? Admitting defeat makes you stronger."

Yet the girl only shook her head, knowing that Hawks was lying to her again. Even Hawks knew it was a plain lie, but he was trying to figure something out here, something that unnerved him. "Bullshit, giving up is what cowards do, and nobody wants a hero like that!"

That's when the hero stopped, now recalling something similar that was spoken to him turning his training as a child. The commission would always use certain phrases and words to trigger something inside of him, to ignite his passion to follow orders and he really hated to admit it, but Bakugo was sounding extremely similar to how he was.

And that brought up a thousand other questions in his mind. He could tell from Kyushu that the girl was skilled, even at the sports festival she had definitely made an impact, that's why he tried to scout her anyways.

But when he read her file, he was surprised to learn that she had attended a quirkess school in America. That didn't line up with her talent at all, in fact it seemed impossible for her to learn so quickly. She must have gotten outside help.

And that was another thing, if she did get outside help, then who in the world trained her to be this way? Here and with that Nomu, her reactions were the same. It was like she was a soldier, like some unknown force was telling her what to do, and he hated that possibility. Because looking at her now, Hawks started to have a dark thought.

If his suspensions were correct, Bakugo could have been trained brutally like he was as a child, and that was something he didn't want to even think about. God, he hoped he was wrong.

He knew he had to test the theory but was slightly afraid for the damage it would cause the girl. But Hawks knew he couldn't stop now. He was so close to finding something out about her. _Please be wrong, please be wrong. _

Lifting his head up, the bird then purposely tried to rile up in hopes of revealing what he wanted to know. If she was trained like him, then there were specific trigger words that would anger her, that would force her to continue fighting. He just had to find them.

Hawks let his tongue hang on his next words, hoping it would gain some sort of reaction from her. "You think giving up is what cowards do, huh? Well I think cowards are people that say that they can win a fight when they clearly can't. Honestly, they should just admit defeat, it would be far less embarrassing."

Watching the hairs stand on the back of her neck, Hawks watched Amari's eyes darken, her hands twitching in response. Oh yeah, he was definitely getting somewhere with this. "Shut the fuck up.."

He knew he wanted to go further though, throwing his hands out lazily to show that he wasn't intimated in the slightest. "No, I don't think I will actually. Besides, why are you so angry about this in the first place? Are you that afraid of feeling like a coward, of being weak? Is that what terrifies you, Bakugo Amari?"

At that, someone snapped within Amari, flashes of her past now whispering in her ear as Hawks saw the veins pop out of her skin, threatening to burst as her entire presence grew sinister. All One's voice then hissed in her mind, causing the girl to growl back. **_What are you doing number twelve? Are you giving up, then you really are a coward. Nobody wants a hero like you._**

The hero then watched as Bakugo's hands lit up with explosions before racing forward in a raging shout, her voice cracking on each word to show the amount of pain his words brought. "SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP. I AM NOT WEAK. I AM NOT A COWARD.."

Ignoring the pain coursing through her body, Bakugo threw a blind explosion at Hawks as he dodged with surprise. She really looked unhinged, and that terrified him, specifically because of what that meant…

She had to be manipulated in some manner. Her rage could only be expected from someone that truly hated those words, someone that had heard them for years. No, that type of anger took time to manifest, he would know.

Hawks then flinched as a spike of gold matter zoomed past his face, cutting a small line across his cheek before he could even process it. Wait, why didn't his feather sense that?

Widening his eyes in surprise, the man then saw another fist aimed at his face only for the bird to block her blow with his wings. She seemed far more powerful for some reason, the spite fueling her movements as she barreled into him with no mercy.

He then focused his feathers, causing a couple to fly sharply towards the girl only for her gold matter shield to stop them immediately, the objects cracking the object around her fingers.

Narrowing her eyes, Amari then screamed as the force of her shield grew now shoving it forward and slamming into the man all at once as he stumbled back a couple feet with a groan.

He could vaguely see her arms shaking from the corner of his eye, her rage overtaking her.

Hawks held his chest for a moment before reading his sword, now slashing it forward with full intent, already knowing that Amari would dodge out of way, given her experience.

The wind blew past them as Bakugo lifted her hands in order to block his hit, until she saw the horrifying black veins climb up from her wrist.

Because her hand was turned, Hawks was unable to see the marks, but Amari immediately widened her eyes in fear, all of the anger leaving her body almost immediately.

She was going too far again, she was letting her anger and All for One's words control her. So much so that the Nomu blood in her system was screaming at her to keep fighting, and because of that she was terrified. No, this isn't what she wanted. She refused to be what that monster expected of her.

Knowing she couldn't use her power anymore, Amari turned off her quirk only for Hawks eyes to widen, opening his mouth to warn her when the hit crashed into Amari, the girl being flung across the arena as the wind from his sword blew the small child away. "Kid, look out!"

Almost immediately, Hawks ran forward in hopes of easing the hit but was too slow as a loud thud echoed through the space, Amari hitting the wall with an immense amount of force, knocking all the air out of her lungs.

Gasping out a breath, the bird raced forward, a worried expression on his face. Shit, why didn't she dodge that? She clearly could've. Why did she purposely turn off her quirk?! That wasn't a smart strategy. "Bakugo, are you alright? I'm sorry I thought you would have dodged."

Bakugo then lifted her hand, opening her mouth in order to quell the hero's worries when a sudden and painful shock overtook her body, the after effects of her quirk slamming into her all at once. The fact that she pushed herself now ever evident as she clutched her heart in agony.

Gritting her teeth, Amari's body began to seize as Hawks widened his eyes in utter horror. He did read about her health when he found her file but he thought she was better. That's what the commission wrote down anyways.

Oh no, were they wrong? What was happening, something was clearly hurting her now. "Hey kid..kid? what's going on? Hey come on chickadee, speak to me please! You're kinda freaking me out here. What's happening?!"

She wanted to speak, to tell him that everything was okay but the pain had her teeth clenched together and when she did speak it was only a muffled low groan.

This only worried the man more though, looking around like a crazy person as his wings fluttered with anxiety. He seemed to forget all of his hero training in one moment, now at a loss with the small child in front of him. "Shit, shit..what do I do? What do I do?!"

In his freakout, the man had made his way to the phone in his pocket, now pulling it out before furiously pressing a couple buttons. That was right, he would know what to do!

After willing the man to answer, Hawks heard Endeavor's rough voice a moment later, obviously not pleased about the call. "This better be good Hawks."

Twisting his brow in fear, the bird turned and glanced at his student before shouting back roughly. "Endeavor, I think I killed your trainee!"

There was a short silence then, only for the man to respond with frustration. "What are you talking about?"

The hero then pointed towards the girl, even though it was obvious that Endeavor couldn't see him. But the man was so terrified, he couldn't register that right now. "I-I don't know. We were training and I think I pushed her a little too far and now she looks like she's in pain and I don't know what to do. Do I take her to the hospital, do I call someone, do I…"

Yet that's when the man cut him off shortly. "Is she breathing?"

Blinking in surprise, Hawks' mind was running like crazy, unable to process the question. "I..huh, what?"

Todoroki's father only repeated himself though, his voice obviously getting more irritated as the moment went by. "I said, is she breathing?"

He suddenly seemed to understand, now racing towards the girl who was sweating profusely on the ground, her hands clutching the floor for dear life as she gritted her teeth. Her breaths came out in short sharp gasps but she was in fact breathing.

Then he placed two fingers to her neck, feeling slightly relieved when he found a light increased heart beat, now turning back to his phone. "Y-Yeah, she's breathing. Her heartbeat is really fast though."

Hearing a loud sigh in his ear, Endeavor replied back a moment later. It didn't seem all that concerned though which was surprising. "You didn't kill her Hawks, she just overused her quirk. That idiot must have tried to impress you and overdid it."

He felt his anxiety diminished slightly yet still was skeptical, now seeing Amari squeeze her eyes shut to will the pain away. "Are you sure? I mean, she looks pretty bad. Shouldn't I be doing something?"

Yet Endeavor only sighed heavily. "Stop whining Hawks, you're a pro hero so act like one. Bakugo will be fine, this is normal for her. I'm sure if she could talk then she'd tell you that. Just let her get over it, and leave me alone."

Then before Hawks could even reply, the number hero had hung up the phone. Well, if he wasn't worried then everything should be fine, hopefully.

The hero then glanced at the poor girl who had passed out from her own pain before lowering his eyes to the floor. There was far too much to unpack right now about that fight, but one thing he knew for sure is that whether the hero liked it or not, Bakugo had shared the same symptoms he did while they were training.

Could she really have been trained as horrifically as him? He sure hoped not but the evidence was certainly pointing towards the worst possible answer. It would explain a lot of her behavior.

Slowly moving towards her, Hawks then carefully lifted Bakugo off of the ground before carrying her in his arms lightly, almost afraid that she would break underneath him as he did so.

He at least had to get her to the medical bay in his agency, she'd be more comfortable there than this hard floor.

* * *

Shaking her head, Amari forced her eyes open before lifting her hand to calm an incoming headache. Crap, she passed out, didn't she? That wasn't the first impression she wanted to make for Hawks.

Well, it wasn't a first impression but you know, she still wanted to show him that he made the right choice in training her.

Almost a second later, the curtain to the left lifted as the man she was just thinking about turned the corner, a look of relief crossing his features when she saw her alive and well. Oh good. "Hey sleepyhead, you're finally up."

Groaning back, Bakugo closed her eyes slightly in an attempt to block the sunlight and calm her incoming headache. "How long was I out?"

Hawks was silent for a moment before pointing to the clock behind him. It didn't seem too far off from when they started training. "A couple hours. You really scared me Chickadee. I thought you were dying."

She only gave a dry laugh in response, recalling the horrible future she might have to face at some point. "Nah, not yet anyways. I'm like a cockroach, you can't seem to get rid of me."

Although because of his worry, the bird missed the very obvious ominous intent of her sentence, only taking it as the ideals that hero's face. It wasn't any secret that pro's think about those kinds of worries after all. "That's a good quality to have in this field."

Amari only gave him an unreadable expression before lowly her eyes in sadness. "I'm sorry, I overdid it, didn't I? I guess I just wanted to show you how cool I was. Looks like I ended up doing the opposite though."

Hawks' wings fluttered in anxiety then, recalling her broken body on the floor on the training grounds. "Yeah, what was up with that? When I read your file it said that your health had improved. You should've told me, I wouldn't have pushed you so far."

Shaking her head, the girl only sighed. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I hate being pitied more than anything."

That's when her face softened, now clutching the sheets in front of her as she continued. "My body is weak but Endeavor's been training me to maintain my quirk. Although, if I push myself past its limits, my internal organs start to burn me from the inside out. It's pretty painful, not gonna lie and the after effects for pushing myself are like what you saw before."

Widening his eyes in horror, the hero had no idea how rough she had it. From looking at her you would just think that she was like everyone else, if only a little shorter. But that wasn't the case at all. Why didn't the commission know about this? Why hadn't he realized before she pushed herself?

A new idea suddenly snapped in his mind then, his voice ringing with slight fear. "And what happens if you push yourself even further past your limits?"

Amari gave a half hearted laugh at that and Hawks could hear the pain in her voice. "Then I'll die. I don't get any second chances, so I have to be careful not to go that far."

She said it so simply, like the idea was second nature to her which overly concerned the man. He couldn't even imagine a quirk like that.

Then he realized what Endeavor meant when he laughed at him and told him good luck about wanting to train her. This girl was really something else.

Flashing back to their fight, Hawks then remembered the very concerning way she acted, now desperate to know the truth. He wasn't sure if she'd actually be honest but he had to try.

Hawks lifted his head slightly before lowering his voice, showing her he was serious. "Bakugo, the way you fought, I was honestly surprised. I read that you attended a quirkless school in America so where did you learn to fight like that?"

That's when Bakugo's smile fell, a flash of memory smacking her in the face as she replied. "Yeah, I was outsourced."

Wait, outsourced? Well that proved the theory that someone had helped her get that stronger, but it didn't answer the most important question of who.

Trying to lighten the mood, Hawks threw his hands up in a fake chuckle. "I mean, I gotta say I'm impressed. I'd like to know who taught ya. I bet you were really close with them, although their training seems kinda intense.

Be expected Amari to laugh at that, to give him a dodged response yet all he got was a straightforward reply, laced in hate and fury. "I hate him."

Widening his eyes, the man saw Bakugo grip her sheets in response, so much so that her knuckles began to turn white. That was profound and absolute rage, but why?

She obviously resented her trainer which made the horrible idea of her receiving commission like training more realistic. What had this girl gone through? He was now desperate to know.

Amari seemed to notice her darkened tone though, coughing once more trying to cover up her own feelings. She was being far too open with this bird. "Ah I mean, he's nobody, really. Besides, it doesn't really matter who trained me, it only matters what I do with my power."

Hawks knew that look anywhere though, in fact it was one he wore for many years. That was the expression of someone that was trying to cover something up. Although he could already tell that this topic of conversation was off limits right now.

Given her body language, the man knew he had to brush it off and come back to it later, making a note in his mind. "I mean, I guess you're right. You gotta make that power your own, right?"

Amari only nodded back though, a serious expression on her face. It was almost like she was taking in his words and really believing them. "Yeah."

Staring at the small blonde haired girl, Hawks had some many questions to ask the girl. Honestly the choices were endless, now knowing that she had a connection to Dabi, the league and All for One when the man kidnapped her during U.A. summer training camp. As much as he hated to admit it, this fifteen year old girl could be the key to everything he needed for his mission.

But he also realized that it wasn't that easy. Hawks knew Amari was smart, therefore if he tried to rush into any suspicious questions like with Dabi, then she would immediately shut down. No, he needed to tone it down for now to gain her trust, then he could poke her for information. Maybe she even knew something about All For One's masterpiece that could be useful.

And that was another thing, the president wanted him to kill the monster that All for One created but Hawks wasn't even sure if the thing even existed. Dabi had made no mention of the topic and everyone seemed to chalk it up to some sort of ghost story or myth. So, that's what he was going to believe for now, because the other possibility was absolutely terrifying.

Realizing she was being silent for far too long, the hero decided to ask about something small. Although, it wasn't like he still wasn't curious about it. He just wanted to understand the girl that was Bakugo Amari a bit more. "Hey, did you really mean what you said before about helping me with my agency?"

It was obvious that the girl hadn't expected that question, now turning to him with utter confusion. "Yeah, why would I say that if I didn't mean it?"

Hawks thought of a couple reasons for this, being the manipulative spy he was but decided to shove them down for now. That was right, he had to get her trust first. "I don't know, I guess it just doesn't make sense to me. Why would you go so far to repay a small amount of kindness? I didn't even say that much in the first place so you don't really owe me anything…"

Yet Bakugo only shook her hand, thinking for a moment before scooting herself up to see the hero more clearly. "That's not it at all Hawks."

Then he watched as a small smile graced her lips as she replied. "I just know what it's like, that's all. When you really want something but don't have the power to get it. I told you before, remember? People don't look at me and see a hero, so when I find people that believe in me, no matter how small the gesture is, I want to thank them and help them reach their own goals, like they did for me..."

Hawks stood stunned at that. This girl really had the heart of a hero on the inside. He would've accused her of lying but the amount of passion in her words was so strong, it was absolutely impossible to say she didn't believe in them. "I..Wow kid, that's really something."

Bakugo casted her eyes down at that. "You must think it's silly, and maybe it is, but I know what it's like to want to cry out and not be able to find the words. I don't want anyone to ever feel like that if I can help it. That's the kind of hero I want to be."

Chuckling to herself, Amari finished with slight sadness. "But in order to do that, I really have to get my quirk under control and stop embarrassing myself in front of pros."

She then balled her hand into a small fist as Hawks really took in her words. It had been awhile since he had met someone with such a naive heart. Her words were sweet but Hawks knew what the hero world was like. Nothing was straight black and white, not like she was describing. Yet, he couldn't help but wish for a world like that, a world where a hero's only desire was to help people.

And because of that thought, Hawks felt his lips curve up into a small smile, his words full of hope and appreciation for the girl in front of him. "If it means anything to you chickadee, I thought you were pretty cool in that fight earlier."

Amari's eyes widened then, his support coursing through her all at once before realizing something about his expression. "You finally smiled."

Hawks seemed confused about that though, grinning even wider at her accusation. "What are you talking about chickadee? I smile all the time."

Yet the girl only shook her head, before pointing at the man in question. "You know what I mean Hawks. That one was different."

The hero widened his eyes at that, realizing exactly what she meant. Had she realized that his smiles were fake, how long had she known something like that? Crap, he really let his guard down with his last comment, showing her a genuine smile wasn't something he planned on doing.

Seeing that he was at a loss for words, Amari only smirked back, throwing her hands up in a shrug. "Don't hurt yourself birdie, I just know that look all too well."

Then before he had a moment to deny her, the girl stretched out her arms, yawning as she did so. "But did you really say you thought I was cool? Even after I went super crazy and overdid it? I mean, I find that hard to believe that thank you anyways Hawks. That really means a lot."

Pushing the sheet off of her, the girl then swung her legs over the side before willing herself off the ground in order to stand. It seemed she was rambling now, trying to get Hawks to not push her about her last comment. She already knew he got the picture anyways. "I mean, I did face Endeavor though so this was nothing compared to that. You should've seen it, that old man had no mercy. But I really showed him. Yeah, I wouldn't let anyone intimate me, that's just how smooth I am..."

Although before she could finish her ramblings, the door opened to their left just as Amari pushed herself off the bed, now hearing a very familiar voice echo back. "Amari, there you are. I've been looking for you.."

Sharply turning her head, Bakugo had not expected to see Todoroki in front of her so suddenly. She was grateful yet shaken by his sudden presence. "Shoto, what are you…?"

So much so, that the girl completely forgot her legs were still numb from her quirk overuse and when she tried to take a step to meet him, the girl flopped very ungracefully onto the ground.

Hawks couldn't help but chuckle at that, now seeing the irony of the situation. She was just bragging about how smooth she was after all. "Very smooth chickadee."

Amari only groaned though, a pink hue of embarrassment in her cheeks as Todoroki reached out his hand, clearly not surprised at her clumsy nature by now. "Are you alright?"

Grasping his warm palm, he steadied her shoulders so she could stand, the girl now averting her eyes, clearly flustered. "Yeah, I..sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be here. Oh, not that I'm not happy that you are here, I'm thrilled actually, I mean ecstatic. But I guess I just didn't know that you'd show up, I'm very happy you did though and I…"

Todoroki reached a hand up though, calming her ramblings as she did when she was nervous. That fall must have really embarrassed her. "Amari, you're rambling again."

The girl immediately stopped, realizing what she was doing, placing her head in her hands before groaning. "Am I? Sorry, I guess you just surprised me."

Hawks watched his interaction with interest though, now seeing the very skeptical and closed off Amari he had come to know completely change her character. He never would have expected her to be this clumsy, given the intense training they had just gone through. It was like she was a different person.

Bakugo seemed to recall something though, turning her head in confusion. "What are you doing here? We didn't have a date night or something that I completely forgot about, right?"

Todoroki only shook his head though, now scanning her body for any injuries. "My old man called and said you overused your quirk again. He suggested I pick you up and I agreed."

She couldn't help but widen her eyes at that. "Wait, I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. Endeavor asked you to do something, and you listened?"

This was mind blowing to the girl, knowing that Todoroki absolutely hated his father with everything he had. So the fact that he was actually doing something the guy suggested was surprising in itself.

Frowning back, the boy began rubbing her arms before replying. "It was about you, and I was worried. Amari, you know what happens if you use your quirk too much."

Bakugo only nodded back though, now placing a calming hand to his face. "I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry. I just wanted to show what I was made of. I promised I wasn't going to go too far, I stopped myself before that."

But Todoroki absolutely hated that idea. He knew it was selfish, but the boy couldn't stand to see her use her quirk to its limit. Yes, it was what she had to do but he was afraid that one day, she would push herself too far and it would be too late. He couldn't help but be worried because of that.

Although he knew Amari's desires and didn't want to take them away from her, now sighing roughly before giving her forearms a light squeeze in anxiety. "Just promise me you will take care of yourself."

That's when the girl gave a small smile, her reply soft and passionate. "I promise. Besides, if I push myself too far, then I'll be going back on my word. I told you I would always come back to you, and I meant it."

Todoroki eyes softened as well, opening his mouth to speak before another voice interrupted them, Hawks whistling back happily. "Whoa chickadee, I didn't know you had this kind of side to you as well. It's fun to watch, I gotta say."

Then almost immediately, the two turned to the pro hero that was watching the entire reaction, Amari completely forgetting that he was here in the first place. Crap, she was just so happy to see Todoroki that her mind couldn't focus on anything else.

Feeling her cheeks redden, Amari casted her eyes to the floor. "Please stop."

The hero fully took this moment though, slinging his arms over Todoroki as Amari glared back with warning. Oh, she was very protective of him, wasn't she? How interesting. "Ah young love, so innocent, so pure. You are the real deal, huh? Seems those tabloids weren't wrong about you two."

Then he pushed the boy closer as Hawks continued. "By the way, let me introduce myself, I'm Hawks. I'm sure you've heard of me. In fact, I put out an offer to train you when you had your internships. I mean you turned me down but no hard feelings. Hopefully we can work together soon though."

It was very obvious that Todoroki didn't know what to do with this guy, causing Amari to frown back. "You're making him uncomfortable."

The hero couldn't help but smirk at that, knowing that his comment had gotten under her skin. Oh yeah, she did snap at him because of the boy back in Kyushu too. "Ah sorry, seems like I like to take things too fast. It's a character flaw, I will admit."

He put his hands up in defense as Amari sighed. "Don't mind him, he's harmless."

Todoroki seemed confused as well, just going with her word. He seemed like a difficult person to train with. "I was wondering if you would like me to walk you home? It's getting pretty late and I'm not sure how bad your quirk exhaustion is. You can use my shoulder for support if you'd like?"

His words were sweet, causing the girl to nod her head in approval before pointing back towards the medical bay. "Yeah sure, that sounds great. Can you give me like five minutes though? I wanna finish up here first."

Todoroki seemed to understand though, already turning towards the door. "Alright, I'll meet you outside then. It was nice to meet you Hawks."

Giving a small bow, the boy then disappeared as Hawks waved back joyfully, his voice carrying across the space. "Oh yeah, you too! Let's chat sometime soon. I would love to learn more about ya."

As soon as the footsteps disappeared, Hawks put his hands on his hips, nodding back in approval. "He's a good kid, a little dry, but still good. Good choice chickadee."

Although when he turned around to face her, the hero was only met with a frown. Oh boy, she did not look happy. "Hawks, I don't care how much you try to manipulate me but don't you dare try that on him."

The bird seemed surprised at that, taking in her serious expression. She really loved that kid, didn't she? "I was doing no such thing. I just want to get to know him, that's all."

Amari only hummed in response though, obviously not believing his words before Hawks voiced his opinions out loud. "You really care for him, don't you?"

Bakugo stopped at that, before turning back to face him, an unreadable expression on her face as she lightly touched the gold bracelet across her wrist. "He saved me, so I would do anything for him."

Then she went to grab her backpack as the bird tried to figure out exactly what she had meant by those words. Anything was such a dangerous term to him, so much so that it put him on edge almost immediately. Perhaps she didn't understand that though.

Giving a forced chuckle, Hawks narrowed his eyes. "Anything? That's a big word chickadee. I'm sure you don't really mean anything."

Although that's when Amari locked eyes with Hawks, her expression not faltering in the slightest as she answered back plain and serious. "I know what I said."

Turning on her heels, the girl muttered something about seeing him next week before disappearing out the door. But that wasn't what the hero was stuck on at the moment. No, he was way too concerned at her words.

What he had learned from her time at the agency so far was that Bakugo was very passionate about the people that believed in her. Hell, she willingly agreed to be strutted around for the sake of his agency just because he said some half hearted comment to her in the hallway. She didn't even know him, and yet Amari was already willing to do so much.

To anyone, her intent sounded harmless, but Hawks knew better. He saw the darker side of her words, and that terrified him just thinking about it.

Because if she was willing to do that much for someone she barely knew, then what kind of lengths would she go for someone she loved?

* * *

This took so much longer then I thought ahh I'm sorry. I hoped you liked it though. Hawks and Amari's relationship was really interesting to write because she is super upfront with him which surprises the hero. He realized they share the same rough childhood also so he can't help but feel for her. The commission and the way the villains train are very similar after all.

Next chapter: You know that scene in the manga with the Todoroki family dinner? Well, we are doing that my bois, with my little spin of course.


	76. S5 Chapter 4

Feeling his feet in against the tiled floor of his household, Todoroki Toya felt the sweat drip down his face, ignoring the maid's shouts to slow down in hopes of getting him to calm down. Too much excursion wasn't good for the boy, given his health.

Although he didn't pay any mind to that though, only focusing on the large muscular back a couple feet away from him. It had been weeks since he had last seen the man, and Toya wasn't about to waste this moment. He couldn't, knowing that the next chance would be too long for his heart to bear.

Raising his hand forward, he cried out in hopes to stop the man. "Dad!"

At stop he did, now seeing Endeavor freeze his steps before turning his brow in confusion and eyeing his frail son with disgust. "Oh it's you. What do you want?"

His tone was rough and cruel, causing Toya to automatically take a step back and rethink his words. It was obvious that his father wasn't in the mood to speak to him, but the boy knew he had to try.

Not knowing exactly what to say, the boy clenched his hands into a tight fist. "I..uhh..umm."

Yet Endeavor wasn't pleased with him the slightest, already turning his back. "I don't have time for this. If you have nothing to say then step aside..."

Flinching back, Toya reached his hand out again, although it stopped back making content. "W-Wait! I'm sorry, I just..I missed you."

His father only narrowed his eyes at that, staying silent as the red haired boy continued. "Me, Natsou and Fuyumi are talking and I was wondering if you wanted to play fireworks with us? Maybe Sho could come to and we could.."

Yet that's when Endeavor spoke over him, stopping the boy almost immediately. "Toya, now is not the time for games. I still have much to teach Shoto if he's going to surpass me in the future. Foolish games and activities will change nothing."

Taking a step forward, Toya then decided to push further, knowing this was the only chance he had. "Dad, you know I can make you proud also. You said it yourself that I could also surpass All Might. I've been working for months in order to maintain my fire and.."

Endeavor only laughed at that though, before his eyes traveled up and down the child. "Yes, I did say that but that was before you inherited that weakness from your mother. It's a pity, I was so close to creating perfection, and yet that woman had to ruin it with her health. And now, you're useless to me."

Hearing his cruel words, Toya felt his heart plumpt into his chest, tears already making its way to the surface. No, it wouldn't end like this. He needed to convince his father that he was also worthy of his love. "Stop talking about mother like that, it's not her fault that she's sick, and it's not mine either."

Endeavor frowned in response, before sighing roughly at making his way towards his son in order to make him understand. "It's not but because of her, it does mean that you are a failure to my cause."

Balling his fists even tighter, Toya closed his eyes in silent pain before crying back in desperation. He didn't want to be a failure, he didn't want to be useless to his dad. The boy only wanted to be loved. "If I'm a failure, then here has to be something, something I can do to get you to look at me."

Endeavor only shook his head though, obviously tired with this conversation already. "It's useless Toya, just go back with your siblings. I have to go back to Shoto."

Watching his father turn around hurt Toya more than that man would ever know, the boy following after him almost immediately. "W-Wait, hold on..It wasn't done talking.."

Yet the man only continued on, his voice plain. "If you are going to keep trying to convince me to train you then this conversation is pointless. You may not be done talking, but I am. Just let it go boy.."

Toya was desperate though, clinging onto that last hope he had, not wanting to believe that terrible idea that his father would never love him. He had tried everything to get him to look at the boy, but maybe it wasn't enough, maybe he had to push himself further.

Shoving the tears that lined his eyes down, the boy sputtered back desperately in an attempt to make Endeavor say. "There has to be something, I can train harder, I can break myself down to get stronger, I can do anything, just tell me what you want father..!"

The air was silent then, as if Endeavor was taking in his words slowly, trying to understand the meaning before he finally turned around to face the boy, his next words stunning Toya into a hard silence. "It doesn't matter what you do son, you will never be able to beat Shoto, so just stop trying. You're going to end up killing yourself before that happens."

Toya couldn't take that answer though, now racing forward before his hand latched onto his fathers in an attempt to make him stay, an attempt to make him seem valuable to the man. "Father please...don't just walk away from me…!"

Although at the touch, Endeavor immediately moved his arm away, disdain in his voice.  
"Don't touch me."

Flinching at the tone, Toya pulled away as his father watching him wordlessly move away, disappearing down the hall and out of the boy's sight. Although the hole that he had created was still ever present in his chest now.

He didn't understand. The quirk defect he has inherited wasn't his fault and yet after Endeavor found out about it, the man automatically shunned the boy, moving onto his next child in hopes of creating that perfect masterpiece to defeat All Might.

Toya trudged back to his room, ignoring Natsuo and Fuyumi's concerned voices and shutting the door behind him. They didn't need to know about his pain, his siblings didn't deserve to know the hell that he just went through.

His eyes then turned dark before racing up to his desk and throwing the contents off in one long swing, a cry of anger escaping his throat. Why, why couldn't he be good enough for that man?! He was trying so hard and yet it still wasn't enough..

Looking down at the discarded and broken glass that now littered the ground, Toya felt a choked sob stop his movements before bringing a shaky hand to his mouth, the tears now ever prevalent on his cheeks.

The boy then felt his legs give out before sliding against his door, and bringing his legs up in order to give him some sort of comfort. He silently wished that it was his father's arms around him but quickly shoved the idea away.

His father would never love someone as useless as him, he said it himself.

Toya just wished for everything to stop, to stop feeling every little annoying negative emotion that flashed into his mind as he cried. It was too much, for years, feeling the same thing over and over again, the shame and self hatred to himself crushing his heart each time that man turned away from him. He couldn't take it anymore.

Maybe there really was nothing he could do, maybe he really was just a failure after all.

* * *

Gasping awake, Dabi bolted upright from his ratty mattress, the sweat dripping down his entire body as the man placed a hand to his chest in order to calm at the start of another panic attack. His chest heaved out in agony as he tried to regain his hold on reality.

After a couple minutes, his breathing returned back to normal before the man let out an aggravated sigh, now using his purple skinned arms to cover his eyes.

What the hell even was that? He thought he was done with these stupid memories from the past. They had already stopped years ago so why in hell had he just one? That was unpleasant to say the least.

Closing his eyes under his arm, Dabi then realized that he knew exactly why they started up again. It was that annoying girl, Bakugo Amari.

She was pushing up things that the man had so desperately tried to keep buried, bringing up unpleasant memories and resurfacing them with all of that self righteous talk she had been spewing. He really should have killed her back in that alleyway.

Lifting his arm up, Dabi then inspected the surface before recalling the sensation of his hand around Amari's throat. It would've been so easy to have just ended her there. Who cares what kind of bullshit All for One and that crusty bastard wanted her for. Things would've been over if he had just finished the job.

But the man couldn't help it, seeing her interactions with her idiot brother and Endeavor, it was like the universe was mocking him, making him relive his childhood with that girl. The way she spoke, the way she acted, everything about her was just like how he was before, and Dabi absolutely hated it.

The hope she had for his broken family, the determination she had for that stupid little plan she had concocted was foolish to say the least, and he couldn't wait to watch her disappointed little expression when Amari realized that nothing will change by her involvement.

His father didn't even want him as a child, so there was no doubt in his mind that Endeavor wouldn't want him now. Although, it wasn't as if he cared either way, that part of him was dead, it needed to be dead.

Nothing good came of it and he refused to feel those annoying and heart crushing emotions again. That wasn't who he was anymore, he didn't need that hero's approval or felt the need to be a little lap dog anymore. No, Todoroki Toya was dead, and there was no way he would ever let him return.

Placing his arms down, Dabi then sighed before willing himself back to sleep. Yeah, that was right, she could keep pushing him, but the man was sure that Bakugo Amari would regret it in the end.

It doesn't matter what her intentions were, someday she'd soon realize that everything was indeed pointless in the end.

Sighing at her desk, Amari flopped her hands over the side before thinking about the task ahead of her. It had been weeks and there had still been no progress with Todoroki's family. In fact, they seemed just as far apart as usual which unnerved her.

She flipped open her phone before eyeing the unread messages to Dabi before closing the surface right after. Maybe he was a lost cause after all, although the girl couldn't seem to give up still.

Shaking her head, she then heard someone poke her shoulder, his voice radiating through the space. "Hey Mari-chan, are you okay? You seem kind of down."

Amari then popped her head only to find a familiar shade of green blocking her vision all at once. She thought he was sweet for asking about her. "Oh, yeah Deku. I'm okay. Sorry, just a lot on my mind."

Deku smiled back sadly at that, placing a reassuring hand to her desk. He thought he completely understood what she had meant. "Yeah, I know how that can be. Are you still training with Hawks for your provisional exam?"

Twisting her brow in confusion, Bakugo replied. "Uhh yeah? But how do you know about that? I don't think I told you yet."

She tried to search her memory of any past conversation with the boy but couldn't find any instance where she told him about her training with Hawks. Maybe she just forgot though, that could've been the case.

The boy only pulled out his phone though, now scrolling through until finding what he was seemingly looking for. "It's all over the news right now. You really didn't know?"

That's when Deku showed her the multiple articles about Hawks and her training together, the hero himself smiling widely as if to promote his agency further. They were calling him nurturing and so thoughtful for taking in a student to help them.

What kind of bullshit was that? Amari already knew his true meaning anyways so saying that he was doing this out of the kindness of his heart was kinda comical.

Groaning to herself, the girl's eyes fell before plopping her head back onto the desk, her voice muttering back. "That stupid bird, he's really playing it up for the camera's isn't he?"

Deku didn't understand her meaning, thinking that there could possibly be some discourse between the two. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you more. I thought you already knew. You are even in some of these pictures."

At that, Amari immediately straightened up, afraid she had hurt him in some way. "No no, it's not that. I guess I just forgot about that. My mind has been, somewhere else lately."

That was putting it lightly, and she knew it. Trying to accomplish everything on her list before her time ran out wasn't any small matter in the slightest.

Deku saw her bothered expression though, wanting to help her but still not wanting to pry too much. If Amari wanted to tell him, then she would do so herself. Although, he couldn't help but be worried about the girl. She seemed really bothered by something.

Placing a calming hand to her shoulder, Amari then turned to find Deku's gentle smile, now aimed towards her. "You know I'm always here if you need to talk about something, right? I'll do the best I can to listen."

Bakugo opened her mouth then, almost already to tell him about everything that was bothering her. She really wished too, but then she remembered the warning that Sir Nighteye had given her. If anyone found out about her possible death, then it could possibly cause them to get hurt instead of her, and that wasn't something Amari was going to let happen.

Deku's heart was pure, which meant that if he found out about her situation, then he most likely would try to stop it. That could very well possibly set in the future of someone dying for her sake and taking her place. No, she couldn't do that to him, that boy had a wonderful future waiting for him.

Closing her lips together, Amari knew she had already made her decision. "Thanks Deku. I might take you up on that offer in the future."

That's when she thought of something. Maybe he couldn't help her with her fate, but he might be able to give her insight on another problem. "Actually, I was wondering if I could get some advice from you?"

The boy immediately brightened up at that, happy to be of service for once. "Oh, yeah! What do you need? I'm all ears."

Thinking for a moment, Amari replied back. "Okay, well you have a good relationship with your mom, right?"

Blinking in surprise, Deku nodded back. "Uhh I mean yeah, we are close. Why do you ask?"

Bakugo then turned her head before continuing. "What are some things that strengthen your relationship? Like what's something that you usually do together? I can't really go by experience since my family isn't the most conventional."

Deku stood silent at that, taking in her words before a small smile crept into his lips, immediately knowing what she was talking about. "This is for Todoroki, isn't it?"

Widening her eyes, Amari immediately raised out of her seat before clamping her hand over his mouth, silencing him immediately before Todoroki could overhear. "SHHHHHH."

After a couple seconds, Bakugo then removed her hand before trying to answer his question with a nervous chuckle. "It's not like that, I mean it isn't like it's for him, I guess I was just curious and everything, and I guess that doesn't pertain to his situation but it wasn't like I was talking about him, okay?"

Deku couldn't help but chuckle back as well though, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head. Her rambling was clearly a sign of that. How cute. ""Alright alright, I think I understand."

Amari only turned away though, the boy seeing a pink hue to her cheeks. "Just forget it, ignore what I asked."

The boy only smiled though, thinking her embarrassment for Todoroki was really adorable before placing a finger to his lips in thought. "Well, me and mom do a lot of things together, but the one thing we used to do everyday is just have dinner together."

Amari perked up at that, testing the words on her tongue. "Dinner?"

Nodding back, Deku started to recall his childhood. "Yeah, I mean that way we could really talk face to face. I'd tell her about my day and she'd listen. It may have been simple but we really learned a lot about each other because of it."

Bakugo seemed to think about her words all at once, like the idea of dinner was so foreign to her. Before the dorm system, Katsuki would eat in his room and their mother would be working on something for her job so they didn't really get to experience a normal family dinner. Was it really as simple as that?

Placing a finger up to her chin in thought, Amari nodded her head. "A family dinner, that could maybe work..."

That's when Amari got an idea, now bursting out of her seat before hugging the green haired boy tightly, her head just barely reaching his shoulders. "Oh Deku, you beautiful broccoli boy. That's perfect! Thank you! I gotta go make some calls..!"

The boy just barely had time to respond as the girl hurried out of the door, Deku looking down at his hand after she left. _Todoroki and her really did everything for each other, didn't they? _

Once she was out of sight, Bakugo then pulled open her phone before pushing a few buttons and lifting the object to her ear.

She needed someone in her corner, and the blonde haired girl knew just the person to ask. "Hey Fuyumi, I need your help with something.."

* * *

Moving up towards the Todoroki household, Amari watched Todoroki enter wordlessly, her mind going in a thousand different directions.

Just as planned, Fuyumi had messaged Todoroki about the family dinner and when the boy approached Bakugo about it, she was surprised to see little to no resistance from him.

She honestly expected him to flat out reject the idea but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, the only thing he asked was for her to be there with him. Of course she agreed but Amari wasn't sure if that was a good sign or bad one though. Time would have to tell, she supposed.

Shaking her head, Amari tried to quell her worries, reaching out to touch Todoroki's sleeve quietly. "Shoto, are you really okay with all this?"

He looked down at his feet then, his eyes focusing on something in particular. " When I received the invite from my sister, I wasn't sure how to feel or respond. It seemed sudden and strange.."

Bakugo couldn't help but laugh nervously at that, knowing that she was the one that convinced Fuyumi to hold this dinner. Although if Todoroki knew that, then he'd certainly only go for her sake, and Amari didn't want that. She wanted Shoto to choose his family by himself.

Although the girl couldn't help but remain concerned. "Yeah, you said that doesn't usually happen. So, what made you agree then?"

She watched Todoroki narrow his eyes at that. "I wish to learn more about my family, since I didn't get the chance as a child. I know it's a foolish desire, but maybe we can grow closer because of it."

The girl couldn't help but smile at that, replying back softly. "You want to get to know your siblings, that's why you agreed?"

Nodding back, she watched Todoroki sigh. "Yes, even though we are not the same, I wish to understand them a bit more. Although I can't deny the displeasure of knowing he'll be there as well."

Amari knew that he meant Endeavor, causing her to place a hand to her neck in a sigh matching his own. That little interaction was going to be something, that's for sure. "Yeah, that's going to be interesting…"

That's when Todoroki stopped his steps before turning towards Amari, his hand reaching down to grasp her own. "Thank you for joining me for this. I know it's not the most pleasant situation for you to be in, but having you next to me gives me strength."

Bakugo's eyes softened at that before giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. "I'll always be here for you Shoto, through everything. I'm glad you asked me to join you for this."

She couldn't help but feel a little guilty though, knowing that Todoroki thought she had nothing to do with this. Ah well, if everything worked out then it would be worth it.

Entering the household, Bakugo barely had taken off her shoes before a loud shout echoed through the space and practically knocking the girl over in the process. "Bakugo, you're hereee!"

She felt herself stumble off her feet only for strong hands to squeeze the life out of her, his voice full of joy and carefree happiness. "What's wrong with you Shoto? You don't bring her around nearly enough! I wanna spend time with your cute girlfriend!"

Amari tried to pry his arms off before giving up all together, sputtering back "Natsuo..can't breathe..."

The man only squeezed tighter though, causing Todoroki to reach a hand out in order to stop his girlfriend from being suffocated. Although he was beaten to it as a hand whacked him on the head. "Natsu, don't hog her all to yourself, I want a turn!"

Feeling his grip lessen, Amari let out a shaky breath before turning to her savior. "Hello Fuyumi. It's so great to see you again."

Shoto's sister only smiled lightly in response. "You too Bakugo."

That's when Todoroki took a step forward, his voice plain and slightly nervous. Well, that's what Amari noticed anyways. "Hello sister, brother.."

The two stopped then, turning to their little brother before Natsuo playfully plopped a hand onto his head and messed up his hair. "Hey Sho! It's good to see you again as well!"

Amari then watched the boys lips turn up into a small smile, causing her heart to do an absent minded flip. He looked so happy right now and she was thankful for it.

Although she was snapped out of her thoughts when Fuyumi pointed back towards a room on her left. "I was just about to get started on dinner, it will still be a while though."

Reaching her hand out, Amari replied back a moment later. "I can help you if you'd like? It feels wrong to just sit around while you do all the hard work Fuyumi.."

His sister's eyes seemed to soften at that. "Really? I would love that Bakugo."

Yet Amari only waved her hand away, not liking something in that sentence. "If you want, you can just call me Amari. I feel like we know each other enough for that."

Fuyumi seemed surprised by that and Bakugo thought about backtracking, well that was until the woman smiled back warmly, a hint of emotion in her eyes. "I'd love that very much, Amari."

The girl couldn't help but smile at that as well, now hearing Todoroki's voice cut through the two of them. "I can help as well."

This caused his brother to immediately turn his head in disbelief. "W-Wait, Shoto, you know how to cook?! How come I never knew that.."

The boy only frowned though, not liking that his brother was calling him out. "Yes, I used to with mother sometimes before she…"

His voice traveled off then, causing Amari to turn in concern. His words must have triggered some kind of sad memory inside of him. All the happiness that had reached his face was now drained as Fuyumi eyed him sadly. She knew what that expression was.

Placing a nervous hand to his neck, Natsuo replied. "Right, I guess I still don't know much about you Shoto. Sorry about that."

Todoroki didn't answer though, causing Amari to speak up for the awkward atmosphere. "Well, that's what today is for right? Making memories.."

Fuyumi took in her words for a moment before sighing roughly and regaining her sad smile. "Yeah, you're right Amari. I'll leave dinner to the two of you then, if that's okay?"

Bakugo only nodded her head though, reaching out to grab Todoroki's hand. "Yeah, leave it to us! Shoto, you can decide, what do you want to make?"

She put her finger up in question before Todoroki realized what she was trying to do. Bakugo was trying to make him feel better about the gap between his siblings. That was so kind of her. "Soba.."

Amari couldn't help but chuckle at that, now lifting her hands up in the air with giddy excitement. "Ah, I should've guessed. Alright, let's make the best soba the world has ever seen, okay?"

The boy could only shake his head at that, giving into her excitement. "Amari, I don't think that's possible.."

Yet Bakugo only scoffed before slapping him on the shoulder. "Well not with that attitude it won't be. Come on Shoto, if we believe it, we can do it!"

She grinned widely at the idea and Todoroki couldn't help but feed into her sudden burst of energy. He knew she was doing this for him, because he was down about Fuyumi's comment. He couldn't continue to be like this when she was trying so hard for him.

Feeling his lips curve back into a small smile, Todoroki replied. "If anyone can do it, then it's you."

Amari only nodded back though, now grabbing his arm in order to drag him into the kitchen. "That's more like it! Just wait Fuyumi and Natsuo, you're gonna be blown away by our cooking skills, just watch!"

Natsuo and Fuyumi couldn't help but look at each other because of her words, a smirk now plastered onto their faces. They noticed all of the darkness in their little brothers eyes had fully disappeared, now replaced by admiration and love.

She was really helping Shoto, wasn't she?

* * *

After about an hour or so of cooking, Amari excused herself to go to the bathroom in hopes that it would give Todoroki time to bond with his siblings. That's why she took the long way to her location. She wanted to give him this precious time after all.

Although that's when she realized that the route she had taken had led down an unfamiliar hallway. Oh great, did she really just get lost in Todoroki's house? Good job Amari, really great job.

She debated asking one of her maids circling the area but her social anxiety forbade her from doing so. After that scare with people accusing her as a villain it was hard to just walk up and talk to people. Besides, she already knew some of the maid's didn't exactly like her.

Turning the corner, she found herself in front of a large door and turned her brow in confusion before a voice stopped her entity. "There you are Amari, what took you so long? Shoto was starting to think you fell into the toilet or something."

She looked up only to find Natsuo staring back at her, a small smile on his face. "Oh, sorry. I guess I got a little lost. Plus I wanted to give Shoto time to talk to you two. He seemed nervous before."

Nodding back, the man then pointed a finger away from himself. "It's okay, but we really should be getting back. You shouldn't be over here anyways."

At that, Bakugo's face raised a brow, now gesturing back to the large door in front of her. "Why, is there something behind this door?"

She watched Natsuo's face fall then, glancing at the object before closing his eyes in silent pain. "Yeah, that's uhh...that was Toya's room."

Widening her eyes, Amari's head whipped towards the door all at once. Just beyond here was Toya's room, his memories? Suddenly she felt herself grow desperate, wanting to see inside. Maybe there was something inside that she could use for Dabi.

Amari lifted her hand before placing her fingers on the cool wood. "Can I see, please?"

Natsuo opened his mouth in order to reject her plea. He hadn't even been in there for years, so he couldn't see the benefit of her going inside. Yet, he stopped when the man saw Amari's expression towards the object.

She seemed desperate for some reason, causing the man to falter. "You won't find anything pleasant in there. Just a bunch of old painful memories. Dad doesn't even go in there."

Although that's when he watched the girl tighten her hand on the door, her voice cracking just slightly in response. "Natsuo...please…."

He knew he couldn't turn her down after that, now seeing her utter raw emotion in her expression. Natsuo didn't know why, but he knew he needed to follow her request.

Lifting her shaky hand to the metal doorknob, Natsuo took a shaky breath before throwing the door open, the darkness consuming the time of them immediately as Amari took no time stepping inside.

She glanced around the space, taking in everything about the boy that was Todoroki Toya. His room hadn't changed in the slightest, possibly in hopes that their family member would return to them someday. Well, that's what she hoped for as well.

The walls were plain except for a couple posters lining a small twin sized bed. It was simple for a room, almost like the boy didn't care about anything in particular, not enough to warrant any decorations at least.

She silently made her way through the space as Natsuo watched her by the doorframe. He couldn't even bear to take a step into that room, never mind looking into it. "What are you looking for anyways?"

Shaking her head, Amari then made her way toward a large dresser in the corner of her room, eyeing a photo of Toya clinging to his mother in unsaid desperation.

The edges of the picture appeared to be burned, like he had charred the end in hopes to erase the memory. Although the picture still remained intact, what meant that Toya didn't have the heart to actually destroy it. That meant he loved his family at some point.

Picking up the photo, Amari's voice echoed into the space. "You were close to him, right?"

The question seemed to surprise the man, thinking back to every single painful memory he shared as a child. "Yeah, although I never saw how much pain he was in. He really liked to hide that from us. It was worse after mom was sent away.."

The girl hummed in response before gently touching the burned edges of the photo. "Did that really hurt him?"

Nodding back, Natsuo's eyes saddened. "Toya loved our mother, probably the most out of all of us. They shared the same health conditions so they could relate to each other. But because of that, he was the one to firsthandly witness her downfall. It was hard on him, and when she was sent away for hurting Shoto...it destroyed him."

Amari eyes lowered at that, not being able to comprehend the amount of pain that Todoroki Toya had gone through in order to turn him into Dabi. Although from the looks of it, it seemed like he had a soft spot for his mothers, maybe that was still true now? She wasn't sure.

That's when she noticed something shiny out of the corner of her eyes, only to find a small black ring to the left of the photo. Reaching her hand down to inspect the surface, she found a tiny T engraved in the center. "What's this?"

Seeing the ring made Natsuo sadden, his voice low and small. "That was the first and only gift given to him by our father. It was back when he thought Toya could be one to surpass All Might, back when he loved him. Toya he...he never took it off, even after he was rejected."

Amari rolled the object around in her fingers as he continued. "I think..I think he really hoped that one day our dad would love him again. The only time he took it off was right before...before the accident."

Rubbing her fingers across the engraved letter before letting her eyes fall. She knew that Toya had a rough childhood but hearing about it and her own experiences together made the girl falter. They were really alike, weren't they? Now she could see why Dabi took an interest in her. "We really were the same."

All she wanted for her entire life was for Katsuki to love her to accept her and she had gotten just that. The girl didn't want to even know what would've happened if her life was like his. Maybe she would've been a villain as well.

That's when Amari lifted her right hand up before placing it on her ring finger, causing Natsuo to look at her in confusion. "Amari, what are you doing?"

Yet the girl only looked at the object before turning back to Todoroki's brother. "If you don't mind, can I please wear this for dinner? That way Toya can still be with us. I think he'd want to see you all together again."

Blinking in surprise, Natsuo took a couple minutes to take in her words before whipping a single tear from his eye. "Yeah, I think he'd really like that. In fact, you can keep it Amari. That way a part of him can live on and be with Shoto as well."

She was about to reject his offer, unable to wear something so important to their family, when the girl couldn't deny the feeling of the cool metal on her skin. It was like it was telling her to keep it on, to wear it until Dabi returned back to his family. Then, Amari could properly give it back to him. "If you're sure.."

The man only nodded his head though, his voice kind. "I am, and I think Fuyumi would agree as well."

Amari couldn't help but smile at that before hearing Natsuo pointed back behind him. "We really should be heading back now. Don't want Sho to get all jealous again. Although, that would be pretty fun to watch.."

The girl couldn't help but laugh at that, already making her way back towards the entranceway.

After seeing this, she knew she couldn't give up. Todoroki Toya was so incredibly important to their family, and she would stop at nothing to bring him back.

She didn't care if he was a villain or someone completely different, somehow she knew that Todoroki Toya was still there in Dabi. He had to be.

* * *

Walking back in with Natsuo by her side, Fuyumi smiled brightly before patting the seat next to her. "There you are, come on and sit down. Dinner is ready."

She nodded her head before plopping herself down next to Todoroki, now seeing a bowl of cold soba in front of them as she elbowed him lightly. "Did you two get to talk more?"

Picking up his chopsticks the boy only sighed. "It still seems difficult to communicate."

Amari gave a reassuring smile because of that, her hand resting on top of his lightly. "Nothing is perfect right away. The point is, you're making an attempt. It's a start."

Todoroki couldn't help but nod his head back before taking a silent slurp of his soba in hopes to calm himself down.

Although that silence was short-lived when the door next to them opened, revealing one man that made every single Todoroki freeze. Their father.

Pick up her chopsticks, Fuyumi spoke up first, hopeful expression on her face. "Ah hello Dad. Nice work out there. We were just watching highlights of your hero work on TV. You must be tired, here come and sit down with us…"

Staring back at his kids, Endeavor replied back softly, a hint of regret in his eyes for some reason. "Long time no see…"

Natsuo only scoffed though, allowing another stream of noodles down his throat. It was obvious he didn't want to speak to his father.

So much so, that Amari decided to speak up for him. "Hey Endeavor, how was protoling today? Did you scare anyone away with your grumpy face again?"

She meant it as a joke but no one seemed to laugh, Todoroki now glancing to his father before noticing the newfound scar that had formed on his eye because of that big Nomu fight. It was kind of ironic to say that least.

Slurping his soda unnecessarily loud, the boy heckled plainly. "That's a nasty scar you got there."

Endeavor frowned only for Amari to elbow the boy in the side. She couldn't deny it was funny but now wasn't the time as the man chose to ignore his comment. "What is she doing here?"

Glancing toward Amari, Fuyumi only laughed nervously. "Shoto refused to be here unless she joined."

Another loud slurp of soba from Todoroki and was Natsuo overheard at that, causing Endeavor frown. Of course that's why she was here.

Fuyumi then began to pat the seat next to her. "Come on Dad, let's all have dinner together..."

Yet before she could even finish that sentence, Natsuo had already slammed his chopstick on the table, a heavy glare on his face. "Sorry sis, I can't do this. I can't pretend to act like everything is fine…"

Watching him raise from the table, the boy turned to leave only for Endeavor to place a firm hand on his shoulder. "Natsuo, if you have something to say, then say it…"

The white haired boy only glared though, shoving his hands off of him before scoffing back darkly. "Say it? That's real rich coming from the guy who wouldn't even look at me for years. You got some nerve, you know that?!"

Already knowing this was going south, Amari felt her hands ball into fists, now hearing him continue. "Hell, I didn't even know that Soba was Shoto's favorite food until today. You really made sure that we weren't a part of his life, didn't you?"

Shaking her head, Bakugo twisted her brow in anxiety before speaking back. "Whoa Natsuo, let's just calm down and…"

Yet the boy was too far gone, his voice ringing back roughly. "Why are you defending him Amari, why are you on his side even after knowing about all of the terrible things he's down to us, to Shoto? How can you just be okay with that?!"

Balling her hands into a fist, she replied roughly. "I'm not defending him, and I'm not okay with what he's done. It's not like I'm defending his actions but…"

Natsuo only cut her off once again though, his overflowing anger now directed at the girl. "But what?! You know what he did to Toya. It's his fault that happened you know, it's his fault that he's dead!"

At that Fuyumi widened her eyes, immediately rising from her seat. He had just mentioned the one thing that was forbidden in their household. Everyone knew it was a sure fire way to make their father upset and she didn't want that, not right now.. "Natsu stop! You know Dad doesn't like to talk about him…"

Yet the boy only scoffed, throwing his arms out in an undeniable rage. It was obvious that his anger was controlling his words, the venom sharper than ever now. "He doesn't like talking about it because he wants to forget it ever happened, that it was his fault, that the past never existed!"

Amari silently watched as Endeavor balled his fists at that, like he was trying to control his own unkempt emotions for his son. "Your words are foolish. From now on I am going to face my past."

Yet Natsuo was quick to the draw, pointing back towards Amari roughly. "And how are you going to do that, huh?! Don't think I don't know what you're doing, why you act so nice to her dad. It's because you think she's like Toya, like you can fix your mistakes just by pitying her. But I hate to tell you, that won't bring him back!"

Bakugo felt her heart twist at his words, already knowing that was the reason Endeavor cared for her. She wasn't stupid, but actaully hearing those words seemed to make them a reality. Todoroki's dad was only looking for his son, that's why he agreed to train her, why he had given her so many opportunities. It was because he was still grieving.

That's when Endeavor spoke again, this time with an edge to his voice. "What you say is ridiculous. That girl has nothing to do with him. You just want to believe she's something more special then she actually is."

Ouch, okay that one hurt. She couldn't deny the pain from his words, although she knew it was only because of his word choice. He probably just meant that she wasn't connected to Toya in anyways and yet it came out more sinister. Last year she would've been offended but now she knew how terrible the man was at speaking.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she began to will the sting away before standing from her seat as well. Everything was going wrong, they all were saying the wrong things and she needed to quell them somehow. "Now hold on, I…"

Although she was stopped when Endeavor spoke over her, his voice was loud and powerful in an unknown rage, causing her heart to stop. "And speaking of which, why are you even here? You aren't even a part of this family, or did you forget that?"

His words couldn't help but slap her in the face, everyone now seeing the utter hurt in her eyes from the comment. She tried to reassure herself by saying that he didn't mean anything but that didn't stop that stabbing feeling she received from them.

She knew it wasn't directed at her, that it was just the situation that made him on edge, but the girl couldn't help but flitch because of it, now hearing the utter and raw emotion from it. He was right after all, she wasn't a part of his family, and yet she was trying so hard to mettle in their affairs.

Even Endeavor could tell she was hurt, which caused the man to lower his eyes just slightly, a flash of shame on his features. He knew he had taken it too far again.

Seeing her visibly shaken, Amari then heard a loud slam on the table only to find Todoroki rising up as well, a heavy glare on his face. "Now hold on, Amari has only ever been trying to help us. She may not be a part of our family but she's more than you've ever been. Don't forget that."

Both of his siblings seemed shocked at that, knowing that Shoto was always very calm and silent, even as children. They had never seen him so vocal before, so angry at their father's words. "Shoto…"

Although the boy wasn't done, now strolling up to his father silently. "You say you are going to face your past but just know you have a long road ahead of you. I still haven't forgiven you, for how you tormented mom…"

Endeavor's eyes fell at that, knowing fully well that it wasn't going to be easy. "I don't want your forgiveness."

Todoroki only seemed to nod his head at that though, already making his way out of the room silently, everyone watching his steps as he went. "Good."

The room was silent after that, everyone's eyes planted towards the floor before Endeavor left shortly afterword, followed by Natsuo a couple moments later. Well, that could've gone about as worse as possible.

Glancing at Fuyumi, she saw that woman wipe a couple stray tears from her eyes before quickly gathering up the plates. "I'll bring these to the kitchen."

Watching her reactions, Amari felt absolutely horrible. It was her idea to plan this dinner, it was her idea to stew up all of these unpleasant and kept feelings that each of the Todoroki family faced. She had this foolish idea that this conversation would bring them together but it seemed she was still forcing something that wasn't ready yet. How selfish of her.

Amari then looked down at her hand before noticing Toya's black ring across her finger, mocking her all at once. She began to understand how something like this could break someone down, how it could change them.

Bring the object to her face, the girl then whispered into the ring, like it could somehow hear her words. "Is this what you had to live with Toya? I get it, I really do…"

* * *

It took a couple minutes to find Todoroki, Amari leaning by the door frame that led to their backyard, the very same place where she had rushed into that engagement party and declared her love to the boy in front of him.

He was seated away from her, his back turned towards the night sky in an unreadable expression. Amari was afraid that he was pissed or crying after an interaction like that, doing her best to put on a happy face for him.

Moving over to him, Amari called out playfully. "Is this seat taken?"

He looked up at her and she was thankful to see not anger or sadness, but rather more of a neutral expression on his face. "Never for you."

Giggling at his compliment, the girl plopped herself down before sighing heavily. "Well, that could've gone better, right?"

Todoroki remained silent at that, causing Bakugo's face to fall, the shame hitting her all at once. Perhaps this whole thing was a mistake after all. "I'm sorry."

The boy then sharply turned his head to her, obviously not understanding her words in the slightest. "Why are you apologizing? This wasn't your fault."

Although Amari couldn't help but cast her eyes away from that, knowing fully well that this was her fault. "Yeah...sorry I just feel like I'm pushing you into this sometimes. I know how you feel about your father, and yet I don't respect that."

Todoroki's expression became thoughtful then, his hands traveling up to his face. "When I watched him fight that Nomu back in Kyushu, I realized that I was afraid of losing him, even after everything that happened in the past. I don't forgive him, but I'm curious to see what he does in the future to atone for everything."

Bakugo couldn't help but widen her eyes at that. He wasn't forgiving his father, but this seemed like progress, if only a little. It seemed that Todoroki at least realized that he cared for him in some way. It was a start.

Knowing she needed to get his mind off of it, Amari then reached into her bag before ruffling around for a couple seconds, much to his confusion. "Amari, what are you doing?"

She remained silent until she found what she was looking for, now taking out five small boxes and showing the boy. "I brought fireworks for everyone so we could bond more, but it seems like I missed the opportunity."

Todoroki stared at the boxes of fireworks before a small smile appeared on his face, knowing that she was trying so hard for him. "Perhaps you didn't."

Then he grabbed one of the boxes before opening the lid, Amari's eyes lighting up at the idea, already fumbling with the others as well. "Wait, really?! Okay okay, I'm so excited. I never got to do something like this. Katsuki just called it lame, saying his quirk was better than any old firework."

Todoroki couldn't help but chuckle at that, pulling out a single sparkler before relying. " That sounds like Bakugo. It's alright, I haven't done this either, I have wanted to though."

Her smile showed a little brighter at that, grabbing her own sparkler before racing up from her seat before running into the field in front of them. "Well, here we go!"

Then she let her palms spark just slightly, allowing the tip of the firework to ignite, now admitting a sparkling gold color around the stick, much to her excitement. "Whoaa!"

Flying the stick around her body, Amari giggled, wondering if this was what normal kids did for fun. She kind of liked it. "Shoto, get your butt over here and try. It's really fun!"

Noticing her childlike nature, the boy smirked before following suit, using his fireside to light the firework in his hand all at once. He didn't know why, but it made him feel at ease, like nothing else mattered but the two of them and this brilliant light.

Bakugo then began to run around with the gold sparkler, obviously having the time of her life before hearing a voice enter their bubble. "Hey, what's you got there?"

Turning back, she found Natsuo looking at the two of them with interest, Todoroki lifting the box out to his brother in question. "Fireworks."

His brother noticed the gesture before smiling warmly and taking the object, recalling a time when he wished to play just like this when they were kids. "Don't mind if I do Sho. Hey Fuyumi, get over here! Shoto's got fireworks!"

He then watched as his sister moved up to them before Todoroki extended a sparkler to her silently, in hopes that she would join. "Here you go sister."

Fuyumi's eyes filled with emotion then, lightly taking the object before smiling back softly. She always dreamed of the day where they could play together, and now it was finally happening. "Thanks Shoto."

Nodding back, he turned back towards Amari who gazed upon the family with happiness. She didn't know why, but she knew that this was something truly special to them. "Bet you guys can't catch me!"

Natsuo couldn't help but smirk at that, already racing towards her, the sparker extended in explanation. "Oh, just you wait Amari. I'm gonna make you eat those words! Whoever catches her wins!"

Giggling softly, Amari took off running as the other Todoroki members chased around her joyfully, each of them sporting a laugh and a smile as they did so. Yes, this is what she wanted to give him, the world.

She then lifted her hand up only to catch a glance of Toya's ring before smiling. She wished Dabi was able to feel this kind of joy right now.

Perhaps one day..

* * *

Leaving his room for a drink, Endeavor paused when he heard the sound of faint laughter, something unknown and strange in this household. What could that be?

He moved towards the sound only to find his children and Bakugo running around the yards, the area lit up with various fireworks and smiles. It looked childish, but he couldn't deny his heart twisting at the sight of his kids looking happy.

Standing there for a moment, he watched the interactions for a moment before hearing a voice echo to his left, shaking him out of his thoughts. "You wanna join?"

Endeavor raised his brow before turning and finding Amari staring back at him, an unlit sparkler in her hand. Her idea was foolish to say the least. "Just go back to to them Bakugo."

This only caused the girl to frown. "Why, don't you want to join them? You can't lie to me Endeavor. I know how you are."

She certainly did know how he was, and the man hated it, now turning away. "It would just be unpleasant for them. Don't pretend like that you weren't there for dinner."

Humming to herself, Amari decided to sit herself next to him. "Yeah I was, and it was a disaster."

The man frowned in response, his eyes twisting in slight regret. "I'm surprised you're even still here after everything. You must really be stupid."

He expected her to get angry, in fact he wanted her to get angry, to reject him like he deserved. That's what she should've done anyways.

Although that's not the response he got, only laughing back as the girl couldn't help but be reminded of Dabi who used the same word choice. "Endeavor, do you really think a couple loud, hurtful words would scare me away? Have you seen my brother? I've been living with that my whole life. It's gonna take a lot more than that."

Lifting her hand up towards the sky, the girl then lowered her eyes. "Listen, I already know why you took me on, so you don't have to lie about that. I know you're still grieving, that you want to make things right for your family and Toya."

He was about to reject her words before she continued, her voice smooth and plain. "But your family is hurting as well, and it's going to take time for them to understand what you're trying to do. You are going to have to struggle your entire life in order to prove that…"

Although that's when Amari smiled, her eyes holding a massive amount of emotion. "Even though it may seem bleak, just know you'll always have someone in your corner."

Endeavor couldn't help but widen his eyes at that, watching her rise from her seat and turning her back towards the man. "Go ahead and call me stupid for it if you want, but I've seen the hero in you Endeavor. And just like you didn't give up on me, I won't give up on you..."

Then she wordlessly left the man alone to contemplate his own feelings, now seeing an unlit sparkler in the spot where she once was. Bakugo must've left it for him on purpose.

Picking up the object, suddenly a flash of Toya appeared in his mind, recalling the day when he wanted to play fireworks with his siblings and the man denied him. The universe really was cruel, first with Amari and then with this. It was like the past was repeating itself all over again.

Endeavor then lifted his hands up before using his quirk to light an object, the sparkler popping under his heavy gaze as the man truly thought about Amari's words.

This time, this time he would choose a different path.

* * *

Todoroki Rei had just turned off the TV to her left before the door opened behind her, a nurse smiling back happily as she closed it behind her. "Hello Miss Todoroki. How are you feeling?"

Nodding back, the woman let her hand brush on the letters she was reading before replying. "I was just reading some letter my son had sent me. Shoto seems like he's really having fun at school."

The nurse seemed happy at that, now reaching behind her back before pulling out a package. "That's great to hear. It seems you have a package but I understand if you don't want to receive it. I can just throw it away."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Rei then saw a flash of blue in her vision before recognizing the flowers immediately, the nurse continuing. "He wanted to deliver them himself but I thought it wasn't wise. What would you like me to do with them?"

She took a shaky step forward before lightly touching the petals, recalling the same type of flowers Eniji used to send her before everything went downhill, before he became Endeavor. It had been years since she'd seen these. He had brought them to her?

Feeling a wave of emotions build up in her throat, the woman then extended her hands, holding the flowers in her arms like a fragile child. "I'll take them."

* * *

AHHHHHHHH we got Todoroki family development! All of them are seemingly getting changed by Amari, for good or bad though? Ah, time will tell.

Next Chapter: We revisit a chapter from S1, since a year has passed.


	77. S5 Chapter 5

Hawks watched the president of the hero commission's carefully manicured nails tap the desk in annoyance, her gaze fixated on the newly printed report the hero had given her. Even without her speaking he could tell she was displeased, and the bird knew exactly why.

His mission was to gain the trust of Dabi in order to get into the league of villains and bring the organization down from the inside but Hawks had made very little to no progress on anything. Of course it was harder than the president was making it out to be, though she would never understand that. The woman just liked to bark orders, no matter how illogical they may have been.

The truth was, Dabi wasn't an easy person to get close to, and he had remained a closed and frustrating book this entire time, only giving him various tasks to complete in order to "prove his loyalty." Honestly it was eating the hero alive, having to just sit around and wait for the villain to make his next move, but such was the life of a commission member.

Sighing heavily, the president finally looked up from the report, her voice straight forward and just as cruel as ever. "Is this it? Hawks, have you forgotten the importance of this mission? It seems like you're only playing around."

The hero closed his eyes briefly in order to cover the sting of that comment before trying to perk up. Showing the president his weaknesses wouldn't go well, he already knew that given past experience. "Yeah, I know it isn't what you wanted but I gotta say, Dabi is a hard nut to crack, I'll get him though. Once I get his trust, this mission will be in the bag. Just give me some time and I'll..."

Hearing the report slam against the desk, caused him to freeze all at once, now hearing the woman reply with disdain. "That is not good enough. Do you know how many crimes could have been prevented if you had done your job as assigned? We don't have time Hawks, both All for One and Shigaraki are on the move.."

She wasn't pleased, that much was clear but there really wasn't much the hero could do about the situation except keep picking away at those villains in order to get closer to them.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Hawks signed in return. "I get that, but there isn't much I can do if Dabi doesn't trust me yet…"

The president only narrowed her eyes at that before closing the report in front of her. "Then find another way in. You've been around him for months Hawks, there has to be something you can use…"

Something he could use? Now that was the question, knowing that Dabi was a very secretive man, hiding behind a wall of sarcasm and disdain. Although, maybe the president was right, perhaps there could be another way around this, but what?

That's when a certain conversation with the man flashed in the hero's mind, recalling how protective he was over that Bakugo girl.

No, protective wasn't the right word but he was definitely curious about her, that was for sure. He didn't even kill her when he had the chance, and that was certainly strange, knowing the man to never second guess before.

And then there was her conversation with him in that alleyway. Whether the villain seemed to notice it or not, Bakugo was tied to him, which meant that it might be possible for her to be his weakness.

That was crazy to think about in itself though, because Dabi always seemed so dismissive and uninterested in everything. Something about Bakugo must have caught his eye, Hawks just didn't know what.

Although that was very sloppy of the villain because Hawks realized that he now has another way to break him down. He really shouldn't have put his interest in such a young girl. She was bound to crack given some pressure, the hero had already seen a bit of her faltering emotions after all. _No hard feelings kid, that's just the way it is._

Shoving his hands in his pockets, the hero began to voice his thoughts to the very impatient woman. "That girl, Bakugo Amari. She's connected to him somehow I know it. She's just a kid, so she'll be much easier to convince..."

He didn't even have time to speak before the president finished the sentence for him, shoving the report toward the edge of her desk. "Do it then. I already said I don't care about the methods, only the product."

And that's how it always was at the commission. They didn't care about the blood on their hands or the people they have to step on to get what they want. No, a small child like Amari was only seen as an easy stepping stone and Hawks hated to admit that he had just thought the same.

Compared to Dabi, Bakugo would be far easier to break. She may be smart and talented but the girl was only fifteen after all. All he had to do was to put his defenses down enough so that she thinks he's being honest, just like with that little "promoting his agency' lie.

From training, he knew that she loved paying back kind words so that exactly what he was going to do, manipulate her to think she needed to pay him back with information. It was terrible and cruel, but that's what needed to be done.

Shaking his head, Hawks blinked those terrible words away before replying coldly. "I'll get started then."

God, he hated himself for this, for always being a coward and following orders like a good little soldier, but it's what the world needed.

The president nodded back before writing something down in the notebook next to her. "I'll have my associates send over the rest of her files then so you can find her weaknesses and use them appropriately."

That's when the hero's eyes faltered for a moment, a look of shame across his features before the woman huffed. "This is no time to get soft Hawks, there is work to be done."

He knew that, but that didn't mean the heavy lump in his stomach would disappear from the horrible acts he had committed. "Yeah I know, but she's a good kid. It seems like she just got mixed in with something rough. She kinda reminds me of myself a bit and I just don't want her getting hurt."

The president only narrowed her eyes at that. "So you'd rather wait for that villain to take his time in giving you information? You aren't thinking logically because of that girl. She's a weak link in the case, you have to take it."

Shaking his head, Hawks shoved his hands in his pockets, knowing what the woman was saying yet somehow still bothered by the idea. He felt dirty and stained by his own sins, the weight of his mission crushing his humanity slowly.

He knew that breaking Bakugo down was wrong, but he also already knew that he'd do it anyways. That's just how terrible he was. "I know."

Placing her pen down, the woman then looked to her left before replying plainly. "If you understand then get it done. I expect to hear better news soon. That is all, you may leave."

The president then waved her hand away only for the bird to remain in one spot, another question in his mind. "Wait President, I wanna talk about something else before I go…"

Sighing in annoyance, the woman replied back plain. "And that would be?"

Hawks then fluffed his wings in anxiety before speaking. "About All for One's masterpiece, did you really mean that order? It's just hero's don't exactly kill…"

It was something that had haunted his thoughts for days, the notion of killing All for One's creation. She couldn't have been serious right? The woman was probably just exaggerating.

Yet the president only narrowed her eyes. "Hawks, do you really think it is wise to let such a dangerous creature live in our society? Everyone will want to get their hands on it, to use it for their own gain. The minute All for One gets his creation, the villain world will have the upper hand. We can't allow that to happen."

Lifting his hands out, the hero began to laugh nervously, his voice light and uncertain. "Right, I totally get that, but kill? Can't we just detain it like other villains? I just don't think we need to go that far..."

That's when the woman rose from her seat all at once, causing the hero to stop.

Her heels clicked across the floor before making her way up to him slowly. "This thing you are speaking of is a monster. It is an abomination that shouldn't have been created in the first place and if we let it live then we are risking the entirety of hero society. Do you want that Hawks, do you want to be responsible for that?"

Boring her eyes into him, the bird suddenly felt smaller, his voice slightly strained now. "No but.."

Yet the president only cut him off. "I very well understand the uncertainty, but ending that creature will be what's best for everyone. Didn't you say to yourself that you are willing to taint yourself for others, so that they can live freely with too much time on their hands? Well, this is a way to do just that.."

Balling his hands by his side, the president then lowered her voice, the cruel echo hitting him all at once. "Or do you want to go back to being that little boy, that coward like you before, Keigo Tamaki?"

Her words hit him deep, knowing that they were from his childhood, the things that made him understand his place in had happened many times before, the president only called him his name in order to make him snap back into his training. All of those moments where he felt pathetic and useless came rushing into him and it gave the president exactly what she wanted.

Somewhere he knew that she was manipulating him, yet it wasn't enough to stop it. No, Hawks was in far too deep to fight back. So instead, he only stood silent as the president worked her usual tricks.

She continued then, her eyes piercing his soul. "You have a chance to save so many Hawks, or will you let your uncertainty ruin that? Don't the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?"

Her calculating words seeped into Hawks' mind over and over until he started to believe them. Perhaps he was overthinking this, if that thing really was an inhuman monster and it could destroy hero society then of course he would want to stop it. Maybe he was just being selfish.

Looking down at his hands, he thought about the blood that would possibly paint the surface if he agreed, of the sins he would have to live in order to make his dream a reality.

But wouldn't it all be worth it then? The president was right, even if he was tainted and bloodied it didn't matter because he would be helping others. That's all he wanted.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Hawks then came to a decision. If it was for the good of society then he would have no choice but to commit this sin.

So because of that, the man then recited his standard commission approved mantra "I understand. I will do what is best for a safer society."

Knowing she had gotten to him, the president only nodded her head, her voice plain and monotone. "Good. Now, get it done."

* * *

Falling to the floor with a hard thud, Amari groaned against the floor of the U.A. training facility, her legs shaky as Aziawa's voice snapped her back into reality. "Bakugo, with all of that extra training you should be improving. Get your head on straight."

She closed her eyes in frustration before stumbling back to her feet and wiping a bead of sweat away. Yeah, she should have been improving but instead Bakugo only felt anxious and stressed out.

As much as the girl didn't want to admit it, the fear of her possible death, Dabi, and the matters of the Todoroki family were really starting to get to her, and the worst part was she couldn't tell anyone about her struggles unless she wanted them to risk sacrificing themselves for her sake.

And it was no surprise that her negative emotions had seeped into the training. Hell, she was sure even Hawks had taken notice of her behavior. She was acting disgraceful and needed to pull herself together, yet it was harder than it sounded.

Shaking her head, the girl then lowered her eyes before muttering back to her teacher, shame in her tone. "Sorry Mr. Aziawa. I'll be better."

The man didn't seem impressed though, a loud sigh echoing through the space which brought a familiar unease to the girl. "Leave your personal problems at the door or else you'll never be a pro. The world doesn't need half hearted heroes in battle."

His words brought a strong sting to her throat but Amari knew he was absolutely right. She was letting her fear overtake her, and that was a terrible quality to have for both a hero and a teammate. She was letting everyone down with her self pity, wasn't she?

After a couple minutes, Aziawa knew that he wasn't going to get a reply and instead pointed to a few benches in the corner of the room. "Go clear your head."

Nodding back, Amari dejectly moved over to where he had suggested, ignoring the very obvious whispers of concern from the classmates who had noticed the change.

Bakugo placed her head in her hands before sighing roughly when she suddenly felt a painful shove to the back of her head, causing the girl to look up in annoyance. "What the.."

Yet when she opened her eyes, she found her brother staring back at her, annoyance in his expression. "What is with you? You are starting to act like a damn extra out there. I said don't embarrass me, dumbass."

Groaning back, Amari shook her head before sighing. Usually she could brush off his sharp tone but something about his words made her flash back to the past for a moment, an uncomfortable sensation twisting her heart. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I'm just having a rough day..."

Yet Katsuki only glared back, obviously not enjoying her answer. "A rough day or a rough month? Cut the shit Amari, there is something up with you, something you're not telling me again."

He was right, in fact there were a number of things she hadn't told him, but for his own sake, the girl had to continue holding her tongue. "It's nothing."

Although that didn't get him off her back, the boy now chose to stand in front of her so she couldn't avoid her gaze. "Bullshit. Why are you always like this, you idiot? It's pissing me off.."

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari replied. "What's pissing you off?"

Katsuki only grumbled under his breath though before slamming his foot next to her, his eyes serious. "You're pissing me off! Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn all the time?! Keeping things from me again, do you still not trust me damn it?!"

His words caused her to widen her eyes in shame, not knowing how much her behavior was affecting her brother. She really wished she could've told him everything, to lay her heart down for him but it was too dangerous, nobody could know about what Sir Nighteye told her.

Letting her eyes fall, Amari averted her gaze from his. "It's not that, I do trust you.."

Yet Katsuki was obviously far more annoyed, cutting her off immediately. "Then why won't you tell me what the hell is going on?! I've been waiting for you to say something but the waiting is pissing me off so don't make me force it out of you, you stubborn idiot."

His words were sharp but the girl could sense the anxiety in them. Was that true, was Katsuki really waiting for her to speak first? Crap, now she felt even worse than before.

Amari knew she couldn't tell him about anything regarding Sir Nighteye's words or her plan but she also knew she couldn't lie to the boy either. She needed to say something to put him at ease though, or else he'd keep coming after her like today.

Closing her eyes for a moment, the girl then placed a hand to her arm before sighing back roughly. Perhaps she could tell him one of her fears. "I didn't know I was making you worry Katsuki. I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention."

Then she locked her gaze on her brother before continuing, small and quiet. " I guess I'm still just shaken up about All for One, that's all."

Although it was enough for her brother to hear though, now searching her expression for any kind of lie or doubt, although when he found none, the boy's eyes softened, now reaching forward to pat Amari on her head once. "Don't you dare give him what he wants. That asshole thinks you need him, don't let him win."

Nodding back, the girl's eyes saddened. "I know, but it's harder than it looks. What if he comes back for me?"

Crossing her arms over his chest, the boy then huffed back, his tone confident and straightforward, like there was no doubt in his mind. "Then I'll kick his ass."

Amari couldn't help but feel her lips curve into a small smirk at that, the idea of Bakugo Katsuki taking on one of the most powerful villains in the world for her. Yeah, that sounds about right. "Katsuki, I don't think that's gonna work."

The boy couldn't help but see that as a challenge though, now puffing up his chest in anger. "What, you think I'm some kind of pussy? I'll show that potato face who's boss, you hear me?! That extra doesn't stand a chance against us!"

At the nickname her brother had given All for One, a small chuckle escaped her lips, now placing a hand to muffle the sound as she answered sarcastically. "Okay okay, I'm sure you'll get him real good Katsuki."

Ticking his brow in annoyance, Bakugo's voice began to raise, fully knowing that she was mocking him. "You watch your mouth Amari, because I think you forgot that I'm going to be number one, even better then All Might! That wrinkled potato won't even know what hit him! No one can knock me down!"

Bakugo then lit up his palms with slight explosions to prove the point then they suddenly heard Aziawa call over to them roughly. "Cut it out you two unless you want detention. No unauthorized fighting in the training halls."

Quickly dismissing his quirk, Amari couldn't help but giggle under her breath, a bit of her unease disappearing with her words. "Oh yeah, real scary Katsuki. No one can knock you down, huh?"

Glaring back, the boy lightly slapped her on the side of her head in fake annoyance as he grumbled back. Internally he was glad to see her smiling again though, if only for a moment. "You shut up."

Amari then put her hands out in defense before smiling under her breath. Yeah, what Katsuki said was completely right, he would probably race towards All for One no questions asked for her if the situation called for it.

And that was exactly why she couldn't let that happen.

* * *

A couple hours later, Amari opened the doors to Hawks' agency when she immediately felt herself being enveloped in a familiar pair of red wings, like the man had been waiting for her for some reason, his voice joyful and proud. "Heyo chickadee! I was wondering when you'd get here."

Not really understanding the rush, Amari shoved herself out of his feathery dome before turning to the grinning pro. He was usually energetic but this was something else. "Yeah, I'm here. What's with the personal welcome bird boy? Something happen?"

Yes actually, a lot did happen but it wasn't as if he could tell her that. Maybe he was being a little too anxious after all. It would be best to cool it down before she noticed even more. "Whaa, nah I'm just excited to see my trainee. Now come on, I got something special today!"

At his words, Amari tightened her hold on her bag, curiosity on her features. "Oh really, like what?"

Although the hero only waved her away, already trying to push her out the door. The president had given him a short timeframe so he needed to butter Bakugo up sooner rather than later. "You'll see, trust me you're gonna love it!"

Bakugo wasn't exactly sure about that but it wasn't like she had a choice, now remembering something in particular before reaching into her bag. "Wait, wait hold on. Before we go, I have something for you.."

Stopping his movements, Hawks looked down only to find the girl taking out a lunch small box, causing his wings to puff out in excitement. "Is it chicken?!"

The girl couldn't help but stop as well though, her eyes twisted in confusion. Okay, that was random. "Uhh no?"

She then watched the hero deflate all at once, almost in disappointment. It was like a small child when they couldn't get what they wanted at the toy store. Did the man really like chicken that much?

Continuing her motion, Amari then opened the lid before speaking once again. "Sorry, I didn't know you would've liked that better. I was just going to say that we made cookies in home ec today and I wanted to offer you one.."

Hawks looked down at the chocolate chip cookies that filled the container before an edge of guilt seeped into him. He didn't deserve this kind of treatment. In fact, he was going to try to break her down today.

But before he could let those thoughts consume him, the bird quickly reached down and grabbed the entire container before walking away. "Ah thank you chickadee, how sweet! Don't mind if I do!"

She had expected him to take one, not the whole damn box. In fact, she was going to offer some to Katsuki and Todoroki later. Well, that plan was out the window now, frivolous bird. "Wait, I said one, not the whole box!"

Yet didn't listen in the slightest, gobbling the cookies down before joyfully pointing towards the door. "Sorry, can't hear you. Now come on kid, let's go start your training for the day."

Feeling a tick of annoyance in her throat, Bakugo then sighed before knowing that it was pointless to argue with him. He was trying to help her after all, she should be grateful for that. "Alright alright, I'm coming.."

She followed around him for a couple minutes before Amari decided to question the bird of his intentions. "So, what kind of training are we going to do today?"

Putting a finger to his lips in thought, Hawks then turned around before pointing to her all at once. "Do you know what is the most important thing for a hero to have?"

Not fully understanding, Amari narrowed her eyes. Well, that wasn't what she thought he would have said. "I don't know, a good heart and talent?"

Hawks only frowned though before raising his arms to form an X. "Wrong! the most important thing is to look good for the public, and right now you definitely don't have that."

Then he walked over to a stack of gossip magazines before picking up one in particular and showing the girl. "I'm gonna be honest kid, the hero world doesn't know what to make of you. Some admire your skill but others are still shaken by your undercover work with those villains. Some even think that you are still a villain yourself, but that's crazy, right?"

He held his gaze at her for a couple of extra seconds, hoping she'd get the subtle message behind his words, and it seemed like she did as Amari only frowned. "Yeah crazy, but I don't really get it."

That's when a group of people began to circle around the two of them, a loud murmur of voices filling the air as they gasped in surprise. "Whoa, it's Hawks!"

People started to bump against Amari almost immediately, trying to get a picture with the handsome hero, their elbows plowing into her given her short stature as the bird hummed with excitement. "Heyo! It's good to see everyone today."

Starting to feel slightly anxious from the people, Bakugo closed her eyes only for a pair of red wings to pull her away from the crowd and towards him. "Have you all met my new trainee? I'm teaching her so she can get her provisional license, isn't that great?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Amari as she uncomfortably took a step back. Ever since that villain scare with her quirk, the girl wasn't too fond of large crowds, especially reporters. "Uhh hi."

Hawks could also tell that she was scared although didn't make any move to stop them, only watching the situation and waiting for something in particular. He didn't seem surprised by the reporters, yet Amari was too caught off guard to notice that.

Suddenly a bright flash of light caught her attention and Amari shrunk even further into herself, trying to remain calm as a microphone was shoved in her face. "Ember, how is it training at the Hawks agency, do you prefer him or Endeavor for training. How did you encounter him in the first place?"

All of the questions made the girls head spin, Hawks now busy with a couple fans to pay any mind to her. Because of that, it felt like the reporters were closing in on her even more.

She tried to answer even, although it did seem to come out a little forced without her meaning to. "It's good, I'm grateful for his help."

Another flash of light blinded her vision as the reporter dug deeper, those familiar red wings nowhere to be seen now. "People still seem to be talking about your involvement with the number two hero. Is it true that you are dating his son?"

Frowning back, Amari shook her head, ignoring the growing panic in her chest. She couldn't help it, thinking about when these same reporters almost forced her out of U.A. "Uhh yeah it's true.."

Yet the man didn't give her a moment to think, only shoving the microphone further in her face. "Some have rumored that the reason you have gotten such special treatment is because of your relation to Todoroki Shoto. What is your comment on that?"

Usually she would've been able to brush off his comment but because of the flashing lights, loud noises and the people shoving her back and forth, it became too much for her. She thought it was over feeling this freaked out about reporters but it seemed not.

Feeling her hands shake, Amari turned her head to the side before muttering back softly. She needed to get out of here before she was going to pass out. "I..uhh…"

Yet the reporter just kept pushing deeper. "You were admitted back into the hero course as well not too long ago. Is that also a product of your special treatment? In fact, you don't even have a provisional licence and yet you are given a free pass, why is that?"

Taking a step back and hiding another fangirl, Amari put her hand up in defense, unable to even process his words anymore. She just wanted everything to stop, to be free. Why couldn't they give her some space and leave her alone? She couldn't take it anymore.

Just then, her vision was obstructed by a large body, his wings wrapping around her securely to shield her from the lights. "Hey everyone, let's be nice and not overwhelm our little chickadee here. I think we all know it's obvious that she earned her spot because of her talent."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the hero then gave her a reassuring wink before turning back to the crowds in order to quell them. "I've seen this one in action and man, you are really underestimating her if you think she's only around because of Endeavor's kid. In fact, I don't think you are giving her enough credit. Did you even see Kuyshu?"

Amari couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief, hearing Hawks speak about her so proudly to disprove their lies. "Hawks.."

Yet the bird only smirked before revealing the girl once more, except this time with two strong hands on either side of her shoulders in order to steady her panic. "Take a look at her everyone, because this is the face of a future pro, and not only that. I bet that in a couple years, she'll be on the top of the billboard charts just like me."

A sense of pride filled her chest then as the reports began to flash their cameras in her face and write down the hero's words passionately. She still felt uncomfortable but having Hawks with her did make a make difference, now at least able to handle the attention.

Once they had gotten a couple shots in, Hawks then lifted his wings up to block their vision, an apologetic look across his face. "Now we better get going, see you everyone!"

Then before they could interject, the hero sweeped Amari off her feet before taking to the sky in order to get away from all of those reporters. He didn't wanna risk just walking away because then they might have followed them.

After a couple minutes, the bird settled for a quiet alleyway and placed Bakugo down on her feet, only for the girl to stubble away from him, a hand to her chest in order to calm the lingering anxiety. "Hey, you alright chickadee? Sorry, I didn't expect an ambush like that. I was hoping to ease you into it. You know, visit a small business or something instead of that madness.."

Shaking her head, Amari struggled to even breathe as she replied. "It's okay, it's not like it's your fault. I'm just not great with crowds or reporters. Let's just say I've had a bad experience."

Hawks then stepped forward only to notice the poor girl's shaking hands and uneven breaths. She looked on the edge of a panic attack. "Yeah, I've noticed. Are you sure you're okay?"

The girl then nodded before closing her eyes for a moment. "If it wasn't for you it would've been worse. Thanks for saving me back there. I really appreciate it."

Ignoring that sharp slap of guilt in his throat, Hawks only smirked back, hiding his true emotions. "It's not a problem chickadee, that's what a hero does!"

Although Amari wasn't finished, only moving towards him slowly, with slight apprehension in her eyes. "Also, about what you said to those reporters. Thank you for that as well. Do you really think I could make the billboard charts?"

Pausing for a slight moment, the bird wore an unreadable expression before lifting his wings out in excitement. "Of course I did! It hurts that people don't see what I see kid. As your mentor, I wanna change that."

The girl couldn't help but smile under her breath at that, feeling thankful that he was giving her a chance to be a hero. Not many did, so to see him go so far, it meant a lot.

Seeing her smile, Hawks placed a hand on top of her hand before gesturing back towards his agency. "Alright well, I think that's enough excitement for one day, don't you think? Let's head back."

Amari couldn't help but agree, allowing the hero to gather her up in his arms before taking the offer, the smile never leaving her lips. She couldn't help it, his words just made her so happy. "Maybe I was wrong about you bird boy."

Although unknown to her, Hawks looked down at her expression only to frown, the shame pouring into him once again.

He hated seeing her look at that, knowing that he had just manipulated her into what he wanted, her trust.

* * *

Shortly after Amari had left, Hawks made his way back to his office before sighing roughly. He felt absolutely horrible for what he had done to Bakugo, but he couldn't take it back now, not after he had gotten what he wanted.

The hero had noticed her anxiety for crowds and cameras after picking her up on her first day of training so before Bakugo even arrived at his agency today, he knew what he had to do in order to make her feel helpless.

Finding a couple reporters in the area, he called them ahead of time in order to give them a tip on where he would be so they could run into them, seemingly by surprise.

He knew Bakugo would get shaken by the reporters, he knew she'd be frightened by the situation, and that's exactly why he did it. He needed an instance where he could swoop in and seem like a hero for her, he needed an excuse to seem caring and to gain her trust.

Then when she was overwhelmed enough, the bird came in and gave Amari what she had always wanted to her, encouragement and fake positive words in order for her to feel indebted to him.

After training her, he knew Bakugo's personality and if she was grateful for his help, then she would feel inclined to do something for him as repayment, that meant information on Dabi and the league of villains. Hawks had her right where he wanted her now.

Yet he couldn't help but feel absolutely terrible for it. He had purposely put her in a situation that made her uncomfortable, so she would feel weak and need help. The event had almost caused her to go into a panic attack. It was underhanded and disgusting, just like he was.

Shaking his head, the bird then opened his door to his office before noticing a large stack of papers on his desk. That must have been the commission's files for Bakugo they had agreed to send. Lucky him.

He moved over to his desk only to find a small object on top of the files and when he approached it, the bird recognized it as something inside of a cardboard box. That definitely wasn't from the commission.

Slowly picking up the box, the hero noticed a small post-it note taped to the front, the black liquid ink gracing the light pink surface as it read

* * *

Hawks,

Just a thank you for today

Amari

* * *

He twisted his brow in confusion before opening the box and feeling his eyes fall at it's contents. Inside were six small sized chicken nuggets, just like he had asked for earlier in the day from the girl. Did she go out to buy these for him after she found out he liked them?

Shaking his head, Hawks immediately closed the box before the note on top mocked him. _No, no chickadee, don't thank me. I set all that up. I called those reporters so you would freak out. I even gave them questions to ask. Don't thank me for that. I only wanted your trust._

The bird then ripped the little piece of paper before crumbling it in his hands and shoving it into the trash.

No, he couldn't bear to look at it anymore, after knowing what he had done.

* * *

Oop. Hawks is feeling guilty for manipulating Amari, looks like he's getting a soft spot for her. Oh no. Poor Amari is still happy people are supporting her and she doesn't realize Hawks knows her character. He hasn't asked her about anything yet cause he knows she's skeptical. Right now his goal was only to earn her trust and it seems like he got it.

Also worried Katsuki appears. That's not going to go away any time soon. Amari can't even tell him what's wrong. Oof that's rough.

Next chapter is going to be the thing from S1. I saved it because, well it will make sense once you read it.


	78. S5 Chapter 6

Walking with her duffle bag at her side, Amari closed the door to her room before making her way down the very familiar hallway in order to reach her brother's room. It had become a tradition for them to wake each other up now, mostly with Katsuki banging down her door when she didn't get up fast enough. Usually he was met with a pillow to the face though, so it was kind of a back and forth with them.

She didn't mind though, now being able to freely play around with him without fear. It was nice, and Amari really cherished those moments.

Although today was rather different because Katsuki hadn't in fact knocked on her door like usual. No, it was silent all morning, which was strange for him. Every morning she could practically hear his explosive self yelling through her walls.

So, she decided to give the boy a taste of his own medicine and wake him up this time, because apparently he was being lazy this weekend. The girl had training with Hawks in the couple hours anyways so now it was time to really mess with him for a little revenge.

Moving herself up to his room, Amari knocked on the surface before calling to her brother playfully. "Katsukiiii, now look who's being lazy today?"

She waited for his loud response or maybe possible a rustling throughout the space but instead, she was met with only silence. Huh, that's weird. Maybe, he just didn't hear her..

Amari tried again a moment later, this time banging her hand even harder as she tried to hide a small smile.. "Katsuki, you better not ignore me unless you want another pillow to your face."

Waiting even longer this time, she readied her arms in an defence attack when once again, she was only met with silence. Okay, now that wasn't normal. Usually Katsuki would've jumped at the chance to defend himself.

She twisted her eyes in confusion, she tried again, this time with something that would make him answer. "You think you'd be up after sleeping like an old man for years. Geez Kacchan, looks like I won today..."

Amari tapped her foot on the floor before waiting for her blasty twin to call her a dumbass and try to blow her up per usual, but once again she only met with silence.

Wait, no response even from his childhood nickname or the idea of losing? That wasn't like him at all.

Although that's when another voice snapped her out of her thoughts, carrying through the space. "Are you looking for Bakubro?"

Amari turned only to find Kirishima staring back at her with a small smile, his shark teeth lining from the corner of his lips. "Oh Hey Kiri. Do you know where he is?"

Putting a hand to his chin in thought, the boy replied. "Oh yeah, he left really early this morning. I saw him while taking my usual morning lap around the track."

That was even more weird. Katsuki was known to get up early, sure. But he was never one to leave without at least talking to her. Maybe before things were like that but after their big talk, the two were practically inseparable. "He didn't tell me anything about that. Do you know why?"

At that the red haired boy began to laugh nervously, averting his eyes around the space, now trying to look at anything but her. "Oh uhhh, y-yeah I don't know. He didn't really talk to me about it either. You know, in fact I should really get some more training in before lunch so.."

Then he started to turn around, only for Amari to race forward and tap his shoulder. Now there was really something strange about this.

Kiri obviously knew what Katsuki was doing, and yet he didn't want to tell her for some reason. "Wait..hold on…"

Yet Kiri only shrugged her arm off before giving her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Amari, I really have to go. Let's talk later, Kay?"

Amari then watched him leave, only for her lips to curve down into a frown. Maybe she was just overreacting, but why did it feel like Kirishima was trying to avoid her? Did she do something wrong? Maybe she had softened him in someway, although she really hoped not.

That's when the girl shook her head, snapping herself back into reality. Nah, she was just overthinking things again. It was probably nothing.

* * *

Frowning to herself, Amari made her way up to Hawks' agency before thinking about her strange morning. You see, Katsuki wasn't the only one that had disappeared strangely. It seemed like the entire class had left early, which was extremely odd behavior.

Sure it was the weekend, but Amari would always see Deku studying in the kitchen or Denki and Mina watching TV in the common area and yelling at the screen. So it certainly was weird to hear absolute silence as she made her way out the door.

Sighing to herself, Bakugo opened the door to the Hero's office before seeing Hawks looking up from his papers, a look of surprise on his face. "Oh hey, chickadee! Whatcha doing here?"

She turned her head in confusion before pointing back plainly. "Uhh we have training today, right?"

The man began to fumble with the papers before purposely avoiding eye contact with the girl. He couldn't help it though, after not being able to sleep last night with his choice. It was eating him up inside, knowing that he would have to continue breaking her down.

Although because of a certain phone call today, the bird knew he could ignore that for right now, thankfully. "Oh, yeah you're right. But listen, I think you deserve a day off, considering what day it is and everything."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the girl looked down at her phone before replying. "What are you talking about, it's just a normal Saturday."

This caught the birds attention, his feathers ruffling back in reply. Wait, was she really serious? Did she really forget what day it was? Even he knew it, given her file. Ah well, he supposed that phone call earlier from her brother made sense now.

Hawks then moved over to her before using his wings to push her towards the doorway, a lazy grin on his face. "Just don't worry about it today. You deserve some well needed rest, plus I have to get to work on that missing kids case anyways. Go have some fun chickadee!"

Feeling her shoulders being moved, Amari didn't understand what was happening in the slightest. Why was he trying to get her to leave, there was something he wasn't telling her. "Hey, wait hold on, what's gotten into you Hawks?"

Yet the hero didn't listen, now fully shoving her out of his office before gripping the door knob tightly. It was obvious that he wanted her gone as soon as possible. "Nothing nothing, don't worry your small little head kid. I'll see you tomorrow, kay?"

Then he winked before slamming the door in her face, not on purpose though as Amari stood there utterly dumbfounded. What the hell was happening today and why was everyone acting so damn shady? It was almost like they wanted her to go away.

Shaking her head, Bakugo then hit the surface a couple times before knocking the idea out of her mind. No, she couldn't think like that again, everyone cared about her. Second guessing would only bring her anxiety.

Yet she couldn't help but see the similarities in both situations. First Katsuki, then Kiri and now Hawks. There was certainly something going on, and yet they didn't want her to know.

A heavy knot then began to twist in her stomach as she pulled out her phone. She needed to calm down, and quickly.

Finding Todoroki's number, Amari's fingers graced across the button before hearing the surface ring twice, a very familiar voice echoing back. "Amari, is everything alright?"

She found herself already smiling though, that feeling of unease dissipating. "Hey Shoto, yeah everything's alright. I know this is kinda sudden but Hawks let me have a day off and I was wondering if you wanted to do something.."

Just then she heard a loud bang through the phone followed by the sound of a mysterious female voice giggle back. Wait, where the hell was he? He didn't usually hang around female students.

Shaking the idea from her head, Todoroki then replied back, his voice sounding strained and odd. "I'm sorry but I can't today."

Amari felt a warning bell ring inside her head as she narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I didn't know you were busy. What do you have going on, anything exciting?"

A soft silence appeared before Bakugo heard another loud noise from his side of the conversation before the boy replied rushed, seemingly busy with whatever he was doing. "I'm sorry, I have to go.."

Another female giggle from the line brought an uneasy knot in her stomach as she quickly called back. "Wait, I just.."

But Todoroki only cut her off, saying something to someone next to him before muttering back. "Goodbye Amari."

Then the line grew silent, causing Amari to drop the object in irritation. Well, he definitely didn't want to talk to her, it was just like everyone one else today. Why did everyone find her annoying right now? She didn't understand. Maybe she really did do something..

Feeling her eyes glue to the floor, Bakugo frowned before moving back towards the dorms with uncertainty and devastation. How could she fix something when she didn't even know what the problem was?

Did they really not want to talk to her that badly?

* * *

Laying across her bed, Amari closed her eyes before resting her arm over her forehead before staring at the clock. It had been hours since she got back from Hawks' agency and yet she hadn't seen or talked to anyone the entire day. She hoped a little music would calm her down but that didn't really work either, only thinking about the details of the day.

It seemed like everyone was avoiding her and the worst part was, she didn't even know how to fix her mistake. She didn't want to go back to the past, that was the last thing Amari wanted. She didn't know if she could take them hating her again, especially her brother.

Sighing heavily, she suddenly heard her bedroom door open only to hear a very familiar voice echo to her left. "Hey idiot, what are you doing with all the lights off? I've been banging on your door for the last five mintues! Are you ignoring me?"

She turned lazily only to find Katsuki glaring back at her, his hand on his hips as he kicked her leg lightly. "You are ignoring me, aren't you?!"

Amari then took a headphone out of her ear before twisting her eyes in confusion. Honestly she was too much in her depressed state to realize what he was saying. "Huh?"

Rolling his eyes in response, Katsuki stomped up to the girl's closet before opening the surface and throwing various clothes onto her floor as she sat up. "Whaa, Katsuki what are you doing, you are making a mess!"

Yet her brother didn't listen, only continuing his search before finding what he was looking for, now throwing a dress in her direction, hitting her face in the process. "Hey!"

Feeling her fabric between her fingers, Amari looked down only to find her unused gold pageant dress from the U.A. festival in her grasp. He was looking for this, why?

Katsuki then turned around before pointing at the object in her hands and scoffing. "Put it on, and don't take all day idiot."

Not understanding, Amari replied. "Why?"

Shaking his head, her brother was already making his way to the door. "Just do it, and hurry up."

Katsuki then sighed before slamming the door behind him, obviously annoyed and impatient with something. What was up with him?

Amari stared at the dress in confusion before touching the gold fabric between her fingers. She didn't understand where he was going with this but she trusted her brother enough to listen to his request, now lifting the object up in question.

What could it hurt, right? Maybe then she could ask about why he was avoiding her along with everyone else.

Feeling the line of gold fabric trail at her feet, Amari finished dressing before opening the door to reveal her brother, now stomping an impatient foot on the ground. "Took you long enough, come on, let's go.."

Then he immediately started to turn away, causing Amari to chase him through the halls of the dorm, now even more confused than ever. Why was everyone acting so damn shady today? "Wait, hold on Katsuki. What's going on, where were you this morning?"

Although the boy only shook his hand, picking up his pace some reason as Amari tried to follow him. "Forget about that."

Yet that was easier said than done as a hard ball of irritation was starting to build up in the back of her throat. "That's not an answer. What, is there something you don't wanna tell me? I thought you told me to be honest with you, maybe you should do the same."

Grumbling under his breath Bakugo immediately stopped in his tracks before stomping up to his sister in frustration. "I said forget about it, now get your ass moving before I pick you up again."

She wanted to challenge him further but settled for a glare, crossing her arms over her chest in silent fear of being manhandled again. No, she had to stand her ground and finally get some answers.

Bakugo took in her defensive stance before sighing roughly, seemingly battling with himself to not just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder. It would be easier, but that would defeat the purpose of what he was trying to do.

When he did reply back, his voice seemed a little more genuine, although the frustration was still there. "Do you trust me or not, idiot?"

Thinking about his words, Amari couldn't help but nod her head, already knowing the answer before voicing it. "Of course, but.."

Yet that's all the response Katsuki needed to reach down and grab her hand, now pulling her in the direction of the entrance. "Then come on already, let's go. I don't have all day."

Exiting the doors of the dorms, Amari felt the cool breeze whip past her as she let her brother drag her towards the main gates. She may have not known what was going on, but he seemed really desperate to bring her somewhere. And for that, the girl knew she had to comply.

So she let her stubborn ass be pulled by him, allowing the boy to take her to the destination on his mind and trusting him completely.

* * *

After many painful and awkward silences, Katsuki finally stopped his pace, causing the poor girl to ram herself into his back unknowingly. Groaning at the slight sting to her nose, the girl rubbed the surface before groaning. "Geez Katsuki, a little warning next time.."

Yet he only shook his head, pointing in the direction of the unknown building in front of her, except on further inspection, the building was actually in fact, very familiar. That was because it was their house.

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Amari tried to connect the pieces on why he would bring her to their parents house, dressed all fancy with no reason or purpose. What exactly was going on in his head right now?

She decided to voice her opinions, placing a hand on her hips in question. "I don't get it. Where did you bring me home? Mom and Dad didn't say anything about coming over.."

Katsuki only seemed annoyed by that statement though, muttering back roughly. "How stupid can you be?"

Feeling a slight tick of annoyance in her chest, Amari raised an unamused eye. She literally just asked a question, why was he getting so irritated? "Excuse me?"

Yet the boy only chose to ignore it for whatever reason, moving up to the small gate before lifting his arm out for Amari to follow. "Forget it, let's just get this over with so I can go to bed."

Not really knowing what he was getting at, the girl complied, walking up the very familiar steps before seeing that the door was already unlocked and cracked open slightly. That was weird, they didn't usually like to leave it open.

She would've been concerned if it wasn't for Katsuki's bored expression behind her, obviously not bothered by the display in the slightest. Well that was good at least, there wasn't any need for alarm in that respect.

Slowly pushing open the door, Amari was met with only darkness, their parents hallways looking more ominous rather than inviting as Katsuki pointed towards the equally darkened living room. Were her parents even home right now, cause it didn't seem like it.

She debated turning around and asking Bakugo what they were doing here, now approaching the living room with suspicion. She didn't really get what she should have been looking at.

Although that was when the light behind them magically turned on as a loud pop of confetti and voices filled the area, all shouting and cheering the same phrase. "Surprise!"

Feeling the light bits of paper rain down on her head, the girl looked around in confusion only to find all of her classmates including Deku, Todoroki and Shinso along with her parents wearing pointy cone shaped party hats in celebration of something.

She didn't understand, well that was until her eyes caught on the large orange, gold and green banner in front of her face reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAKUGO TWINS in great big bubble letters.

Almost immediately, her classmates began to circle her, Mina jumping in excitement. "Ah, were you surprised?! I bet you were!"

Amari just stood dumbfounded, frozen in place as Katsuki groaned behind her, running an exasperated hand through his hair. "I swear, you are so fucking stubborn. I thought I would have to drag you here myself. Icyhot even almost gave it away."

Just then Todoroki stepped forward, holding his used confetti popper like he didn't know where to put it. "You were the one that burned down the first set of decorations Bakugo. Deku had to go out and get new ones. I told you to calm down while I was on the phone.."

Katsuki didn't seem to take kindly to that though, already readying his explosions in a counter attack. "You shut the hell up! I wouldn't have done that if you stayed out of my way. And you're the one that almost set the entire cake on fire trying to light the candles with your damn quirk!"

Looking down at his hand, Todoroki's eyes fell slightly, obviously feeling bad about almost ruining the cake. "I thought it would be faster…"

Uraraka seemed to notice his distress though before patting the poor boy on the head in reassurance. "It's okay Todoroki, you tried your best. We made a new cake, remember? So it all worked out."

Todoroki nodded back as Amari's brother only scoffed, causing his mother to hit him upside the head roughly, obviously not pleased with how he was treating his classmates. "Bakugo Katsuki, you will be nice to your classmates! Stop being so damn rude all the time!"

Of course this set the boy off, shouting back with frustration. "Shut up you hag! Hit me again and see what happens!"

Yet that's when Deku intervened, seeing Katsuki's mother already raise her hand again. He wanted to save his friend from whatever anger he had unleashed before it got bad and Kacchan blew up the decorations for the second time. "Wait, Kacchan, It's your birthday! Think of Mari-chan, she wouldn't want you two to fight!"

This seemed to ease Mitsuki, now sighing roughly as they already turned back to the girl in question who was only staring at them blankly. In fact, she hadn't moved from the initial surprise. That was strange, it was like the girl was frozen.

Moving up to her worriedly, Deku was immediately afraid he had done something wrong, calling back to her softly. "Mari-chan, are you okay?"

His words caused the girl to wake up from her utter shock, the words being lodged in her throat as she took in a shaky breath. There was so much she wanted to say, so many overwhelming emotions but the only thing that she managed to escape her lips was a choked sob.

Everyone's eyes widened as they watched Amari's eyes fill with tears before pouring down her face in a line, still remaining frozen to the display before her, unable to grasp what exactly was going on in this moment.

Because of her reaction, Todoroki raced forward first, wiping her tears with his fingers before glancing at her worriedly. "Hey, it's okay. Are you alright, are you feeling sick? Come on, talk to me.."

Yet the girl could only shake her head, causing Katsuki to groan behind them. "Shit, I knew this was a bad idea. You extra's messed it up."

Deku seemed immediately distressed by her state as well, already scrambling for a way to fix everything and make her stop crying. "I'm sorry Mari-chan, we didn't mean to make you upset. Here, we can take it down and.."

Although that's when Katsuki's sister shook her head, finally finding the words as she stuttered out. "N-No, it's not that. I'm just, so happy.."

An overwhelming relief spread through them as Todoroki wiped another line of tears from her eyes, the girl continuing brokenly, almost like her body wasn't ready for her to speak and yet somehow she forced out the words. Y-You did all of this for me, why?"

Smiling back roughly, Kiri decided to speak up first. "Why, because you're awesome Bakugo! Plus, we didn't get to celebrate with you two last year and we wanted to make it up for you both."

She then turned to her brother as Katsuki added roughly. "And in your letter you said you wanted to share our birthday together, so I thought you'd like this kind of shit."

His words were overwhelming, feeling a ball of emotion in her throat. He did all of this, working with his classmates, dealing with their parents and planning this party, he did all of this for her.

Shaking her head, Amari couldn't help but think back to her last birthday, crying and drinking herself to sleep in order to wish the day away as fast as possible. She always hated it, the idea of her birth, giving Katsuki the burden of feeling like her condition was his fault. The girl never had pleasant memories of that day.

But standing here before her where so many people that cared about her, that put together this surprise just so she could smile. It was something she had wished for time and time again last year, and now it was a reality. Amari finally had a family again.

Feeling her voice become stronger, Bakugo wiped away another tear before Todoroki had the chance and wished to voice her gratitude, one word at a time. "T-Thank you everyone. This means so much to me, more than you'll ever know. I love you all."

At her words, everyone collectively aww-ed before racing forward and tackling her into a strong and suffocating hug. "Awww we love you too Amari! Happy Birthday!"

Closing her eyes at the sensation, she then felt a tap on her shoulder before seeing Katsuki hand her a small orange box, practically pushing it against her cheek in impatience. "Here, take it."

That's when something else slammed into her mind, pulling away from her friends in a mild panic. "Wait, Katsuki I'm so sorry! I totally forgot what today was so I didn't get you anything. I can't accept a gift from you. It's your birthday too.."

Yet the boy didn't seem bothered, almost like he was expecting this reaction. "Idiot, I already knew that. I don't want anything from you."

Amari wasn't pleased with that though, already racing forward to apologize once again. "But.."

Yet she was stopped when Katsuki plopped a firm, yet gentle head on top of her head before lowering his voice still slightly. The care and passion from his words seeped into her all at once.. "Just seeing you like this is enough for me."

A wave of emotion coursed through the girl at that, really taking in the meaning before Denki interrupted their bubble, flinging an arm over Katsuki's shoulder roughly. "Whoa, I didn't know you could be that soft Bakugo. I'm honestly impressed."

And of course, everyone got the reaction they were expecting, now seeing Katsuki palms light up with sparks as he shoved Denki's arm off roughly. "What the hell did you just say, extra?!"

Amari couldn't help but giggle at that, feeling strangely relaxed at the chaos that circled the room. To some it may have been too much but to her, this was a blessing that she would never forget.

Smiling to herself, the girl then felt her phone buzz in her back pocket only to take it out and eye the message with confusion and slight anxiety, the single line dancing in her vision all at once.

* * *

Come outside sweetheart.

* * *

The number was unknown but given that nickname, Amari could already guess who it was from, now closing the surface before anyone could read her message. After months of trying to contact him, now he answers? Figures.

Tapping Todoroki on the shoulder, the girl then smiled softly before pointing towards the door, phone in hand as if she was going to make a call. "Hey, I have to take this call really quick, don't let Katsuki eat all of our cake."

Not seeing anything wrong with the idea, the boy only nodded his head before quickly shrugging off his plain black jacket and handing it to her. "Here, it's kind of cold out there."

She felt her cheeks flush at the gesture before taking the fabric and putting it on, now feeling his scent and warmth envelop her like a hug. She wanted to kiss him but with everyone watching right now, it was surely cause a scene.

So instead the girl settled for a small kiss on his cheek, leaning forward before whispering back. "Thank you. I'll be back."

Although before she could leave, Amari felt a strong hand clamp down on her arm before Todoroki replied smoothly. "I was right you know..."

Twisting her brow in confusion, the girl replied. "What?"

Bakugo then watched as the boy's lips curved up into a small smile before pointing to her unused pageant dress once. "You do look beautiful."

Recalling the conversation they had at the school festival, Bakugo immediately felt her cheeks light up with a red hue, causing a couple classmates to whistle and whoo. It seemed that was enough for Todoroki to let go through, now turning away in equal embarrassment.

That was Amari's que to leave although now she wanted to be with him even longer. Yet she quickly willed that idea away. No, she had work to do right now.

Smiling softly, the girl muttered her goodbyes before meeting the chilly night air again, now placing her phone to her eyes before texting the unknown number and waited for a reply.

_Alright Dabi, what did you want from me?_

* * *

After a couple seconds of waiting, the phone buzzed to life again, only giving her the location of the small and familiar park by her house. In fact, it was the same park where she had stabbed Katsuki in order to gain the league's trust. Did he really have to pick here out of all places?

Moving towards the old play structure, Amari paused when she found a very familiar head of black hair sitting in one of the swings, his cigarette causing the air to fill with smoke. "Took you long enough."

His voice caused the girl to pause for a moment, realizing that he had already sensed her presence, and shoving her hands in Todoroki's jacket pockets for comfort. "I never pegged you as a playground kind of person Dabi."

The man only seemed to smirk at that, now lifting from his seat before lazily walking up to her. "Perhaps you should be a bit more careful sweetheart. You seem a little too laid back. Have you forgotten who I am?"

His tone was meant to scare her, but the girl couldn't help but chuckle at his words, smirking back. "Yeah, you are just as stubborn and frustrating as the rest of your family. Besides, if you wanted to hurt me, you would've done it already."

Dabi paused then, realizing that she was absolutely right, now seeing his fingers dismiss the blue light. "Smart girl, although you're not completely right. I do want to hurt you, but orders keep me from doing so just yet.."

Taking another step closer, Bakugo couldn't but not find the humor behind his words, mocking them almost immediately. "Wait, orders? I never expected you to be someone's lapdog. That must be rough."

She expected him to flare up in anger at the comment but that didn't seem to be the case, a lazy smirk finding its way to his face. "Says the girl that's All for One's pet. Kinda hypocritical if you ask me sweetheart."

His words seeped into her all at once and Amari couldn't help but frown at them, balling her fists inside Todoroki's jacket roughly. "Shut up, I'm not that man's damn pet. What did you come here for anyways? I've been calling you for weeks.."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dabi began to pull out a small black box before handing out to her. "God, don't I know it. I came to make a delivery, for your birthday."

Well, that wasn't something she thought he would've said, now staring at the box in utter confusion. She already knew it couldn't be good. "What is it?"

Yet the man only shoved the box into her chest, forcing her to accept the "gift" and hold it in her arms. "It's a reminder."

Bakugo certainly didn't like the sound of that, but curiosity got the best of her and the girl found herself reaching for the lid in appreciation. Although, when she pulled the small bottle out, Amari thought she was going to be absolutely sick.

There in her hands was something she never wanted to see again, her pills.

Squeezing the bottle until her knuckles turned white, she heard Dabi's cruel words peak through her distress, amused and unbothered. "Enjoy your time for now, but big things are coming soon. I know what you're trying to do, but don't think you can run away forever sweetheart."

Amari stood there in silence, staring at the small white pills before a heavy and unspeakable rage overtook her. No, he couldn't take everything away from her, she was finally happy.

Dabi noticed her veins start to turn discolored and black as the girl let out a small growl, before throwing the glass bottle against the play structure and having it shatter everywhere. "No.."

Feeling one of the shards cut her palm, Bakugo could only feel the overwhelming anxiety and pain in her chest, trying to will the Nomu blood away and push it down. "He will not control me, and I won't let him win.."

She seethed out each word before hearing Dabi sigh behind her, obviously over her antics. "Just face it Bakugo, people like us weren't made to be heroes. Seeing you struggle over something so pointless is just pathetic. It doesn't matter what you try to change, the world will always snuff out people like us. That's just how it is."

Yet Amari only shook her head, placing a hand to her wrist in order to stop her pounding blood from getting worse. "No, you're wrong. We may share similar stories but unlike you, I'm not going to give up on the people I love."

He obviously didn't seem to like that idea though, scoffing roughly. "This is why I hate people like you, acting all self righteous when you're just as cruel as I am. Hell, you only want to bring that broken and terrible family back together because of Little Sho, right? What about what anyone else wants? That's right, you don't really care…"

Widening her eyes in confusion, Amari didn't fully understand his words. Maybe she was wrong, but it kind of sounded like he was hurt by her methods. "That's not true, I care about all of you, that's why I'm doing it. I don't want you to run from your family anymore, I know how much it can hurt."

Dabi only seemed amused by that though, his fingers glowing blue in warning in case she took it over the line. "You don't know shit about me. Have you ever thought that maybe I don't ever want to go back there, or were you too blinded by your hero complex to figure that out?"

Twisting her brow in frustration, Bakugo replied. "Come on Dabi, nobody wants to be alone. I know you're afraid, I know you're scared of being hurt again but..."

Although she was only cut off by a loud chuckle, Dabi's eyes mocking her almost immediately. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? You really think that everyone is just misunderstood and pure. No wonder why you were manipulated by All for One. That's what made you get turned into a lab rat, or did you forget that?"

Then he strolled up to her again, circling Bakugo like he was her prey. "In fact, I'm going to tell you a little secret sweetheart. People will see how naive you are and jump at the chance. You see, that's how you get yourself killed."

Widening her eyes in confusion, Amari couldn't help but notice that his tone sounded like he was mocking her, like there was something she didn't know. "What are you saying? I wouldn't let people do that. Looks like you need to get your eyes checked."

Dabi couldn't help but smirk though, remembering a very familiar shade of blonde hair and wings doing exactly that. He didn't know Hawks' plan for the girl, but he did know that he was using her. "Funny, because I know for a fact that it's already happening, you're just too stupid to realize it."

He then placed two burning blue fingers underneath her chin, causing Amari to squint her eyes at the pain as he thought about what he knew about All for One. "Word of advice, stop fooling around before you really regret it. The things that man has planned for you will show you that."

Shaking her head, Bakugo moved to slap his hand away only for Dabi's fingers to grip onto her chin even together, forcing her to look in his direction as she spoke. "I'd like to see him try to break me, because I'm not going anywhere."

They stood there for a moment before the man gave out an aggravated sigh, knowing he wasn't getting anywhere with her. He never could, cause she was too goddamn stubborn. That's always how it was for them, neither wanting to admit defeat.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Dabi then decided to release his fingers, revealing two singe marks on Amari's face. "Fine, it's your funeral. Just don't blame me when your pretty little world comes crumbling down."

There were many things to be concerned about in that sentence but the one that stuck in Bakugo's mind was the fact that he seemed like he was giving her a warning. It was almost like he knew what All for One had planned and Dabi was trying to stop her. Too bad that wasn't going to work.

She placed a couple fingers to the burn before muttering back. "I know you are trying to pull me away from this for some reason, but I can't do that Dabi. I still have so many things to accomplish before it's too late."

The man remained silent at that before shrugging his shoulders, not denying her claims of trying to warn her. "It doesn't matter because you're too stupid to listen to anything I say anyways."

Frowning back, the two remained silent, only hearing the light breeze tickle their faces as Amari suddenly let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. Dabi was still a closed book to her, and it seemed like he was afraid to let anyone close.

She wanted to know more, she wanted to understand him, if only a little. What brought him to his point, what his thought process was. She just wanted to know more about him. "Dabi, can't we just cut the shit for once? Just, be honest for one second…"

His eyes locked his hers as the girl continued, smooth and calm. "Why did you join the league, I just, want to know.."

It was obvious that Dabi hadn't expected that kind of question to come out of her mouth, now narrowing his eyes in thought. It seemed like he was trying to decipher anything else from the phrase yet came up empty.

And Amari was equally surprised to hear his honest response, the man shoving his hands in his pockets in response. "I didn't join because of the league. I could care less what that crusty man child thinks. I joined because of Stain and his ideals."

Widening her eyes at the mention of Stain, Bakugo really wanted to question his words but shoved them down, allowing the man to continue. She was afraid if she spoke up now, that Dabi would never open up to her again.

Sighing roughly, the villain took in the silence before continuing. "I tried the hero thing, I really did. Hell, I was willing to do anything to make dear old dad happy, but sadly it was never enough. Because of my condition, the world and that family didn't give a damn, so I dropped them. That's all it is."

Amari let her eyes fall as Dabi lifted his head towards the sky. "I'm sure you've seen it for yourself. People like us can't be heroes, society has made it that way so I don't get why you're trying so hard. They will never stop trying to drive you out."

She really hated to admit it but he was right to an extent. Bakugo had experienced her fair share of people underestimating and trying to say terrible things about her in hopes of her quitting her goals. Hell, even the gossip magazines only say that she's around because she's dating Todoroki. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, there were always people that thought she didn't belong.

But where Dabi gave up, Amari kept going and pushing herself to show everyone just how strong she was. That was their difference, why they didn't have the same ideals. "I know what you mean."

The man only nodded back before narrowing his eyes at the sky, a thoughtful look on his face. "How can you call those kinds of people heroes? I think they should be wiped out, just like Stain said. And then maybe people like me and you won't have to exist anymore."

She knew exactly what he meant by those words. If heroes were pushing people away then that was more potential for them to break down and become villains. Hell, it almost even happened to her once or twice. The only reason she didn't end up like Dabi was because of Todoroki, Katsuki and everyone else that supported her.

But where was Dabi's support, where was his reason to keep living? That's right, he didn't have one, and because of that, his devastation ended up consuming him.

Suddenly everything about his decisions were starting to make sense, one thing at a time. "I can understand where you're coming from, but I don't agree with your methods. Yeah there are corrupt heros out there but there are also great ones. You just don't see that."

Yet the many only closed his eyes at that, willing the emotion away from his voice in order not to sound pained. "And where were they when I needed them? Nowhere."

Amari's eyes fall at that, recalling the time when she was desperately reaching out for help for years. It would have destroyed her, if it wasn't for Todoroki taking an interest in her all those months ago. He was looking for anything, anyone, to help him just like she was, and the world just turned away from him.

She could only imagine how heartbreaking that was, how it could drive someone to do the unthinkable.

Bakugo didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to make him feel better or reassure him in the slightest, knowing the amount of darkness still in his heart. She was sure he wanted to go back to that world, but was terrified at what it would bring.

Realizing she wasn't going to say anything, Dabi took another step closer, the two now only inches apart. "The world isn't as black and white as you think it is sweetheart. Remember that."

Amari stared back at the man that had been ruined by hero society before reaching a shaking hand out lightly using two fingers to touch his jacket, desperate and uncertainty in her tone. She didn't know what to say, but she wanted to make him stay. "I…"

Yet before she even had the chance, another voice caused her to freeze almost entirely, his voice ringing through the air as a spark of fear passed into Amari's eyes. No, not now. "What do you think you're doing, get away from her right now."

The two turned around only to find Todoroki Shoto glaring back, obviously very unhappy to see Dabi and her together. Ah well, that made sense. Dabi was the one that tried to kidnap her and recruit her into the league before. Anyone would be unnerved by that. "Shoto.."

Todoroki only took a step closer though, his voice laced with venom and detain. He looked to be readying his quirk for an attack. "Amari, get away from him."

Although Dabi seemed to be fully enjoying the scene, already knowing what was coming. So, he decided to add fuel to the fire, now placing his hand through one of the strands on her hair in order to infuriate him more. "Oh Todoroki, you can't hurt me. You wanna know why? Because I already know what she's gonna do.."

And infuriate him it did as just skin started to lick with unruly flames, now calling to the girl he loved desperately. He couldn't attack with her so close like that. " Don't touch her villain! It's okay Amari, I'll protect you. Just get away from him..."

Squeezing her eyes shut in internal pain, Bakugo played over the options in her mind although she found very little. There were only two decisions she could make, either let Todoroki hurt his brother unknowingly, or protect Dabi and face the fallout. Her hands were tied and Amari didn't know what to do, which solution would be a better of the two.

Yet that's when she watched Todoroki's hand burn with his quirk, fully ready to destroy Dabi and Amari made the choice without giving it a second thought. No, she didn't want to see anyone get hurt anymore.

Widening his eyes in confusion and betrayal, Todoroki then watched as Amari stepped in front of Dabi before lifting her arms out in protection, her voice stern and sorrowful. "I'm sorry, I can't let you do that Shoto."

* * *

Welp, time for the conversation about how Dabi and Amari have been talking to each other without revealing that Dabi is Toya Todoroki. That's not going to be fun. Get ready for that angst.

I'm gonna upload more frequently in the next couple days cause I'm excited about the plot. Look out for that.

AHH but the fluff! I mean, just think about Amari's last birthday when she got drunk and cried herself to sleep compared to now? Ah, my baby deserves some happiness.

I added a bit more context to Dabi in order to flesh out his character a bit more and see how he got to such a low point in his life. Amari can relate though. Also it seems like he's trying to warn her about something. Oof.

Next Chapter: I think we all know...


	79. S5 Chapter 7

Staring at the boy she loved, Amari could already feel the sweat drip down her face. The amount of hurt, shock and betrayal that crossed his eyes in that single moment hit her all at once, slamming into the girl and destroying her in one single moment.

She didn't want him to make that face, to see the look of devastation that she had purposely caused. In fact, Amari had worked so hard in order for that expression to disappear from his mind, to only give him the best. So seeing it now, Bakugo couldn't stand it, and knowing that it was because of her choice made the decision even worse.

Amari's hands threatened to shake at the display but struggled to remain strong, knowing that the person she was defending was in fact a villain. It didn't matter if he was Todoroki's brother. No, that didn't change what he was in the slightest. The fact remained, she was protecting a villain.

Todoroki as well couldn't believe her words, trying to find some sort of hidden meaning in them like last time. This wasn't right, Amari had to be blackmailed into protecting him for some reason. Yeah, that could be the only explanation, because otherwise she would never defend such a terrible man.

Feeling the words come to his lips, the boy stood in utter shock. "A-Amari, I don't understand. What did he say to you, what did he threaten you with? It's okay, you can tell me."

She felt the utter faith and trust in his words crushing her even further, now hearing a soft laugh behind her. It was obvious someone was enjoying every moment of her distress.

Because of her devastation, Dabi decided to place both of his hands onto her shoulders, a lazy smile upon his face, almost like he couldn't wait to reveal this information. "Poor little Todoroki, he has so much faith in you, doesn't he? What a pity. You wanna tell him, or do you want me to do the honors and crush his little heart?"

Bakugo grumbled under her breath, trying to shove him off as the man only clutched even tighter, not letting her escape this conversation. She already knew he wasn't going to reveal his identity to the boy, which meant that whatever information Dabi spoke next wasn't going to look good for her. She had to get him to stop. "Shut up Dabi."

Todoroki on the other had stood there dumbfounded, not understanding the situation. "What are you saying? Are you trying to get me to believe that she's defending you freely, because that can't be the case. You tried to kidnap and torture her. Why would she ever want to support someone like you?"

Yet that only seemed to make the man even more cynical, pushing Bakugo's back into his chest roughly as his head lingered near her hair. It clearly was an attempt to make his brother more infuriated, and it was working like a charm. "I don't know. Bakugo is the one that visited me every week while I was locked away after all. Perhaps she got attached?"

Widening his eyes at the seemingly outrageous statement, Todoroki immediately started to deny his words. No, that was impossible. Amari was the one that put that villain in prison, she wouldn't continue her relationship with him, right? And even if that was the case, she would've told him about it, right? That had to be it.

He shook his head once, dismissing Dabi's cynical tone and scoffing. "You're lying."

Yet the villain only shrugged before pointing to the girl in question, already knowing the result of this conversation. "Am I? If you're so sure, why don't you ask her yourself?"

Almost immediately, Todoroki turned to Amari who was watching him with an unreadable expression, now taking in the desperation behind his eyes. "He's lying, right?"

Feeling the words catch in her throat, she struggled to find a logical explanation, something to tell him that would ease his fears besides the truth. The girl could never lie to him, perhaps she could to anyone else, but never to him.

The boy stood there hopeful, waiting for the girl he loved to deny his claims and say that Dabi was just spewing nonsense. Although, that hope slowly dissipated when he watched her break eye contact with him, her breath shaky and uncertain. "I-I didn't know how to tell you…"

Her words slammed into him all at once, a thousand thoughts now circling his mind. No, no it couldn't be. Amari wasn't a villain, he knew that. But what other reason could she have for keeping in touch with Dabi? He couldn't find any, and now he was growing far more desperate.

Was Amari slipping out from under his hands and he just didn't notice it? Was she putting on a face this entire time, lying to him? No, no he had to stop thinking like that. He thought they were fine, they were fine. They had to be.. "What.."

Yet before he could continue, Dabi did so on his behalf, almost like he was waiting for her to finish. "That's right, how does it feel to know your girlfriend has been keeping things from you for months? I bet you're all broken up inside right now, aren't you?"

Feeling a sense of desperation in her heart, Amari quickly lifted her foot before slamming it on the villain's in an attempt to right his statements. Yes, he was right to an extent but the way Dabi worded them, it was as if he was twisting her intentions because the man knew she wouldn't reveal his identity.

She then shrugged her shoulders in order to remove his hands as she whispered so only the man could hear. "You are not helping, stop it."

Then she turned to Todoroki, lifting her hands out to the boy. "Shoto listen, I didn't want to hide it from you but I just...couldn't tell you. You have to believe me, to trust me on this one.."

Bakugo said that statement without thinking, desperate to make him understand her intentions, so much so that the girl didn't get the chance to even realize that she had backed herself into a wall.

Well, that was until he uttered his next words. "What is the reason then?"

Feeling her breath catch in her throat, Amari stuttered back, wishing to have heard wrong, to have him just blindly trust her without revealing the truth. "W-What..?"

Todoroki took a step forward in response, chaos and uncertainty in his tone. It was obvious he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt on this. "There has to be a reason, so what is it? I know you, I know that you wouldn't do this kind of thing without having some kind of plan. That's always how you've been."

And that was true, Bakugo was always one to do these outrageous things, but it was never without a purpose. Even when she joined the league of villains, it was only to clear her own name. He knew her and trusted her intentions, so that meant that there had to be a reason for this as well, he just couldn't see it yet.

Standing still, Amari then casted her eyes down, allowing Dabi to add playfulness in his tone. "Yeah, go ahead sweetheart. I'm sure he'd love to hear it."

The girl could only shake her head though, knowing the result if she did in fact tell the truth. Her plan from the beginning was to wait until Dabi accepted his family, until he was proud to use his old name once again. If she did it for him, then there would be no purpose, no reason.

And on top of that, if Todoroki found out about his brother now, then that meant he would try to pursue the man which would give him a greater chance of him meeting All for One and getting caught up in this mess.

Perhaps it was selfish, but the girl didn't want to see him hurt and tortured by something he possibly couldn't fix himself. No, he only wanted to give him positivity and security, not the darkness he had come to know for so long.

She knew what Dabi was doing, he was looking for a way out, for a way for her to spill his secret so the man didn't have to do it himself. He wanted the easy route and Bakugo wasn't about to give that to him.

Shaking her head in dejection, the girl hated the words that came out of her mouth, but she had no other option, no other plan. She couldn't lie to him, she just couldn't. "I..I can't tell you."

It was obvious that her statement didn't soothe the boy in the slightest, a look of betrayal crossing his features as Amari continued to look away. No, she didn't want to see what she was about to do. "What do you mean you can't tell me?"

A sharp stab of hurt coursed through her as the girl felt her throat tighten. "I'm sorry Shoto, I just can't.."

Another moment of silence passed between them as Todoroki tried to understand her words. Sure, she kept things from him often but she had never fully shut down on him like this. Whatever she was hiding must have been really serious.

Then his gaze shifted over to the villain she was protecting, a hot fiery ball of anger coursing through his stomach. It must be his fault, he was the reason she is staying silent. "You bastard, what did you do to her, what did you say to her?"

Dabi only seemed pleased though as Amari raced in front of him, her tone quick and panicked. The last thing she wanted was for him to attack his brother. "Wait, h-hold on! It's not like that. It's my choice, he didn't do anything to me.."

Almost immediately, the boy's head turned to hers, sensing something wrong with her tone. "If that's true, then why would you protect him? Amari, he's tried to kill you before. Do you not remember that?"

Feeling a tick of annoyance in her throat, the girl huffed back. "Yeah, I do remember that, but you have to trust me of this one Shoto. I would never do anything to hurt you, that's the last thing I want for you."

Yet Todoroki only narrowed his eyes, a lick of fire escaping from them. It was obvious that he was slowly becoming more and more unhinged by the moment. "Then tell me why, why can you tell a villain but not me? I love you Amari, I want to support you but I can't do that if you won't let me in..!"

She knew she shouldn't have been upset with him. Hell, the situation sucked, but Bakugo couldn't help it, frustrated that he wasn't getting what she was trying to do, even though she hadn't told him anything. "It's not that easy and you know it! You think I like hiding things from you? But I do them for a reason, there is always a reason. Please, try to understand that..."

Balling his hands into fists, the boy only scoffed though. "I understand that you are as you've always been. Why do you choose to suffer alone when I am right here next to you? You don't have to take this on all by yourself anymore."

Choosing not to answer, Amari turned her head away as Todoroki's next words pierced her soul. "Is there anything else you've been hiding from me?"

She let her eyes fall at that, recalling everything she had hid from him throughout just the last couple months, Dabi's identity, her possible death sentence, and everything else she had purposely tried to avoid with him. Yes it was foolish, yes it was hurtful but she did all of this for him Amari wanted to protect him, to shield him from the world.

Was that so bad, was it so bad to wish to be tainted in place of him, to not burden him with her troubles and mistakes? She just didn't want him to be ruined like she was.

Bakugo didn't reply but the look in her eyes along with the silence said everything he ever needed to know, his face falling with each word. "There is, isn't there?"

She couldn't deny it, so instead, the girl only let her head hang in shame, tears threatening the corners of her eyes. But as soon as she felt Dabi behind her the girl shoved them down quickly. "Shoto..I.."

Yet the boy had heard enough, not wanting to hear anymore excuses from her. "I know, you want me to trust you, but that's extremely difficult when you clearly still don't trust me. Have I been wrong all along, do you still doubt my love for you?"

Hearing his words was like a knife in her chest, waking her up and stepping forward with anxiety. "What, no of course not! I know how much you love me, and I love you too. That's why I'm doing all of this, so you can be happy.."

Todoroki only huffed bitterly at her words though, calling out the mistakes in her last statement almost immediately. "And you believe that lying and keeping the truth will make me happy?"

Knowing she had misstepped again, Bakugo shook her head, shouting back. "Wait, no! That's not what I meant. I just...it's not like that. I've never lied to you…"

Amari shoulders fell at that, realizing that this was going south really fast. She didn't want it to be like this, she just wanted to protect him.

Just then, a low chuckle echoed behind them as Dabi whistled, obviously enjoying this train wreck of a conversation. "This is why I hate heros, you are just as bad as us half the time, always trying to justify your actions."

Glaring back, Bakugo knew that having him here was only making everything worse, willing the man away so they could finish their conversation. "Don't you have something better to do, why are you still here?"

The villain only smirked back triumphantly though, pointing towards her and Todoroki's crumbling relationship. "And miss this show? Never in a million years. In fact, why don't you tell him about how you've been trying to get hold of me for weeks. I swear little Todoroki, this girl can't get enough of me..."

Widening her eyes in surprise and anger, Bakugo quickly shoved her hand into his stomach in order to stop his ramblings. He was not helping in the slightest, obviously wanting to watch her burn to the ground. That jerk.

She then pushed his arm close to her before Amari whispered out roughly. "Dabi, I swear to god if you don't shut your goddamn mouth, I'll do it for you…"

The villain didn't seem bothered by that though, the girl now turning to try to explain everything to Todoroki before seeing his silhouette slowly leave her sight. Wait, he was leaving her? No, please no..

Gasping in surprise, Amari raced forward, only to catch his arm and pause his movements. "W-Wait, Shoto, it's not like that. I mean it is like that, but Dabi is purposely trying to make it sound worse than it is. I swear, you just have to trust me…."

She then watched him close his eyes for a moment before turning back to her, displeasure staring through her soul. "Then what is it that you are trying to hide from me? I can't trust you if you don't even give me the chance.."

He felt her hand shake underneath his arm, knowing that she wanted to tell him about whatever it was, and yet there was still something holding her back. And that was extremely frustrating to the boy.

Taking a deep breath, the boy then tried again, now turning around to fully face her heart in turmoil. "Amari, I won't be mad, I won't say anything about it if you don't want me to. Just please, please be honest with me. What is it you are trying to hide?"

He watched the girl closely, taking in her an expression and fully giving her the chance to open up to him, to give him anything that could ease his mind, even slightly. She always hid things from him, that's just how she was and he knew exactly why she did.

Because of All for One and her brother, Bakugo was taught to do everything for herself, to push down any negative emotion and act strong because that was how she coped with everything. She never wanted to burden people to tell them about her worries but that only worried Todoroki even more.

He was right there, right in front of her all of this time and yet Amari still hadn't fully trusted him yet. She was still affected by the past, so much so that it was crushing her.

And Amari wanted to tell him everything, god did she want to but then that meant that he would be at risk for taking her place in Sir Nighteye's prophecy, and she couldn't let that happen.

So because of that, she would just have to push forward and ignore the pain for now. For Toya, his and everyone else's sake she had to sacrifice her happiness for now in order to make everything right for him in the future. It would hurt, but she couldn't be selfish right now.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Todoroki watched her lashes line with tears, the moment hanging with utter and total hatred for her next words. "I can't tell you..."

Everything crashed into him all at once, knowing that she wasn't going to open up about this right now, frustration clear on his brow. He couldn't force her to talk about these kinds of things, but he also couldn't deny the sting of rejection from them.

Shrugging his arm away from her grasp, the boy sighed, all faith completely gone. "Fine. I understand. Just know when you are ready to trust me, I'll be here."

Then he turned his back once more before leaving the scene, knowing that she'd be safe for the moment as Dabi didn't look like he was attacking. In fact, they looked pretty close so he wasn't concerned about him right now. The man would've killed her already if that was the case.

Yet that didn't stop him from turning towards the villain for a split moment before seething. "Don't you dare hurt her."

At that was it, the boy was gone after that, leaving Amari lonely and heartbroken.

She then wiped the corners of her eyes as Dabi echoed back. "Ah, trouble in paradise? You better get used to it sweetheart. That's your future, and it looks like you are ashamed to tell little Sho about me after all. How interesting.

Wiping a couple more tears, the girl only took in a shaky breath before turning to the lost Todoroki brother. "That's not it. It doesn't mean anything if I do it. You have to be the one to make the choice.."

The man twisted his brow in confusion before chuckling back. "And what if that causes lover boy to hate you? Did you ever think about that?"

Staring at the ground for a couple more seconds, Bakugo replied plainly. "I won't be around forever, so before then I'll do everything in my power to make you realize that your family still needs you. Even if Shoto doesn't understand right now, someday he will."

Just then, she heard a slight buzz in her pocket and unlocked it to find Katsuki texting her about the cake. Looks like she'd have to finish this some other time before he became suspicious as well.

Dabi couldn't help but stew about her last words though, not understanding the meaning. He didn't understand why she was trying so hard, she should just be happy with the time she had left before All for One's plan.

Was she really willing to ruin her relationship with his brother in order to keep his secret? Bakugo didn't even know if he was going to return to being Toya or not, and yet she was trying this hard? Why, he couldn't understand it. "That family doesn't need me, they already have you."

Although that could only cause Amari to chuckle to herself, remembering the shortened time that Sir Nighteye had predicted. "And I'm not you Toya, I'll never be."

Then before he had a moment to process her words, Bakugo had left the playground as well, causing Dabi to close his eyes for a moment.

All those past and annoying feelings were starting to creep in again and the man couldn't stand it. Why the hell did that happen every time he spoke to that girl?

Next time for sure, he needed to kill her. Yeah, that would end everything. Who cares what the crusty bastard and All for One wanted her for. He couldn't take it anymore.

The past would die with her. Yes, that's how it had to be.

* * *

Hawks had just finished patrolling before moving back into his office, the flap of his wings welcoming him back as the man walked over towards his desk. He had spent the last couple hours searching for those missing kids but it seemed to turn up with nothing.

He couldn't help but admit that the result was extremely strange. Usually people like that turned up rather quickly, so the fact that they still had no information was concerning to say the least.

Sighing to himself, he then eyed Bakugo's file before picking up the surface. He hadn't even opened the object yet for fear at what he'd find. He knew it was his job and the commission was waiting for the bird but he just couldn't help it.

He couldn't help but still see the utter helplessness in her eyes, the hopeful words she spoke when he had utterly manipulated her into his own whims. That was just one of the reasons that he hated himself for his job.

Pouring a glass of alcohol, the hero then realized that enough was enough, opening the folder slowly, his eyes hesitantly surveying the words.

On first inspection, there were many things he already knew such as her health conditions, her attending Primrose academy in america, along with the description of her quirk and everything else.

Although as he looked further, there was something that caught his eyes in particular, the records of the academy she attended also listed in the file, colored in an off white pattern to differentiate the sections.

Hawks lifted up the papers before eyeing a stack of missing children posters, and an extensive knowledge of each of the missing kids. There seemed to be at least one child per year reported missing at that school. But wait, that didn't make sense.

If this was such a big deal, then why hadn't he heard about it before, why hadn't the news gotten hold of it? Something was definitely fishy here. It was like someone was trying to sweep the disappearances under the rug.

Looking even further, Hawks then started to lift up the reports before his heart dropped into his chest. There in the pile was the very familiar face of Bakugo Amari.

Wait, Bakugo was one of the missing kids? Why hadn't he realized that before? And even worse, it said that she was the only one that returned back unharmed. That meant she knew what happened to those other kids.

Suddenly, something else registered into his mind and the bird gasped, now reaching forward to find the current missing kids case. He really hoped he was wrong, god did he really hope so.

He flipped open the file before scanning his eyes over both of the cases before widening his eyes. The hero didn't notice the similarities before, but he certainly did now.

All of the kids that were missing, past and present, they were quirkless or extremely weak minded. It was like someone was preying on weak children. In fact, that fit Bakugo Amari's case as well.

He was right after all, Bakugo Amari was the key in all of this.

Hawks was looking at this as two separate cases but the similarities were too much to be ignored. All of the signs were what was happening right now, so that could've meant that these missing kids weren't just rebellious teens.

No, perhaps it was far darker then he originally thought.

* * *

Short chapter but lots of important information here. Poor Amari, all Todoroki wants is for her to be honest with him but she can't because it would defeat the purpose of bringing Dabi back to his family. Now just isn't the time for him to know so she had no choice. RIP

Although Todo does have a point, Amari does have a problem about not trusting him and keeping things to herself. It's a character flaw from being alone for so long.

Also oh no, Hawks is getting closer to the truth. That's not good.

Next Chapter: Things go even more south as Amari pretends like everything is chill


	80. S5 Chapter 8

Shifting her food around the bowl with plainly colored chopsticks, Amari sighed to herself, taking in the bustling noise of the cafeteria. It was something she had gotten used to over the last year, although now it was much more drowned out. The clanging of the metal sticks against her bowl being the only sound she had really noticed.

She wondered how school would be the day after her and Todoroki's fight, and it turned out to be just as lonely and heart wrenching as she expected it to be.

She shouldn't have been hurt, knowing that the girl was the one that caused this discord in the first place, but it wasn't as if she could help it. It seemed without his presence next to her, Amari still felt lost.

The girl tried to talk to him before class but all she received was a half hearted response before she buried his head in his book, a clear sign that he wasn't in the mood for conversation. It wasn't as if she could blame him though, Bakugo had been keeping things from him, that part was true.

Thinking back to his annoying purpled skinned brother, Amari twisted her brow in disdain before slamming her chopsticks down into her rice twice, almost like she was invisibly trying to beat some sense into that man. This was all his fault.

If only Dabi wasn't such an asshole back then, saying things to make her intentions worse than what they were, and it wasn't as if she could defend herself. That's probably why the villain did so in the first place.

Although as much as she wanted to blame him, Bakugo internally knew who to really blame, herself. She hated it, but the way things played out was only because of her fragile heart, of her wanting to hold everything in for the sake of everyone else's happiness.

She knew that, yet it didn't stop her from continuing the vicious cycle she had come to know. Yeah, that's right, Dabi only screwed with her because she gave him the chance. That's how it was.

And here she was now, sitting alone in the cafeteria, wishing for another outcome, wanting for her brain not to be as fucked up as it was. But it was too late to go back now. She had already made her bed, now she had to lie in it.

Bakugo grumbled to herself then, stabbing her rice a couple more times before muttering under her breath, the self hatred for herself too strong to keep in. "Stupid, stupid stupid. Why do you have to be so stupid!?'"

She was sure the other students thought the girl was insane for doing something like this but Amari didn't care. She just needed to get her aggression out, or else it would eat her up inside.

Although she was stopped when another voice cut through her moment of devastation, interest and slight confusion in his tone. "Oi stabby, what the hell are you doing muttering to yourself? People are gonna think you belong in a psych ward at this rate."

Blinking in surprise, Amari turned at the voice only to find her brother staring down at her with his own tray of food. She tried to greet him happily but he could hear the less enthused response that actually came out of her mouth. "Oh, hey Katsuki."

The boy only frowned though, glancing towards the empty seat to his right which was usually occupied by Todoroki. She really hoped he wouldn't connect the dots, not wanting to talk about the boy just yet. Mostly because Amari didn't really have an explanation to give him.

Yet her wish was short-lived as Bakugo spoke the very words she dreaded hearing. "Why are you eating alone? Where's icy hot? You two are always attached at the damn hip all the time.."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari clutched onto her chopsticks before trying to put on a facade for her brother in hopes that he wouldn't push further. "Oh, Well he probably doesn't really want to talk to me right now so I'm giving him some space. Anyways…"

She quickly moved to change the subject, hoping the Katsuki would get the message. Although it seemed like he either didn't or completely ignored it. "Whoa whoa whoa, hold on. What the hell does that mean?"

Shaking her head in exasperation, Amari replied. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Although once again, Katsuki chose to ignore her words, grabbing his tray even tighter as his voice carried through the entire room. "Bullshit it's nothing! Did that asshole do something to you?! Where is he, I swear I'm gonna…!"

The thought of anyone breaking his sister's heart made Katsuki see red, already searching above the crowds for a familiar head of red and white hair. If he hurt her, then there was definitely hell to pay for sure.

Before he could do so though, Amari was already out of her seat, the girl's voice hushed and serious as she gripped onto his arms. "Katsuki, cut it out! It's not like that. It's not his fault, it's mine."

Bakugo wasn't ready to believe that though, already knowing how Amari's brain worked. She usually felt like everything was her damn fault, so he couldn't be sure.

Yet the shaking hands on his arms told the boy otherwise, now staring into his sisters clearly anxious eyes. Whatever was going on, she really didn't want him to push Todoroki on it, and with a look like that he couldn't disobey those wishes.

Sighing heavily, Katsuki then shrugged her arms off before slamming his tray on the table in front of him and aggressively pushing the chair out that was usually reserved for Todoroki before sitting next to her silently.

Amari watched as her brother picked up his food before eating silently without another word, much to the girl's confusion. She thought he would've pushed further on this. "Katsuki?"

The boy only grumbled though, shoving another piece of food into his mouth. "Shut up, I'm eating."

Twisting her brow in confusion, she stared at Katsuki silently. He usually sat with his friends during lunch, and they were probably waiting for him right now. So why was he here, why hadn't he left yet? "Wait, aren't Kiri and the rest of your friends waiting for you? You really don't have to stay if you don't want to, I'll be fine.."

Although Bakugo already knew her far too well, not believing her for one single second. She always liked to think about others rather than herself, which meant that even though she said she'll be fine alone, the boy knew how lonely and down she probably felt right now, especially without Todoroki by her side.

And for that, Katsuki remained seated, his chopstick diving into the food in response. "Your food is gonna get cold if you keep standing there like an idiot. Hurry up and sit down before I eat your portion too."

Staring at his back, Amari couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was trying to cheer her up, wasn't he? This was just his own way to do it. "Oh..uhh..alright.."

Then she plopped herself down next to him, before picking her chopsticks back up, a small smile upon her face. Her brother really was sweet when he wanted to be.

After a few moments of silence, Katsuki spoke again, except this time in lower register with a hint of passion for his next words. "Listen, I won't ask what's going on with icy hot but stop looking all depressed and shit. It's pissing me off."

Turning towards Bakugo, the girl couldn't help but smile at that, knowing that he was letting the conversation go for once. That was a very hard thing to do with him after all, so seeing that he was trying really meant a lot to her. "Thanks."

He only grumbled in response though before jamming his chopsticks into his food, a scowl ever present of his face. "But if that bastard did do something to you, he's dead. Got that?"

Looking fully ready to murder the peppermint colored boy, a small spark escaped his palm as Amari couldn't help but shiver at the atmosphere. She'd really have to watch what Katsuki said to Todoroki now because those eyes looked less than friendly.

Ah well, she was thankful that Katsuki had given her something to distract herself from everything weighing down on her, at least for now.

* * *

Once class was over for the day, Amari waited by the entrance, hoping that she could at least get the chance to talk to Todoroki before he headed back towards the dorms. She thought she would be okay without him but the entire day left her anxious and longing for the boy once more.

She wasn't sure how to go back to the conversation, but the girl knew she at least had to try for the sake of their relationship. Perhaps she could make him understand a bit more, that's all she wanted.

Looking at her phone, she realized she had a bit more time before he showed up and decided to walk around to ease her accelerated heartbeat. Just standing there and waiting around wasn't doing her any favors, only thinking and pacing about the conversation ahead.

Amari then took a deep breath before aimlessly moving down the empty hallways, with no real goal or purpose in mind. She was just hoping to distract herself a little more before she tried to meet up with Todoroki.

Although the girl stopped when she heard a loud group of voices echo to her left, just after she opened the door to the back gardens. They sounded rough and irritated, causing her to get a closer look as she rounded the corner.

On further inspection, Amari just barely made out the features of a set of very familiar boys, one being the one that she had shown to his class back at the start of the new semester, and the other being the bully that tried to intimidate her. What were they doing?

That was when the bully slammed his hand into Kazumi's chest, the boy hitting the wall behind them forcefully. "What did I tell you about embarrassing me loser?! You dragged me down again!"

Scrambling to find a response, Kazumi looked away, seemingly ashamed for his actions. "I'm sorry Kenji, I know you wanted to win and I messed it up but I'll get better.."

Although that didn't seem to ease the boy's mind, Kenji shouting back roughly. "Ugh why are you always such a disappointment? I swear, if I wasn't stuck with you, I would've kicked ass to the curb a long time ago. How did you even get accepted in the first place?"

Shaking his head, Amari watched Kazumi's hands turn into fists, like he was really struggling out his next words. "Because I worked hard, and I belong here. I'll make you realize that!"

Yet the boy could only laugh, his fingers snapping together before Kazumi was shoved even deeper into the wall, this time by an invisible force. That must have been his quirk somehow. "Oh please, the only reason you got accepted is because of our parents. Do you really think U.A. would've even looked in your direction if your mom wasn't The Blue Lynx? I worked my ass off to get here, you cheated your way in, don't forget that!"

Quick to counter though, his brother cried back. "That's not true! Even if we have different moms, even if yours isn't a hero. I didn't cheat. I got in by my own strength Kenji!"

Although Kenji only scoffed, his words laced with venom. "Do you honestly believe that, especially with your weak ass quirk? Don't make me laugh, Kazumi. You know the hero world doesn't want people like you."

Then before he could reply, Kenji added roughly. "Face it, you'll never be good enough for mom, so just give up and let me take that title."

Widening her eyes in confusion and shock, Amari listened to the interaction, knowing she should do something in order to quell the argument, but somehow her feet weren't following her in the slightest.

She couldn't help it, their words hit so close to home for her. It was almost like she was imagining the same conversation with Katsuki in place of Kenji, so ready to write them off because of their position. But even Amari knew it wasn't that easy.

Hell, she didn't even know they were step brothers when she first met them. They seemed more like strangers, and now she realized that it was far deeper than that.

Although it was obvious to see that Kazumi was really bothered by their conversation, his eyes twisted together in hurt. "Kenji, y-you know I can't do that."

Yet his brother only smirked bitterly. "Yeah, and why not? You've lost every match since day one, haven't you? It seemed I would be doing your mom a favor by taking over, since all you are is a disappointment."

Kazumi seemed utterly defeated at that, his eyes casted down as his brother knew he had given up, now moving away from the wall slowly. "So, get the hell out of my way. You don't deserve to be here, I do."

And just like that, Kenji left the boy alone, causing Kazumi to slide to the ground, his face casted in utter ruin and pain as he shoved his arms over his eyes. It seemed like that conversation had really gotten to him and Amari could completely understand.

Grasping onto the wall next to her, Bakugo watched the boy fall apart before feeling a familiar bun in the back of her throat. She knew all too well what he was feeling, and how badly he probably wanted to be recognized by his talent.

Because of that, her feet started to make their way to the boy when a familiar head of white and red passed by her at the same time. That was right, she was supposed to talk to Todoroki about everything, that's why she was here in the first place.

Although Amari hesitated, glancing from Kazumi back to the slowly disappearing Todoroki in front of her. Her mind was suddenly torn with which choice to make.

She knew that Kazumi was probably really broken up about his brother but this was the first time to really talk to Todoroki, and Amari feared she wouldn't get many more if this kept up. She hated the fact that he was ignoring her, and was desperate to fix the mistake.

So much so, the girl's mind became clouded, only focusing on the boy that was slowly leaving her vision and taking that as her first priority. Amari just figures she could talk to Kazumi about everything tomorrow, or even after she was finished with her conversion.

The girl didn't even know the first year that much, so maybe he was fine and she was just exaggerating. She would've really hated it if people got in her business when she was just as broken up as him. Perhaps it was better to give it time.

So given those reasons, Bakugo decided to turn on her heels and walk away from the first year, only focusing on the boy she loved, desperate to keep him by her side after all.

Yeah that was right, she would just talk to Kazumi tomorrow, then everything would be alright.

Although, she would soon realize that tomorrow would never actually come.

* * *

Running around the corner, Amari caught up with Todoroki before desperately grabbing onto his bag and forcibly stopping his movements. "Wait, Shoto! Please don't go yet."

And the boy did indeed stop, watching her carefully as his monochrome eyes bore into her all at stance. "What is it Amari, are you ready to be honest with me?"

Yep, he was still pissed, and rightly so. Although Bakugo couldn't help but grip onto him tightly, wishing for the boy to stay with her, even for just a couple more seconds. "Listen, I get it okay? I know that you're upset with me and I don't fault you for that but please just hear me out Shoto."

Her words were enough to make him pause though, curious on what she would actually say. "What would you like to hear you out on? The fact that you haven't been telling me the truth, or the fact that you can place more faith in a villain rather than someone that loves you?"

Twisting her eyes in pain at his tone, Amari shook her head, the words already spilling from her mouth. "That's not true, and the things I've been hiding from you...they are all for a good cause I promise."

Todoroki suddenly turned around then, causing her hand to fall from his arm roughly. "What are those things then? If they are for a good cause, then you should have no problem telling me right?"

He waited for her response, for the girl to finally open her heart to him, although he was only met with an ashamed expression and a sorrowful tone. "I want to Shoto, I really do but...I just can't right now."

A sharp sliver of pain coursed through him at that, the rejection hitting him all at once before he turned his back again, fully ready to walk away from the conversation. It wasn't like they were getting anywhere anyways. "I see. Well then, goodbye."

Widening her eyes in fear, Amari raced forward, frustration in her tone. "Wait, hold on don't leave again. I'm trying to explain myself here the best I can, but you aren't listening.

That seemed to spark something within the boy, his brow twisting with disdain. "You are the one that isn't listening Amari. I've tried to open my heart to you but you can't seem to do the same, no matter how hard I desire. Do you know how frustrating that is?"

Running a couple fingers through her hair, Amari nodded back. "Yeah, I know how frustrating it is but I'm trying to protect you here. I just want you to be safe Shoto."

Todoroki could only seem to find the humor in her sentence though. "That sounds like the same thing I said to you back before the Yakuza raid. But you told me to trust you, to believe that you would come back to me. It's the same for me. Don't you see that you are trying to put me in the same box I once did, the box you hated?"

She hated it, but he did have a point. Amari was so bothered by Todoroki trying to limit her, in fears of her getting hurt. Although, wasn't she just doing the same thing? She was just so terrified to lose one of the only things she ever cared about, one of the people that loved her completely that she didn't want him to get involved with her plans. It was hurting him, she knew that.

Sighing heavily, the boy added sadly, his hands reaching for hers in a single motion. "I want to help but you keep pushing me away, Amari."

He lightly squeezed her palms and Bakugo's face crumbled with it, wanting nothing more than to fall into his arms and tell him all her fears and plans but she also knew that she couldn't. Then it would ruin everything she had worked on, not wanting him to see his heartbroken expression when she told him about Sir Nighteye's premonition.

No, she needed to keep pushing on, knowing the reward for her efforts would be worth it in the end. Even if he didn't understand now, he would someday, perhaps after she died by the hands of All for One, she didn't know just yet.

Because of that, the girl turned her head away, regretting her next words. She didn't know what to say, but she knew it couldn't be what he wanted. "I'm sorry Shoto. I'm sorry…"

Her voice began to crack at that, tears lining the corner of her eyes as Todoroki could see it physically hurt her not to tell him about her internal feelings. Maybe she was having an internal battle right now. Whatever it was, he hated seeing that look on her face.

Feeling his arms move on their own, Todoroki pulled her into an embrace, hoping it would be enough to get her to open up to him. "Shh it's okay. I'm right here. You can tell me Amari.."

His arms wrapped around her protectively before lovingly running his fingers through the top of her hair, his voice smooth and passionate, almost making Amari want to give into his warmth and protective state.

Because of that, the girl could only shake her head, burying her head in his chest before brokenly crying back. "I'm sorry Shoto. This is my fault, I know it is but..."

She wanted to let her tears fall, but forced herself against it, shoving them back down even though Todoroki had probably felt the liquid across his shirt already. She needed to be strong, or else the weight of everything would come tumbling down faster then she could help it.

The boy didn't seem to mind though, his arms securing her even tighter and kissing the top of her head, knowing that she was still putting up walls with him. "It's okay, You're safe Amari. You can tell me anything, and I'll be right here, just like I've always been. That's right beautiful, you're okay.."

Blushing at his words of choice, Amari closed her eyes, knowing what he wanted, how easy it would've been to give in and tell him everything, but then he recalled everything she was facing, and the stakes it would bring.

If she was weak here, then Todoroki would know about her possible death, and that meant that he would gladly take her place. She couldn't have that, she couldn't live knowing she had ruined him like that.

It didn't matter how safe she felt, Amari was going to protect him.

So because of that, the girl took her shaking hands before pushing them against Todoroki's chest, removing the safety and the comfort all at once, forcing her to get back to reality. "Shoto..I..I can't…"

The words tumbled out of her mouth robotically and distressed, her shaking hands gripping onto his shirt to stop him from coming closer. She could see his hurt, the way he reacted to her cruel words, but Bakugo continued on. "I'm sorry.."

Todoroki stood there dumbfounded, feeling her devastation but still not making a move to come any closer to him. She really was going to continue to shut him out, wasn't she?

Feeling his own lips twist shut, the boy stood there for a couple for moments before replying short and laced with hurt. "So that's how it is."

Amari turned her head away at that, the tears still lining her eyes and threatening to fall. "Someday you'll understand Shoto."

Although that didn't bring the boy any comfort, wondering if it was pointless to get her to open up to him. He couldn't force her to after all. It had to be her choice, and that's what hurt the most.

Turning his back away, Todoroki's eyes casted towards the floor. "Perhaps I should stop trying then, if that's what you really want."

Bakugo eyes widened at his tone before a pit of devastation rocked her entire core, dreading what that meant. Was she actually going to give up on her? "W-Wait, what does that mean? Please don't tell me, you want to…"

They both knew what she meant without saying it. She was asking if he wanted them to break up, to go their separate ways. It was something Amari dreaded, not wanting to be left behind and go back to feeling that same amount of loneliness that she had come to know for so many years.

Todoroki also seemed conflicted by her words, also not liking the meaning. "I don't know."

Watching her eyes fill with hurt, Amari dreaded her next question, not wanting to know the actual answer. "D-Do you still love me?"

That got the boy to turn around, disbelief on his features. "What are you saying, of course I still love you! But we can't go anywhere if you keep pushing me away Amari. It's not healthy, for either of us. I've tried, but it seems you still can't bring yourself to trust me, even when I'm right in front of you. We can't continue this cycle."

He was right, but Amari still couldn't give him what he desired. She knew she should have let him go, to just give up on this hopeless love. Then that way, Todoroki would surely be safe from her possible future while she worked to protect him from the inside. That was the smart thing to do.

But she couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried, the words of rejections never came to her lips. Instead, she felt herself reach out to grab his jack in a silent plea, her words laced with hurt and desperate. "Please don't leave Shoto..I know it's selfish, and I know I can't tell you anything right now but please..I wont be able to take it if you do… "

Taking in her utter desperation, Todoroki didn't want to leave either, but what could he do at this moment? She needed to make the choice to trust him. "I need some time to think."

And just like that, he left her by herself in that courtyard, causing Amari to stare at her feet, the tears finally escaping from her eyes. She hated this. All she wanted was for him to be happy, to give eternal happiness, so why did it hurt so much?

She understood his feelings and didn't blame him for them, the girl only stewing in her own self hatred. It didn't matter if this tore her apart, she wouldn't have him sacrifice his life for her. She refused.

Yet that didn't deny the ache in her heart, not knowing how to fix the situation at hand as everything tumbled down around her.

It was just as Dabi had claimed would happen, and she hated it.

* * *

Dabi strolled across the empty warehouse before hearing a very familiar and annoying voice carry through the space. Oh course, it just had to be him. "Hey there Dabi. How's it hanging?"

Turning back with disinterest, he found Hawks grinning back at him, his wings spreading out fully in excitement as he continued. "We haven't seen each other in a while, huh? I bet you really missed me!"

Although the villain could only frown, obviously not looking forward to this meeting. "Actually no, it was quite relaxing without you and your shitty feathers around."

Hawks pretended to look offended at that, his feathers ruffling slightly. "How rude, and after everything we've been through.. Come on, you don't have to pretend. I know you missed me man."

Only groaning back, Dabi lifted his hand, ready to get down to business so he could get rid of him as fast as possible. "Cut the shit, do you have it?"

The hero took a second before nodding back and patting his pocket once. "Yep! All the hero's upcoming plans for the next month, right here! But first, I was wondering if we could talk about something before I give you this."

Grinning back, he hoped that Dabi would take the bait, as Hawks had quite a few important questions for the man, and they all revolved around that missing persons case. He wasn't sure if he'd get anything, but it was worth a try.

Yet Dabi was less than pleased, his lips curved into a smirk. "That's not how this works Hawks. You should know withholding information doesn't look good if you wanna be accepted into the league. Now, give it."

Lifting out his hand once more, the bird knew he had to remain strong, replying back shortly. "Right, and I'm all for the league, like I said before. I just came across some things and i wanna know if you know anything about it. That's all."

This caused Dabi to stop, the hero already knowing that curiosity would surely win in this situation. If he thought Hawks knew something, especially about an upcoming plan, then the villain would want that information as well. It was a win for him.

And after a few seconds, the hero got just a response he wanted. "Alright, you can ask your questions, but just know I don't have to answer anything."

And that was all Hawks needed to start digging in, his voice carrying throughout the space as the echo bounced off the walls. "All for One's masterpiece, is it real?"

There was an air of silence for a moment as Hawks eyed the villain's unreadable expression before Dabi's lips curved into a cynical smirk. Wait, was he actually going to answer? The hero hadn't expected that.

Letting the words roll off his tongue, the man chuckled at some unseen joke. "Yeah, it's real. Why do you wanna know birdbrain?"

Hawks hadn't expected to get this far though, his mouth hanging open with surprise. "Wait, really? Have you seen it?"

Once again, the villain could only find humor in his words. That idiot really was clueless, wasn't he? "I've seen it."

The hero couldn't help but widen his eyes at that, a ring of fear coursing through him. That monster, the creature that killed those commission members in America was actually real, and in Japan? Oh shit, that wasn't good, and if Dabi had seen it then that meant All for One was close to getting his hands on it.

Wanting to act fast, Hawks tried to cover up his growing fear with amusement, cracking a fake smile in order to go along with the villain's sudden humor for some reason. "Oh, really? That's crazy man. I mean I've heard rumors about it, but it seemed too good to be true, you know? Is it just as game changing as they say?"

Dabi then shoved his hands in his pockets before taking in the full irony of the situation. This bird had no idea what was going on under his nose. He wondered what kind of heart broken expression he'd make when he actually connected the dots. "If only you knew."

Hawks couldn't help but twist his brows in concern at that. This was bad, he needed to find out what Dabi knew, and destroy it fast. "Huh?"

Chuckling once again, the villain willed the idea away, his head turned up towards the ceiling. "Don't you worry bird brain. You'll have your chance to see just how "game changing" it is. Very soon actually."

That's when Dabi reached into his pockets before pulling out a small vial of red liquid and swirling it around in his palm. Hawks couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sight.

Wait, was that blood?

* * *

Leaving his house in a hurry, Kazumi tightened his hold on his jacket before entering the street, the rain pounding down on his back although the boy couldn't seem to care.

It seemed he had another argument with his mother, only leaving after telling him how disappointed she was in his latest quirk test. It wasn't anything unusual though, the boy was used to the looks of disdain and disgust for years now.

His was supposed to be something special, being the number twelve hero's only son although Kazumi couldn't help but fall short of those expectations every time. It was a miracle that he had even made it into U.A., just barely making the cut.

And since being at that school, he had only been a further disappointment, losing every single match and test that was thrown on him. He just didn't have the power and skill that his step brother had.

Knowing Kenji hated him tore a whole in his chest, wanting nothing but love from his step brother although he knew it wasn't that easy. His brother had stopped at nothing to become a hero and always hated that Kazumi was given so many chances while he had none.

But chances didn't equal talent, and Kazumi knew that very well. Perhaps it would be better if he was out the way after all, then his step brother would finally be happy.

Sighing to himself, Kazumi leaned over a nearby railing before muttering back, mostly to himself. "Why can't I be stronger?"

Although it seemed someone heard him after all, a deep male voice cutting through the air all at once. "What's wrong, you seem to be upset about something."

Twisting his brow in confusion, Kazumi turned to find a man staring back at him, wearing all back, so much so that it covered his entire face. Perhaps he was ashamed about his looks or something. "Uhh who you are?"

The man only leaned against the railing with him in response, his voice coming out with slight amusement. "Just an interested party. You said you wanted to be stronger, why is that?"

Thinking for a moment, Kazumi sighed, realizing it was better to just let everything out now in order then keeping it in. "My mom expects me to be this great hero, but I'm just too weak. I don't have the strength they want."

The man put his finger up to his collar at that, replying back smoothly. "And what would you do in order to get that strength? Would you give up everything to get their approval?"

Kazumi casted his eyes down at that, already knowing the answer without giving it much thought. He had lived his entire life as a weak loser, so he would do anything to change that. "Yeah, I would, but it's pointless."

That's why the mysterious man turned, staring back through his mask with interest. "I wouldn't say that. What if I told you that I could help you?"

Shaking his head, the boy scoffed. "Yeah right. There's nothing that can help me."

Yet he only responded with a plain response, pride in what he was saying. "You want the strength in order to make your step brother and mother proud, right? I can give that to you. But, it won't be easy, you have to really want it."

Kazumi turned his head in disbelief. Could this man really give him what he always desired, it was too good to be true. Sure, perhaps he was lying, but what else did the boy have to lose, it's not like his family wanted him in this weakened state "I do really want it."

Smirking under his mark, the man then lifted out his hand slowly, already knowing he had gained his trust. "Then come Little One. Let's make you stronger."

* * *

Uh oh. Things are going down hill as fast. Next chapter will be the climax for the first arc of this season (there will be two, just like with the events of the show.)

Poor Amari is really gonna regret not talking to Kazumi when she had the chance, cause he just got mixed into something oof. Notice that his story is familiar to hers without being the same? That's a big oof for me.

Also poor Amari and Todo. They are never gonna get anywhere if Amari isn't honest but she's kinda backed into a corner with everything. If she tells him, then he's gonna want to take her place in dying instead of her, so she's really out here trying to protect him. Poor boy doesn't realize it though and is only hurt.

Did you notice how that "mysterious voice" mentioned something about his step brother even though Kazumi didn't tell him anything about that? Someone's been doing research.

Also poor Hawks is in the dark, but not for much longer. Oof.

Next Chapter: Get ready for shit to hit the fan


	81. S5 Chapter 9

Moving her hand to cover her own eyes, Amari sat in the utter silence of her room, all of her swirling thoughts and decisions weighing down on her one by one. It seemed that in moments like this, the anxiety of everything worsened to an extreme amount. That's why the girl had tried to keep herself busy over the course of the weeks, but something about her conversation with Todoroki felt like a rock in her stomach.

She knew he wasn't going to give up on her, and that his words were only to cause a change of heart in her, yet no matter how hard she tried Amari couldn't come up with any sort of solution to her problems.

She just wanted to be held, to be kept safe like before, although it seemed like she had ruined that as well.

Shaking her head, Bakugo then immediately stood up and began screwing her head on straight. No, she couldn't crumble apart now, so many people depended on her to stay strong. This was the path she had chosen and the girl knew it was right, now she just had to follow through.

Quickly throwing on her clothes, Amari decided to give her wandering mind no time to think, and instead focused on the idea of waking Katsuki up instead. Yeah, that would give her some much needed distraction, a band aid for her worries, at least for now.

Bakugo moved towards the doorway before throwing open the object and focusing on that very goal when something bumped her foot on the way out.

Looking down she found a small brown package with her name drawn across the top. Huh, she wasn't expecting a package, maybe it was from her mom?

Picking up the object, Amari stepped back inside her room before carefully ripping the paper only gasp in utter horror and shock. Wait, no she thought she got rid of these on her birthday.

But if that was the case, then why was she now staring at that same small glass bottle of pills in her hands, and why were they continuing to haunt her everywhere she went?!

A small bit of panic seeped into her throat as Amari dropped the objects onto the bed, afraid to touch the damn things after all of the pain and suffering that they caused.

What was All for One even doing?! Was he tormenting her, was he trying to tell her that she wasn't safe, was he trying to make her insane, was he trying to get her to use again? All of her burning questions and fears jumbled together as she suddenly noticed a small black card in the bottom of the box, coaxing and teasing her to read.

* * *

Don't disobey for too long

You might regret it

Little One

* * *

Immediately ripping up the pieces of paper, Amari's eyes screwed shut before throwing the torn up bits into the nearby trash can. She knew she had to fish it out later in order to show the pro's of her harassment but the girl couldn't help but be clouded by her own dark thoughts at the moment.

All she wanted was a normal life, something that was stripped away from her as soon as Amari followed that villain unknowingly when she was a kid.

The girl was only sixteen after all, and yet it seemed like she had already lived through a lifetime of tragedy and despair. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't she be like her classmates, careless and relaxed? No, instead Bakugo had this intense anxiety around her at every waking moment, suffocating her until she gave in under the weight. Why, why could she just be normal?

Placing a shaking hand onto her dresser, Bakugo faltered even more as a faint sight of black veins started to fade in, a sign that she was losing control of herself once again. She needed to stop this self pity and suck and up. Whining and crying would get her nowhere at this rate. It wouldn't do any good for her or for the people she was trying to save.

Just then, a loud knock on her door startled Amari, jumping out of her own fears all at once as her brother's voice carried through the air. "Hey Amari, get your ass up or we are gonna be late again!"

Trying to regain her place of reality, the girl turned her head before quickly picking up All for One's pills and throwing them into the drawer next to her, just in case Katsuki decided to come into her room for whatever reason. She'll worry about this later, when she wasn't so scatterbrained.

Then she picked up Toya's old ring before placing it on her right hand, a reminder to keep herself grounded and think about the goals ahead.

After that was finished, Bakugo took a deep breath to will the Nomu blood in her system away and grabbed a jacket just in case they returned for whatever reason. "Coming!"

Opening the door to her room, Katsuki looked down at his sister as she huffed out a breath, almost like she was rushing for some reason. "What's wrong with you?"

Yet Amari only laughed before slapping his back playfully, not wanting to bring up the subject just yet in order to calm herself down further. "Sorry, slept in. You ready to go?"

His eyes were skeptical but Katsuki decided to keep it to himself for now, obviously already aware of her fight with icy hot from yesterday. Perhaps she was still worried about all that. "Yeah, hurry up already."

Smiling under her breath, the twins began to follow each other as Amari stewed silently. She wouldn't let All for One control her, she refused to let him bother her to this extent. No, she just had to move on and live everyday the way she had planned it.

Yeah, that was it. If she just ignored her fears, then they would surely go away.

* * *

Slouching in her seat Amari sighed to herself as Aziawa entered the class, carrying a large stack of papers and looking very unhappy at the notion he was about to present for some reason. Although it could have just been a reflection of how tired he was, given the yawn he let out before speaking.

His eyes narrowed towards the students all at once, his gaze boring into them per usual. "Before we get started on training, I have some important questionnaires for you all to fill out."

Everyone gasped around him as Deku aggressively raised his hand, excited for whatever it was. "Is it regarding our hero work?"

Sighing in response, the teacher answered plainly. "As you all know, you are now second year students, still far from being pros but considering you only have one more year left it's time for you to start thinking about your future and what path you want to take after you graduate."

The entire class seemed in a frenzy at that, allowing Aziawa to pick up one of the pieces of paper in front of him. "Write down whatever that is and try not to take forever."

Then the man began to slouch just slightly before pulling out his usual bright yellow sleeping bag and flopping to the floor with another yawn. "You have till tomorrow to turn them in."

And just like that, the teacher was out cold, his slight snores echoing through the space. No one seemed overly surprised by that though, given Aziawa usual behaviors. Looks like it was up to the class to discuss.

Momo and Ida began passing around the questionnaire to each of the kids as Denki began to beam, already dreaming about his ideal future. "Oh, I already know what I'm gonna do when I graduate! Gonna join a super cool agency and get my name out there so I can attract all the cute ladies!"

Some began to Ohh and Ahh at that idea as Uraraka gushed. "I just wanna be able to help my parents as soon as I can."

Clapping her hands in excitement, Mina added roughly. "But what about starting your own agency? That way we can make the rules and be the boss!"

Kiri seemed to have other ideas though, shaking his head once. "Yeah but starting your own agency once you graduate is hard work. Not everyone can do that and succeed. It's definitely a gamble."

Everyone couldn't help but agree with that, their voices perking up the space as each kid layered on top of the other in hopes of telling their plans for the future. It seemed like everyone at least had some sort of idea of what they wanted, whether it was fully fleshed out or not.

Yet when Amari looked down at her questionnaire, she only drew a blank. The idea was so simple, of having dreams and wanting to hold onto them for the future. But what about her, what about her future? She honestly didn't know if she had one.

It wasn't like she was signing her own death certificate just yet but Sir Nighteye's prediction made it very hard for her to trust in any sort of permanent path. She just didn't want to get her hopes up for something if it was inevitable for her to be ripped away. It brought the girl a sense of reality, and that's always how she lived.

When she started using her pills, Amari was told that she would die early and that was enough for the girl to get her head on straight, to understand that forever wasn't something that she was meant to have. But then, Bakugo was given hope.

After Endeavor had trained her and told her she could have a future, Bakugo truly believed it, even for just a hopeful moment. She started to make bonds, to get attached to others and plans her own future as well.

But after the Overhaul raid, everything was so uncertain. There was no guarantee of either life or death for her, and that was something that scared Bakugo Amari more than anything.

If she was told she was going to die, Amari would have accepted it, if she was told she was going to live, then Bakugo could dream. But now she couldn't do either of those things, and this questionnaire was only visualizing her worries even further.

She picked up her pen in hopes that it would help give an idea to her mind, something she could write that wasn't a complete and utter lie, although nothing came. The only thing she did feel was that small bit of anxiety creeping back into her mind.

Although before she could even think, Amari jumped as a pair of arms were thrown on top of her, a hand now raised to her face. "Helloooo? You in there Amari-chan?"

Blinking in surprise, Bakugo turned to find Mina staring back. Oh crap, was she saying something to her? She hadn't paid attention in the slightest. "Oh uhh yeah? Sorry, I kinda zoned out."

The girl only laughed though only looked down at her blank paper in question. "It's okay, I was just saying that you don't have to worry about the future, since we already know what you're gonna be…"

She raised a suggestive eye although Amari didn't fully understand where she was getting at. Did she have some kind of plan that the girl didn't know about? "I don't know what you mean. What do you think I'm gonna be?"

The girl only winked at that though before raising her hand up to point at Todoroki, her voice filled with teasing love. "A bride, duh!"

Widening her eyes in shock and utter embarrassment, Bakugo's face lit up bright red, not even having the heart to look at Todoroki. Saying those kinds of things was bad enough but little did Mina know that the two of them were discussing breaking up the other day. Now was not the time.

Bakugo shook her head before pushing Mina's arm away, obviously uncomfortable by her words. "Whaaaa cut it out Mina. We are just kids."

Yet it seemed like she didn't get the memo, Denki now chiming in as well. "Come on Bakugo, we all know how lovesick you two are. It's bound to happen. I better be invited to the wedding though."

They meant no harm, she knew that, but after everything that was happening, Amari didn't want to think about these kinds of things.

Of course she had her own fantasy's of marrying the boy plenty of times, any girl would want that. But now everything was so uncertain, and Todoroki's feelings were waving.

It was cruel of them to ask these things, to give her hope when everything was so uncertain. "G-Guys, stop it.."

But they didn't stop, in fact the two kept pushing, now getting poor Todoroki involved as he wore his own unreadable and reddened expression. "Don't you agree Todoroki. Wouldn't she make a good wife?"

Just then, the bell ran as Amari immediately shot up from her seat, gathering all of her belongings in one singular motion before rushing to the door. She didn't want to hear his response, she didn't want to think about how he was giving up on her and that what they were suggesting was pointless. No, she couldn't do it.

Muttering to them quietly, the girl then took off, before anyone could stop or question her movements. "I have to go…"

Mina and Denki looked between each other in confusion when Katsuki's voice cut through the space, rough and irritated. "Cut it out extras. Your idiocy is obviously bothering her."

The blonde haired boy couldn't only pout though. "Aww come on Bakugo. We are just playing around. She should've known that, right?"

Yet Katsuki couldn't stare in the direction where his sister went, a heavy ominous lump in his throat as he eyed the empty doorway. She must have been thinking about her and icy hots fight, that idiot.

Looking down at his own questionnaire, the boy then picked up his pen before writing an assortment of words silently, his mind focused and serious about something in particular.

* * *

Moving to the first year's class, Amari stopped at the door to Kazumi's classroom before seeing a very familiar boy walk past her. That was his step brother, wasn't he? Yeah they weren't close but perhaps he would at least know where to find the boy.

Although she didn't know him that well, Bakugo still wanted to make sure Kazumi was alright. Amari wasn't perfect but she at least wanted to tell him that she understood his fears and that they were valid, just like someone had done for her when she needed it.

She tapped Kenji on the shoulder only for the boy to turn around with annoyance. "You're that Bakugo kid, aren't you? What the hell do you want?"

Sighing at his tone, Amari tried to counteract it with a smile. "Ah, you're just as charming as I remember. I was wondering if you knew where Kazumi was? I kinda wanna talk to him about something."

The boy only scoffed though, obviously not taking her seriously. "Why are you asking me, I don't know where that loser is."

Bakugo couldn't help but frown at that though, now following after the boy as he tried to leave the conversation. "But you're brothers, right?"

This definitely got Kenji to stop, his eyes glaring back roughly. "Who told you that?"

It sounded like he was bothered by the fact that she knew they were related, and that did make sense. From what it sounded like, Kenji wasn't very loved by half of his family, so it was almost like they weren't brothers essentially. "It doesn't matter how I know, it's the truth right?"

Kenji scoffed once again though, his towering appearance trying to imitate the girl to no avail. "I don't know where you heard that, but you better forget it right now."

Bakugo didn't seem intimidated in the slightest though, only narrowing her eyes at the familiarity of the conversation. "You know Kenji, I couldn't help overhear you yesterday and I get that you're angry about everything but you don't know how Kazumi is feeling either. He might be just as upset as you."

Widening his eyes for a moment, Kenji began to grind his teeth. "What, and you understand what that idiot is thinking? He's just a cocky, worthless son of bitch."

Although she could only stare back into his hate filled eyes, knowing that there was probably a thousand words of unsaid hurt as well. "Yeah I do, more than anyone. Just because he puts on a brave face doesn't mean he isn't actually alright. Maybe you should try to understand him a bit more, before you can't go back."

The boy stood silent then, like Bakugo's words were sinking in slowly before she continued low and quiet. "Now, are you going to continue to be a jerk, or are you gonna tell me where he is?"

Kenji continued his silence though, now knowing how to respond to the girl. This was stupid. Of course she couldn't understand his pain and struggles, that girl was given favors left and right. She didn't know what it meant to struggle for everything.

Yet a part of him didn't have any more energy to argue with her, instead the boy turned his back and walked away before muttering. "He's absent."

Then just like that, the boy was gone, causing Amari to sigh roughly. All of that and Kazumi wasn't even here today. Just her luck.

Sighing to herself, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder only to find her brother glaring back in annoyance. Wait, why was he in the first year's hallways? Did he have business with them also? "There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."

Amari twisted her brow in confusion at that. "Really? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I was just going to talk to one of the first years but he's absent today. What's up?"

A small moment of silence flew by them as Katsuki only stared at his sister for seemingly no reason. It was like his matching red eyes were staring into her soul, extremely intense. Alright, that was weird. "Uhh Katsuki? You okay?"

Yet that's when Bakugo spoke first, his voice rough. "The questionnaire, you left it blank, didn't you? Why?"

Amari's eyes widened at his words, already knowing she couldn't tell him about the uncertainty of her life. "Oh, uhh I don't know. I guess I haven't really thought about what I want to do in the future. It's a big decision, you know?"

Her brother only glared back in response, the silence growing thick again before reaching into his pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper and shoving it in her direction. "Take it."

Still not really understanding, Amari touched the corners lightly before turning the paper over in order to inspect it. "What's this?"

Her brother only grumbled though, shaking his head in exasperation, almost like he was anxious about something. "I said open it already!"

Putting her hands out in defense, Amari couldn't help but chuckle to herself, already opening the contents slowly in order to quell her brother. "Okay okay, I'm going.."

She felt the paper move under her fingertips before unfolding it fully, now seeing the all too familiar writings of the questionnaire that Aziawa had handed out. "Okay, it's the questionnaire? I don't really get it."

Yet that didn't seem to be the response Bakugo was going for, aggressively pointing his fingers towards the writings. "Read it dumbass."

Compiling to his wishes, Amari ready the contents slowly before the words soaked into her all at once, her eyes widening at the process. Wait, did this say what she thought it did?

Seeing that she was taking too much time to answer, Katsuki did so for her, taking in her frozen expression. "I obviously already know what I'm doing after U.A, and the only way to do that and be the best is to start my own agency."

Amari still didn't respond at that, causing Bakugo to sigh, now pointing to the paper once more. "I know it ain't gonna be easy, but that's not going to stop me, and I'm gonna need strong people that can keep up with me so I can be number one."

That's when his voice lowered just slightly, taking in the surprised look of his sister. "And that's also why I want you with me when I do it."

Blinking twice in disbelief, Amari read the words on that questionnaire over and over again, not believing that they were actually real in the first place.

But sure enough, there, in Katsuki's hand writing under the section about future plans, he wrote: _Open The Bakugo Twins Agency and Be Number One._

Feelings a ball of emotion in the back of her throat, Amari shoved it down before shakily answering back. "Y-You want to open up an agency with me? But Katsuki, that's going to be really difficult. I mean, we will just be out of school so it would be smarter to just look for an agency and build your reputation before.."

Yet Katsuki only shook his head, slight aggression in his tone. "Huh, you think I can't do it?! I'll make everyone recognize me, even without the help of another agency. That's the only way to be number one!"

She admired his passion, but there was a lot more to it then what her brother was claiming. Starting an agency right after school was extremely risky and most failed within the year, besides a couple few that is. It was definitely the hardest path to take, but then again, she was talking about Katsuki after all. If anyone could do it, then it would be him.

Then, something else crashed into her all at once. Who knows if she'll even be around that long, if Sir Nighteye's prediction will have come true? Katsuki was making all of these plans without knowing that she might not even have a future.

Because of that, Amari knew he shouldn't involve her in this, he shouldn't allow her to dream this big. No, she couldn't take it, and the heartbreak that would slowly follow afterwards if she did indeed die.

Feeling her own breath shorten, Amari tried to put logic to her brother's plan, hoping it would cause him to change his mind. "Right, b-but think about the public. I'm not, really hero material for them so it will be harder for you if you take me on as your partner. We should just go our separate ways and.."

Although it seemed like Katsuki wasn't having it, only balling his hands into fists before cutting her off immediately. "Don't you get it, idiot?! It's not the same without you."

At that, Amari's voice cut out, stunning her into silence, before a small breath voiced out a single word. "W-What?"

Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, the boy seemed at war with himself, not knowing how to phrase his next words before sighing roughly. "I want to be number one, but it doesn't mean shit if you aren't with me when I do it. That's why…"

The boy then sucked in a breath before continuing. "That's why I wanted it in the first place, idiot. I thought that if I was like All Might, like if I was the strongest of them all, then I could protect your scrawny ass as well."

Katsuki then flashed back to his childhood, when he made that promise in his bedroom after finding out his sister's condition was his fault. It may have gotten blurry along the way but his obsession and desire to be number one, it was all for her sake.

Amari opened her mouth at that before he shut her down once again, already knowing what she was going to say, about how she was going to say that she could protect herself.

Shaking his head, Katsuki continued. "Look, I know you ain't weak, that much is obvious. That's why after we graduate, I want everyone to see just how much better we are, and that goes for both of us. Who cares what those extras think, let's show them just what happens when they underestimate me and my sister!"

His words were overwhelming with such pride and emotion, causing Amari's eyes to begin to water. Wait, he wanted to be number one because of her, and now that he recognized her talents he wants to reach his goal together? It was too much, too much hope, too much cruelty and Amari couldn't take it.

She really wanted to follow him, to help create the future he had built in his mind, but Bakugo didn't even know if that was possible. This was bad, her brother was causing her to dream again, to hope for a different future when the girl internally knew there wasn't one.

The reality was, he would probably have to open up that agency by himself, and that was utterly heartbreaking in every way.

Not wanting Katsuki to figure out her feelings, Bakugo then began to shove them down, further until she could finally speak normally, a few revealing tears still lining her eyes. Yes, this was better. She wouldn't let All for One control her. No, she would be happy. "I would really love that Katsuki."

_Yes, that's right, she was fine. She had to be fine. Falling apart would do nothing for the people she was trying to save. She was fine. She had to be. Just ignore the pain and it will go away. Yeah, that's it._

Her brother took her lining tears as ones of happiness before placing a hand on top of her head in a single motion.

He didn't know just how much heartbreak he had caused from his act of generosity.

* * *

Falling to the ground roughly, Amari groaned back as Hawks towered above her questionably. He had noticed that something was up with a girl since she arrived, acting overly serious and intense for training.

Yet when they actually started, Amari was behaving sloppy and uncoordinated, something the bird knew was out of character for her. When he asked her about it though, the girl seemed to brush it off.

Scrambling to her knees, she frowned before fixing herself upright. "Again."

The hero had continuously knocked her over a dozen times by now and yet she was still going, trying to best him with her sloppy movements. It would never work the way she was now, and Hawks was starting to become a little concerned for her.

He had been analyzing Bakugo Amari for weeks during their training and this was the first time she was acting so brash, so serious. It was like fighting was the only thing on her mind, like she would rather break herself then admit to whatever was plaguing her mind. This desire, this determination, it certainly wasn't healthy.

Placing his hands out in front of him, the hero replied back. "Hey, why don't we take a break there chickadee. You seem a little tired.."

Yet before Hawks could even finish, Amari was already shaking her head, the sweat pouring down her face as she did so. She couldn't stop now, there was so much she had to do, and so little time to do it. "No, I can't. It's okay, I can take it. Come at me again."

The hero wasn't really into that idea though, seeing her shaking arms and legs. "I'm sure you can but I really don't want you dying on me kid. Think about your quirk, what if you overdo it again?"

Amari only shook her head again though, ignoring the strain in her palms, her voice thin. "I said I'm fine. Just come at me again, I can do it."

It was true that Bakugo's quirk was wearing thin, but she couldn't stop now. With everything going on, she had to get this aggression out somehow, and training was the only way to do it. Why wasn't Hawks listening to her?

So much so, that Amari decided to make the first move, raising towards Hawks roughly before the hero easily moved out of the way. "Whoaaa, okay okay. I getchu kid but you are wearing yourself thin here."

The hero could see her distraught, knowing this was a perfect time to try to get information out of her, but something inside him paused, now seeing Amari's shaking arms. "Come on chickadee, let's just calm down and.."

Although Bakugo's sparked palms said otherwise, wanting to shove down everything that had happened over the last couple days. No, she needed to be strong, she needed to forget about her future. "I don't need to calm down, I'm fine! Fight me Hawks!"

Using his wings, the bird only flew up into the sky though, obviously not wanting to fight his trainee in this state. It looked like she was falling apart slowly. "Not when you're like this."

Amari only grumbled though, racing towards where Hawks landed before pounding into his chest once, the bird groaning in response. "What are you talking about, I said I'm fine…!"

Her hands raised up again only to catch a flash of Todoroki in her vision, his words cutting through her very sore as she pounded into the hero's chest, her facade crumbling slowly.

**_"Perhaps I should stop trying then, if that's what you really want."_**

Shaking her head to will away the thought, Amari repeated the mantra in her mind, her voice cracked just slightly as each fist barreled into Hawks' chest. "I'm fine…"

Squeezing her eyes shut, another voice slammed into her mind unwillingly, Dabi's voice thick and cruel in her ear as her fists continued to pound into the bird sloppily.

**_"Just don't blame me when your pretty little world comes crumbling down."_**

Gritting her teeth at his invisible words, Amari tried to push those down as well, yet they seemed even harder this time, her tone strained. "I-I'm fine…"

A small whimper escaped her throat without meaning to, causing Hawks to look down at his trainee with extreme concern. She looked like she was breaking about before him, the girl's knuckles turning white from the amount of pressure she was putting on her hands.

The hit didn't hurt anymore, yet Bakugo still delivered them anyways, almost like she couldn't stop. Something was definitely wrong here. "C-Chickadee?"

It seemed like Bakugo didn't hear him though, another terrible phrase sticking to her memory, except this one was just too strong to ignore.

**_That's why after we graduate, I want everyone to see just how much better we are, and that goes for both of us. Who cares what those extras think, let's show them just what happens when they underestimate me and my sister!" _**

Becoming more concerned, the hero began to lightly touch the girl's shoulder in hopes to snap her out of whatever devastating trance she had put herself into, his voice small and slightly panicked. "Hey, Bakugo...Bakugo…"

Yet that was it, the damn that broke everything down around her. How dare her brother say those kinds of words to her. She wasn't going to have a future. She wasn't going to be able to do all the things that he wanted.

And how dare Hawks place his hands around her shoulders, giving her the comfort and love she willingly desired for days. How dare he make her break down like this, yet it was too late to stop it.

All for One had won again, She couldn't be strong, she couldn't just forget about it, because it was suffocating her.

Letting her hands stop their movements, Hawks looked down again only for Amari's eyes to fill with heavy tears, her voice wavering on a couple words in hopes of shutting down her overflowing emotions. "I'm...I'm…"

Yet it was stopped by a choking sob, Bakugo losing all the feeling in her legs before Hawks crumbled down with her worriedly, keeping hold on her shoulder as she did so. Now he was beyond terrified, just like with their first day of training. "B-Bakugo..?!"

His voice was drowned out by the sound of heavy sobbing though, Amari's tears coating his shirt as she clung onto it for dear life. She couldn't stop them even if she wanted to, because the damn keeping everything in had already been torn apart.

Not knowing what he should be doing, the bird was frantic, listening to his trainee cry, her sobbing hiccups cutting through the space. "Why, why is everything fucked up?! I just want to be normal...why can't be normal..?"

Hawks didn't understand her words, just letting the girl continue roughly, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I don't...I don't wanna die…..I wanna live….why can't I live..?"

The hero then realized that she was now completely distraught, which meant he could get any information he wanted from her, including something about Dabi. Although it felt absolutely cruel, now seeing his crying kid in front of him.

And for that, he held off, focusing on rubbing small circles on her back as he suddenly remembered his commission training, although that didn't calm the panic in his throat. "H-Hey, It's okay...it's okay chickadee...just breathe…"

Amari only shook her head though, gripping onto his shirt even tighter. She didn't even notice what she was saying at the moment, the words flowing out without thinking who was actually listening. "No, no it's not okay! Nothing is okay. This is all my fault...Dabi was right...everything is crumbling down...everything is messed up and it's my fault…

At the sound of Dabi's name, the hero twisted his brow in concern before shaking his head. No, he couldn't ask her now, the girl was practically breaking apart. "Hey, come on. Not everything is crumbling down. I'm still here, right? It's gonna be okay. You just have to breathe.."

Well that was a stretch, considering that he was only using her for information, but in this moment he really wanted to be there for the kid, to help but stop crying in any way he could. "If you were normal, I wouldn't have offered for you to be my trainee, right? That's because you have something special chickadee.."

This was only met with another strangled sob though, Bakugo's voice rising just slightly. "I don't want to be special! I don't want that. I just want to be normal...to stop burdening everyone..to stop lying...I can't do it anymore…!"

Her words crashed into him all at once before Hawks recalled the same phrase that he internally had said a thousand times. Man, Bakugo really was like him, wasn't she?

Putting on a face, forcing herself to be happy and fine even when everything was falling apart around her. How heartbreaking to have these ideals so young, to have them suffocate you entirely. Hawks knew it all too well, he knew how terrible it was to be "special" sometimes.

And yet even knowing that, the man went ahead and responded just like those awful commission members, making her believe that being special was something to be proud of, not to be regretful of. How terrible of him to be manipulated so easily. That's not what Bakugo wanted to hear, he knew that.

Going along with this, Hawks hurriedly replied back. "Hey, stop that. You don't burden everyone chickadee. You don't burden me. In fact, I'm glad you're my trainee."

Amari lifted her head at that, her tear filled expression, causing a ring of guilt to course through him. Why was he saying this? It was obvious Hawks just brought her on to spy, and yet he was giving her hope."R-Really?"

Nodding his head before he could even think, Hawks answered. "O-Oh yeah, I'm really glad I get to help you out kid. You've never burdened me, not once. Listen, things may seem bleak now, but it will get better, you'll see."

Bakugo sniffed at that, wiping her face sloppy before realizing the position she was in, now removing her hands all at once. Reality had now set in and the girl realized just how pathetic and crazy she looked for freaking out like that. "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't...I shouldn't have…"

Yet the hero only shook his head before shoving Amari back into his arms, Hawks' wings wrapping around her for protection and comfort. It didn't matter if she was the key to his mission, the hero couldn't leave a broken child like this. "Shhh it's okay chickadee. I'm right here. You don't have to act all tough. I know what you wanna do.."

Hawks patted her head once before giving her exactly what he desired as a child, hoping it would somehow calm her down and finally relax. The president taught him to push down his emotions, and he didn't want that for her. He didn't want her to live the way he did.

Already feeling the tears to make their way to the surface once more, Hawks lifted his wings up so that he couldn't see her face and gave her the privacy she needed to cry everything out, the small girl clutched his shirt as she did so.

Every couple minutes or so, the man would touch her head or breath out a couple soothing words in order to comfort her all at once. Shhh "It's okay, let it out…"

Amari couldn't help but recognize that his voice softened as she cried, like he was letting his guard down with her for the first time since their training together. He seemed kinder and more gentle in this moment, like the man was afraid she would break given the slightest push.

They sat there for what seemed like forever, Keigo looking down at the girl with sadness. Sure, she was involved in some sketchy shit but she was also only sixteen, with so many fears and burdens.

It was easy to think that Bakugo Amari was this criminal mastermind but gazing down at her now, the bird could see how fragile and small she was underneath his arms. The need to protect her rang in his stomach at the sight, wanting to take away whatever terrible thoughts plagued her mind.

Hawks wasn't a family man by any means, and neither was Keigo but he knew this much. He didn't want to see Bakugo hurt, to see her manipulated like he had once done. This girl had fought so hard for her happiness and her dreams, so much so that Keigo wanted to see them come true.

And that meant getting her out of whatever scheme Dabi had for her, it meant protecting her smile and her dream.

For the first time, Keigo wanted to protect someone other than himself, so that she didn't end up like someone from the commission.

That was the path he had foreseen for her, and yet the bird was terrified of it actually coming true. No, he wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't let that happen. He would not be responsible for creating another brainwashed soldier like himself.

After her tears were all dried up, Amari hesitantly turned away before casting her eyes down. She shouldn't have done that, she shouldn't have broken in front of him like that. "I-I'm sorry Hawks.."

The bird could only smile though, before placing a gentle hand on her head, his eyes seemingly like a completely different person entirely as Keigo spoke back. "Feel better?"

Nodding back slowly, Bakugo turned away only for Keigo to beam. "Good. Now, I think it's time we take a little break and go get some chicken nuggets, what do you say?"

This got a small smile from the girl, whipping her eyes of her leftover tears before giving a half hearted chuckle. She was happy that he wasn't questioning the breakdown, given how nosey he was half of the time. "You just want them, don't you?"

The hero only fake gasped at that, his wings flapping with explanation. "Whaa, of course not. I'm just saying, whenever I'm feeling down I get some chicken. I thought it could help you as well."

Given his reasoning, Amari smiled a bit wider, knowing that he was trying to help in his own way. "You know what, that does sound pretty good."

Clapping his hands together, Keigo beamed before Amari continued. "Just give me a couple minutes. I gotta go wash my face since I probably look like a train wreck now."

Bakugo then stood back up before waving towards the bird all at once, feeling strangely lighter after her cry sensation. "I'll be back."

Then her voice lowered just slightly, causing the man to ring with slight warmth. "Thanks Hawks. I really needed that. Seems like you're always saving me. Silly, right?"

Keigo nodded back watching his trainee leave a small smile upon his face. She seemed better, that was good. He didn't know what he would've done if Amari continued to break down in front of him like that.

Shaking his head to will the idea away, the hero went to grab his jacket when Amari's phone blinked to life, signaling that she had a text message. He wondered who it could've been from.

The hero narrowed his eyes before picking up the object and reading the text, the bird's eyes widening all at once.

* * *

Sweetheart.

I have something to show you

10PM Kokusai Warehouse

* * *

Well that was ominous. In fact, that text message was extremely strange, given that it came from someone in her recent texts. And after looking further, all of the texts the number had sent her seemed equally as strange, with directions and meeting spots littered all through their interactions.

This gave Hawks a sickening feeling in his stomach, switched back to original ideals immediately, giving into his soldier mentality once more and already knowing what kind of person was giving her orders.

The hero began to wonder what kind of mess she had gotten herself into because there was only one person that gave out messages like these, and it was Dabi.

Narrowing his eyes, the hero quickly memorized the address before the doors opened once again, Amari strolling up to him like nothing was wrong. "Alright, I'm ready to go.."

The bird began to watch her movements then, seeing her pick up her phone before Amari's eyes hallowed immediately. Yeah, that proved it. The text was from Dabi.

Seeing the reaction she made, Amari suddenly seemed more nervous, shoving her phone into her pocket before giving a smile that the bird knew was immediately fake. "Actually, something just came up. Katsuki wants my help with something. Rain check on those chicken nuggets?"

Hawks realized the lie before nodding back slowly, careful to even his tone. "Oh yeah, no problem. I should probably get some work done anyways. You know how it goes…"

Amari smiled before waving her hand away and hurrying out the door, much to Hawks' distress.

All of this was going to end now, for her sake and for his own. This was the key he was looking for, the breaking point in the case. Once he followed her to that location, Hawks would find out what she was hiding, once and for all.

Yes, tonight he would finally put together all the pieces, whether he was ready to or not.

* * *

Hawks entered the abandoned factory slowly before sending a feather inside in hopes of catching Dabi and Amari's conversation between each other. He couldn't get too close, but he could get close enough to see them.

Hiding himself behind a wall, the hero found just who he was looking for, now seeing Amari walk up to Dabi slowly, her phone outstretched slowly. "What do you want Dabi?"

The villain couldn't help but smirk though, his eyes lazily casting over to the girl. "So cruel, I thought you wanted to talk to me sweetheart. What made you change your mind?"

Bakugo only rolled her eyes in response though, putting the phone away. "Yeah well, I'm not too happy with you right now, considering that everything going on with me and Shoto is your fault."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dabi smirked back. "Shifting the blame, are we? That's not very hero like, little Bakugo. We both know that you caused this to happen. Perhaps if you didn't lie to the boy then things would be different."

Amari scoffed back though, already knowing that he was indeed right. Yet, she wasn't going to let him know that. "Shut up. Get to the point. Are you finally ready to talk, or are you still going to be a pain in my ass?"

The villain couldn't help but chuckle at that, already enjoying where this conversation was going. "Relax sweetheart. The show's about to begin after all."

Twisting her eyes in confusion, she then watched as Dabi pulled out his phone before dialing a couple buttons, a knowing look on his face. "But first, we need a guest."

Not understanding where they were going with this, Hawks stood silent when his phone began to ring in his pocket, the noise causing the villain and student to turn towards it.

Widening his eyes in anxiety, Hawks immediately took the object out before cursing to himself. That asshole knew he was here, wasn't he? That purple skinned bastard.

That's when Dabi lifted his hand out, already knowing who was lurking in the darkness. "Come on out birdbrain and show little Bakugo who you are."

Amari turned her head in confusion at that. "Dabi, what are you…"

Yet that was before a figure emerged from the light, causing Bakugo's eyes widened with confusion and fear. She didn't understand what was happening."H-Hawks? What are you doing here?"

Turning his eyes away in shame, he took in the kids innocent expression before Dabi shattered it all at once, his voice cruel and smooth. "Hawks here has been helping out the league. He's the one that broke me out of Tartarus."

His words crashed into her all at once, now feeling Dabi's hands touch either side of her shoulder, taking in a confusion on her face.

Wait, all this time, when Hawks asked her about Dabi at the hero's billboard charts, he already knew that he had escaped.. "W-What?"

Smirking and obviously enjoying the show, the man continued. "That's not all. You wanna tell her pigeon shit, or do you want me too?"

Feeling the sweat start to accumulate, the bird forced any sort of words to his lips before coming up dry. He had to say something, something before Dabi did, but he just couldn't. Just seeing the devastated look on his trainees face made him falter. "Now hold on, I..."

It seemed the villain didn't like waiting though, answering for him. " He's been playing you this entire time. The only reason he took you in is because of your relation to me. It's all been lies Bakugo, all of it. He doesn't care about you, he only wanted to get something out of you. Isn't that right?"

Hawks then watched as Amari's eyes widened even more, her face sharply turning to his in hopes of the bird denying the claims. He had just comforted her after all, it couldn't have been fake, right? He said he believed in her. "Seriously Dabi? If you're gonna lie, at least make it more convincing."

And this made the hero's heartbreak even more, knowing that she had so much faith in him, faith that he didn't deserve.

Dabi was quick though, sighing back roughly. "See, this is why I said you were too stupid to realize when people are manipulating you. You think you would've learned your lesson by now. Just a few kind words and you still fall apart for anyone, don't you?"

Seeing her resolve falter, Amari then turned to Hawks again before seeing his eyes crumble all at once, not being able to lie to her anymore. "Listen chickadee. Things are complicated…"

The fact that he wasn't denying it punched a hole through her heart, the girl shaking her head in denial. No, it couldn't be. Hawks understood, he believed in her. "Is..is he right?"

And once again, the hero could only cast his eyes down, giving Amari the answer all at once. Hawks had just confirmed it, Dabi's words were true, and it was too much to bear.

Seeing her head fall, Hawks opened his mouth to speak when Dabi cut him off. "Hurts doesn't it? Having such blind faith only to be let down and dropped like shit. Maybe if you actually listened to me then you wouldn't be so stupid."

Amari didn't reply though, causing Hawks to step forward. This was the first time he was seeing Dabi truly interact with the girl and he already didn't like it. "Hold on Dabi, she's just a kid. You gotta cut her some slack."

Yet the villain only seemed to chuckle at that before reaching into his pocket all at once. Calling someone like Amari a kid was too simplistic and the man knew that. "Oh, is she? Didn't stop you from doing whatever you wanted, did it?"

Feeling a twinge of pain reach his chest, Hawks shook his head. He wanted to defend her but the man's hands were tied right now. He was supposed to seem villainous, and by not doing so it was breaking his cover.

Yet when he caught the blonde girl's fallen expression and clenched hands, the man faltered once more, doing some uncharacteristic. "Come on man, just let her go. You've said enough."

This only caused the villain to smile though, pulling out a singular red vial from his pockets and showing the two spectators. Hawks recognized it as the same vial that he was holding yesterday. "On the contrary, we are just getting started."

Just then, they heard the small echo of footsteps, coming from the back of the warehouse and approaching them silently. This wasn't good. It was obvious that Dabi had some sort of plan.

But as the figure revealed itself, Amari's eyes couldn't help but widen with horror, a small gasp catching in the back of her throat. Wait, why was he here? "K-Kazumi..?"

He stumbled to the center of the room as she raced forward, only to be stopped by Dabi's fire, the man placing a line in between her and the boy. "Ah ah, stay where you are. We don't want you ruining the fun."

Grumbling to herself, she completely ignored Hawks' presence before shouting back. This was bad, she needed to get this kid out of here. "Kazumi, get out of here! It's dangerous!"

Yet the boy didn't even attempt to move, Dabi handing him the small red vial. "Look Bakugo, he's just like us. Stepped on by society. He wants to be stronger, just like you wanted."

Kazumi gripped the vial back until his knuckles were white, causing Dabi to chuckle once more. "Do you remember what this is? I'm sure you do.."

Eyeing the vial once more, realization slammed into the girl, recalling the veil all at once and wishing she was wrong. That looked like the blood that Shigaraki stole from her during the Overhaul raid, her blood specifically. This was bad, this was so so bad.

Suddenly, she knew Dabi's plan, the girl's hands beginning to shake at the idea. "Listen Kazumi, I know what you're thinking, but this won't make you stronger! Just..just..walk away.."

Hawks just stood dumbfounded though, seeing the color leave Bakugo's face all at once. "What is it, what is he going to do?"

Although Kazumi only shook his head, unscrewing the top before lifting it above his face, his eyes dull and emotionless, like he had already given up, like All For One had already broken him somehow.

Feeling her body move in slow motion, Amari then watched as the first year student drank down the red substance, her eyes hollowing in absolute fear. "No...Noo!"

Almost immediately, the small boy's eyes began to roll into the back of his head before falling to the ground in absolutely agony. That blood, it was killing him!

Amari put up a gold shield before running through the fire and placing a shaky hand to his back in order to quell his violent shakes and screams. "K-Kazumi, Kazumi….!"

Yet that did nothing to stop his agony, the boy feeling his entire body ripping into pieces from the inside as her mutated Nomu blood ate away at his cells, changing them entirely.

Bakugo's eyes hallowed when she noticed a small line of black trail from his arms before a large gust of air flung her backwards, hitting the back of the warehouse wall and landing with a heavy thud.

Hawks went to help her when the figure next to Dabi began to move all at once, the boy beginning to stand on his feet. That's when the hero noticed his eyes. They were dead and hollow, still rolled back into his dead as thick black lines traced the entry of his body.

Placing a hand to the boy's neck, the villain then began to sigh, almost like he was disappointed. "Dead after ingestion. Pity. Still seems like no one can beat his pet."

That's when the hero's heart dropped into his chest. This boy, he was already dead? But that was impossible. He was standing right there. Yet that's when the bird realized that it was just a mutated corpse. How sick, he was just a child!

His mind started to spin in circles then, trying to understand what was going on and forcing his rage down in order not to seem suspicious. "What did you do?"

The man only shrugged though, placing a hand on Kazumi's shoulders. "Just testing out a product. All for One asked me to see who was stronger. I guess we'll have to see."

Twisting his brow in uncertainty, Hawks replied. "What do you mean?"

Yet that's when Dabi smirked under his breath before gesturing to the bird. "Kill him."

All at once, Kazumi seemingly raced forward, intent in his step as Hawks faltered slightly. Wait, they were supposed to be partners, so why was Dabi trying to kill him? Was his cover blown?!

Readying his feather sword, the human mutated Nomu lifted up his hand before something else blocked their pathway entirely, protecting the hero all at once.

Hawks then watched as Bakugo Amari outstretched her hands in front of him before huffing out a shaky breath, and the black veins of her own Nomu blood now fully visible to the hero.

Widening his eyes, the bird looked at the girl in front of him before noticing the similarities between Kazumi and her, and the small claw like wound that now decorated her side. That wound, that was meant for him

Dabi seemed curious as well. "Interesting, protecting that chicken even when you know he's been playing with you. How self righteous can you be sweetheart?"

Yet Amari only growled under her breath. "Shut up."

Hawks had enough though, reaching forward in panic only for Dabi to chuckle at the exchange. "Hey bird brain, you wanted to see her in action right? Well, here's your chance…"

The realization hit him all at once, now turning back to his trainee with a look of horror. No, no it couldn't be. He had to be lying. It wasn't true..."W-What?"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dabi gave a cynical look, watching the hero fall apart all at once, and enjoying every minute of it. "I'd like to introduce you to All for One's masterpiece."

The words crashed into him all at once, before a sudden realization and horror crossed his face. No no, it couldn't be. Dabi's tone played again and again in mind on repeat but the hero couldn't believe it. No, he didn't want to believe it.

Suddenly, the president's orders rang in the back of his mind, now fully understanding the context. **_"When you find All for One's masterpiece, I want you to kill it." _**

**_"I want you to kill it." _**

**_"I want you to kill it" _**

No, it couldn't be. It just couldn't. All this time, the monster he was looking for, the very thing he was sent to kill, was Bakugo Amari?

* * *

Sorry this took so long. Had some personal stuff going but, here you go! Things are getting bad real quick. Poor Hawks just started to like Amari and now he realized he has to kill her.

Also major points for you if you noticed I changed "Hawks'" name to Keigo after he started opening up to Amari and comforting her. He was showing his vulnerable side and that's why Amari said he seemed like a different person, the man behind the mask. But when he read Amari's text, he switched right back to Hawks. Just a fun little thing. :)

Also I know he are in anxious times, but can we appreciate Katsuki's character development? If you go back to Ch1, he wants to be Number one to protect his sister but now that she can protect herself most of the time, he wants to reach their goals together. Let's hope that can happen though oof.

Next Chapter: Hawks has that internal struggle whether to kill Amari or not, now that he knows.


	82. S5 Chapter 10

The sound of his own rustling feathers, the slight smell of burnt air and the heavy breathing of the blonde girl guarding him from danger. At this point in time, having a quirk like Hawks was more of a curse then a blessing. All of the heavy atmosphere, every little detail of the situation at hand, it was as if it was suffocating him all at once.

He heard the words of the commission president pound against him over again, like a constant metronome in his head. Hawks always had issues with her orders but the man was easily able to justify them in his mind, saying that what he was about to do was for the better of society.

But standing here before him wasn't what the hero expected at all. He had always pictured All for One's creation to be a monster, an abomination that needed to be put down for everyone else's sake.

Yet the only thing he saw now wasn't a monster, it was a scared child.

A child that he saw crying just hours before, a child that he could still feel the shaking body of so plainly recent. She seemed so lost, so utterly broken before him at the time, and yet that was the type of person, the type of monster he had to kill? It was cruel, for both parties involved.

Hawks was in turmoil because of it, just standing in utter horror and shock as no words reached his lips. He knew what he had to do, what his orders were, but the hero wasn't sure if he had the heart to actually do it, to commit the unthinkable.

Although, it seemed he didn't have to speak first though, as Dabi took in his bewildered expression, already mocking it slowly. "Wow, I don't think I've ever gotten you to shut up before Hawks. This is certainly new. You've made an impact sweetheart."

Hawks paused when Amari gritted her teeth, obviously feeling the string from the small claw wound in her side but choosing to ignore it instead. "What do you want Dabi, you want me to fight? I won't do it, I can't hurt a classmate."

Yet this only gained a small chuckle from the villain, his purple hand reaching up to touch Kazumi's lifeless eyes. "Still so self righteous. You don't have to worry about that little Bakugo, cause he's already dead."

Widening her eyes, Bakugo shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me, stop lying. He was right here. There's no way.."

Dabi only narrowed his eyes though, placing a burning hand to the boy's chest, causing no reaction and no indication of pain. "I know, I wish it wasn't like this either but it seems like you are still the only one that remains successful. I tried to tell All for One that making more would be a waste. No one is as stupid as you so it's impossible to match it."

At that, Amari's heart dropped into her chest. Wait, Kazumi was already dead? No, impossible. She had just spoken to him yesterday, just seen him break down behind the school.

Please no, this couldn't be happening. She shouldn't have spoken to him, she should've done something and now this was all her fault.

Seeing her dejected look, Dabi lowered his voice, a small bit of understanding there. "Don't you see Bakugo? The hero life is just a one way ticket to disappointment, just like I've been trying to tell you. This world isn't made for the weak."

Although Bakugo was over his self righteous talk, already feeling her blood boil even further as the Nomu traits started to seep in deeper. She tried to speak but a small growl couldn't help but escape her lips. "That's not an excuse to kill people, you asshole!"

Dabi couldn't help but hum in response though, his head leaning towards Hawks with amusement. "You know Hawks, what she just said was really funny, you wanna know why?"

The bird didn't have time to speak though as Amari cut him off, already knowing what he was talking about. "Dabi, I swear to God.."

Yet that didn't seem to phase him, only continuing with a sly smirk. "That's because it's hypocritical, considering she's killed before."

The villain was cut off though as a large ball of explosive heat landed near his foot, Dabi looking back only to find the black veins on Amari's arms had already reached to her lower neck. She was slowly becoming unhinged, just like he wanted.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dabi replied. "Be careful sweetheart, you're gonna need to keep your head on straight for this."

Hawks looked between the two before trying to even the ever growing atmosphere and struggling to understand just what the villain plans were before it was too late. "Whoa, you keeping me out of the loop again there man? That's not very nice."

This got the man to turn to him for a moment, hoping it would be enough for Bakugo to regain her composure. Although, that was rather foolish as the girl looked like she would snap at any minute. "Don't worry Hawks, you have a front row seat. You see, I was recruited by All for One to see who would survive this battle."

Twisting her head to the side, Amari felt a large ball of rage overtake her as she tried to shove All for One's influence down, her voice shaking on each word as she did so. "What, I thought All for One wanted me alive!?"

Dabi only frowned though, replying back plainly. "He wants the best, and if you die first, then he has no use for you anymore. Words from the man himself sadly."

He said that, but his tone was less than sympathetic, obviously very excited to see her fight for her life. That jerk probably even offered to do this little job. She wouldn't have put it past him honestly.

She was knocked out of her thoughts as Dabi then stepped closer to Kazumi, his voice lowering slightly as a cold chill ran through Amari. "There can only be one masterpiece after all, so either you kill this hollow shell of a boy, or he kills you. Choose."

Balling her hands into fists, the villain then placed a hand to the boy's cold skin before smirking under his breath, his words laced with venom. ""So, let's see how you fight to stay alive, little Bakugo."

Then he whispered something into Kazumi's ear and the boy suddenly sprung to life, his steps already making their way towards the girl as Amari cursed under her breath.

She already knew her choice, not wanting to hurt the boy in front of her. Maybe Dabi was wrong, maybe he was just messing with her and Kazumi was still alive. That had to be it, because the other result was something the girl couldn't bear to think of.

Shoving Hawks back, the hero immediately noticed her change in strength, able to get the man to stumble back a couple feet as she huffed. "Stay back."

The man twisted his brow before watching Amari's hand glow gold, placing a shield in front of the two of them as Kazumi rammed his body into the surface all at once. "Whoa, come on chickadee. I can take care of myself."

Yet he was stunned when the girl growled back, almost spitting out her words with spite. "Don't call me that."

Widening his eyes, Hawks could sense the utter turmoil and hurt in her tone, causing the bird to falter. She was really hurt by his betrayal wasn't she? It made his chest twist in agony, wanting to help her not knowing that he couldn't or else he'd seem suspicious.

Whether he liked it or not, Hawks' hands were tied, only able to see how this would play out.

Didn't she know he had lied to her, didn't she know that he was ordered to kill her? So why was she still trying to protect him, even after she clearly was heartbroken? He didn't deserve that. "But…"

Yet before he had time to finish his sentence, Amari's gold matter shield shattered, causing her to twist her head in confusion. That shouldn't have broken that fast.

She paused when a hand came close to her face, Kazumi's dead lifeless eyes coming into contact with her as Amari gasped, his newly formed claws scratching her cheek without a second thought.

Amari felt blood drip down the surface as Dabi called from the sidelines. "That wasn't a very smart move sweetheart. Maybe don't get distracted."

Shaking her head in annoyance, Bakugo then lifted up her hands before letting off a medium sized explosion in order to make the boy jump back and give her distance. "Stop backseat fighting me Dabi!"

Although just as she said that, the girl watched as Kazumi's hands began to glow before catching her explosions in his palms and making it disappear. Wait, what was his quirk? "W-What…"

Yet she was caught off by the villains laugh, his eyes lined with amusement. "I should mention there is a reason that All for One had his eye on him…"

Narrowing her eyes, the girl barely had enough time to register what was happening before Kazumi's hand began to glow as he released the same exact sized explosion in Amari's path, knocking her off her feet.

She landed with a heavy thud as Bakugo groaned, having just enough time to put up a shield as Kazumi came barreling towards her. Wait, that was her explosion. Was he able to manipulate her quirk somehow?

Yet she got her answer when Dabi spoke again. "Come on sweetheart. I know you're stupid but you can let least figure this out. Better hurry though."

Rolling her eyes, Amari grunted as she flung her shield backwards, causing Kazumi to fall to the ground a couple feet away. It gave her enough time to catch her breath at least and think about Dabi's words.

So it wasn't random, All for One picked this boy on purpose. Well, that was concerning, given that monster specifically picked someone to fight her. Kazumi's quirk must really be something special if that man was keeping tabs. Just great.

Narrowing her eyes, Bakugo decided to make the next move, allowing her hands to glow with her gold matter and throwing another large explosion in his wake. She needed to know, to see it again and figure out what power he had.

And once again, the same thing happened, her explosions quickly getting swallowed up by his palms and disappearing. It was like he absorbed her quirk, almost like Fatgum, except this was slightly different somehow.

Wait, swallowing, disappearing, and All for One wanting him. Just then all the pieces clicked together as Amari's eyes widened in horror, causing Dabi's lips to curve in a small smirk.

It all suddenly made sense. If her quirk was explosion…

Then his was implosion.

Before she had time to process her newfound discovery, Kazumi's hand began to glow once more before releasing the explosion he had, causing Amari to gasp and quickly throw up a shield to lessen the impact.

Although almost immediately, the sheer force of his inhuman strength and the hit plowed into her, causing the girl to be flung to the end of the warehouse, her back hitting the metal beam roughly.

Hearing a loud crack from somewhere in her body, Bakugo gasped in pain as she tried to stumble to her feet. This was bad, this was really bad. If Kazumi had an implosion quirk that meant he could take anything she threw at him and give it right back.

He was her opposite, and that's why All for One had his eye on the boy.

This really was her fault. Because of her, now innocent children were being hurt and killed, all for that terrible and disgusting man. It made her blood boil, and the hatred in the back of her throat grow. How dare he, how dare he manipulate them like he did with her.

Although it wasn't really that unbelievable considering she had just fallen into the same trap with Hawks, letting her guard down so others could take advantage. Dabi was right, she really was such an idiot, wasn't she?

Seeing Kazumi approach, a lump grew in her throat as she tried to call out to him, just like Todoroki and Katsuki once did for her. There had to be hope, there just had to be. "K-Kazumi! Listen to me, I know you're still in there. I know what it feels like, but there is still hope. You just have to come back! You're brother, he's waiting for you!"

Amari coughed out a bit of blood as the boy came closer, throwing a swing in her direction as she dodged to the left, her steps wobbly. "K-Kazumi, come on. I don't wanna hurt you..!"

Although the boy had other plans, barreling his fist into Bakugo's chest that just happened to be in the area where she broke something, the girl groaning in pain. This wasn't working, she needed to try harder.

Hawks gritted his teeth at the display, wishing to to step in, to do anything in order to stop what was occurring when Dabi moved closer to him. "Well, is she the "game changer" you were expecting?"

Recalling his past words, the hero forced a small laugh, trying to act like he was enjoying the scene in front of him. "O-Oh yeah, totally man. Although it did come as a little surprise, I gotta admit."

Dabi shoved his hands in his pockets at that, a smirk escaping his lips. "Just keep watching, I'm sure you don't wanna miss this."

His words sounded ominous, so much so that Hawks' feathers couldn't help but twitch as a loud noise startled the two, the man widening at the sight before him.

Bakugo was standing away from the first year classmate, blood staining her lip, face and arms as she breathed heavily. It seemed a struggle for her to breathe now as Hawks realized her hands were shaking.

Suddenly he recalled their first day of training when she explained her quirk defect, the very idea causing Hawks' blood to run cold in a single second. She was overusing her quirk, she was at her limits right now, wasn't she?

But she wasn't fighting that hard, the girl wasn't even using her full strength right now, so it didn't make sense for her to already be this drained...

Yet that's when it hit him all at once. They were training just before this. That girl, she used all her power when she was fighting him before her breakdown. That idiot, if she knew that then why did she run headfirst into danger like this!? This was so incredibly bad.

Watching her stumble a couple steps, Amari huffed back, her wounds stinging with the slight breeze. She was holding back and everyone knew it. It must have been because of that boy. She really wanted to save him, didn't she?

Bakugo gripped her heart as a spike of pain flashed in her, the girl's voice now laced with fear and desperation, almost like this was her last attempt. "K-Kazumi, I'm sorry...I'm sorry I wasn't there for you...I'm sorry I left you alone. But I'm here now! I can help, just..just come back…"

Hawks watched as Kazumi slowly started to stand from the ground, his lifeless eyes making no sign of recognition as the girl let out a devastating breath. What could she do, how could she help him? Amari had no idea and that very idea scared her more than anything.

If only she could make this right, if only she could bring him back, then the girl could fix her mistakes. For that reason, she continued to try and push, letting her hands shake in the process. "P-Please...don't be like me….it's not too late...I can help you...Just p-please…."

Yet once again the boy made no move to acknowledge her, causing Amari's heart to drop in her chest, only processing the heartbreak for a moment before Dabi called back roughly. "Just finish it Nomu. That's an order.."

And just as he said that, Kazumi raced forward with clear intent, causing Bakugo to falter just slightly. She couldn't help it, seeing someone that smiled so warmly to her, seeing someone that was so kind twisted like that, she couldn't bear it.

Although it didn't help as Dabi called back again, clearly coaxing the girl as she dodged another hit. "Make the choice Little Bakugo. It's either you or him."

Twisting her brow in concern, her gold mattered hand touched Kazumi's grey colored skin as he made no sign of pain, causing Amari's eyes to search like crazy. He was so cold, so lifeless. Maybe Dabi was right, maybe it was too late.

But whether it was or not, the girl slowly began to think about the villains words as she dodged. If she let Kazumi kill her, then he would have to go off and be All for One's pet, he would have to be the one to suffer. It didn't matter if he was alive or not, Amari couldn't bear to have Kenji see his brother like that.

If it was Katsuki and she was in the same position, Bakugo already knew that she wouldn't want her brother to suffer like that, she wouldn't want him to have to see her in this kind of state, doomed to live in torturous hell forever. No, she couldn't do it. She had to save him.

Although as she was thinking, Kazumi was able to get a shot in, punching the girl across the face as Amari spit out another drop of blood. This wasn't good. She really was going to be useless soon if this kept up. "Not on my watch!"

Grabbing onto his collar, Bakugo then tried one last trick, one last word to bring him back as she shook the boy back and forth. "You don't get to do this, you don't get to leave! Think of your brother, he needs you! Yes he's hurting but that doesn't mean he still doesn't love you! Don't let this thing win, you are stronger than this! Fight back goddamn it!"

She felt her own hands shake underneath him as he gripped onto her collar, the black veins on her skin practically breaking through as her own knuckles turned white. Amari's eyes were pleading and there were tears there as well, wishing for a miracle, hoping for something inside him to fight instead of give up.

Then, she felt a shaky head reach up to her arms, although this time it wasn't hostile or meant to harm. No, it seemed scared and small, just barely grazing her skin in a pleading manner.

Widening her eyes, Amari then gasped to find Kazumi staring back at her with his lifeless eyes, his lips just barely whispering out with one small word. "P-Please..."

She gripped onto the boys collar even tighter at that, tears threatening to fall as she quickly replied. "Hey, hey, I'm right here. It's Bakugo Amari, remember me? I helped you to class. I really need you to come back, okay?"

Her voice was hopeful and cracked, trying to hold onto as much as she could, the boy replying back just as soft. "B-Baku.."

Already nodding her head, Amari beamed. "Yes yes, it's me. I'm right here"

Suddenly his eyes twisted in pain as the girl held him up by his collar, Kazumi's touch fading ever so slightly. He seemed to be struggling, just holding on barely as he then asked something that made Amari's blood run cold. "K-Kill me…"

Widening her eyes, Bakugo immediately shook her head, denying his request even though he was hurting. "No no, don't you dare..you're gonna make it home and you're gonna make up with your brother and everything is gonna be okay. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it will be alright, I know it will…."

Yet she was cut off when Kazumi's hands fell from her arms, a ball of agony coursing through him as he growled back. Amari and him both know what that meant but none of them spoke about it, the boy whispering back. "P-Please….k-kill me…"

Widening her eyes, Amari shook her head once more before trying to hold onto the boy in hopes that it would help him somehow, the tears burning her eyes just as much as her Nomu blood. "No, No...I can't…"

She felt light tears on her shirt as the boy whispered back brokenly, each word becoming harder and harder to speak. "I...I d-don't wanna be a monster."

Holding on even tighter, Amari felt her breath catch in her throat, knowing that All for One would never get his claws out of his boy, now that he showed potential. "I..I know...but you can't give up. I can help...I know I can..I'll get you out of here.."

Yet Kazumi only gritted his teeth before digging his claws into Bakugo's arms, his control slipping further and further by the moment. He didn't want to hurt her, but everything within him was forcing him to fight, to kill the classmate before him. "H-Hurry…!"

She knew what he wanted, and somewhere deep inside, Amari knew if she lost the boy in this moment then it would all be over. If she couldn't pull him out, then Kazumi would be forced to live the life that was destined for her, being held prisoner in a fate worse than death.

Something still made her hesitate though, racing to think of another plan, hoping to have another solution that didn't lead to his imprisonment or death. Although no matter how hard she tried, the girl came up blank, hugging the shaking boy with everything she had.

Yet before she could say anything else, Kazumi shoved his hand into Amari's chest and let off an explosion at close range, the force pushing the girl backwards as she gasped.

Falling to the floor, the world began to spin as she just barely made out the boy's silhouette, already moving towards her, slow and ominous. Something had immediately shifted in him and the realization slammed into the girl all at once, crushing her heart into tiny pieces.

It didn't work, she couldn't bring him back...it was hopeless…Kazumi was gone.

Black spots started to appear in her vision as the girl looked down to find herself painted in crimson. That last explosion really had put her out of commission. It was hard to even keep her eyes open now.

She felt Kazumi standing over her, ready to give the final blow as the girl tried to calm her pounding headache. Amari had to make a choice, either let herself be killed by the boy, or do what he and Dabi had originally asked her for.

Just the very idea made her nauseous as Dabi watched Kazumi ready his final blow from a couple feet away. Finally, that girl was finally going to be gone. He already knew that she wouldn't fight the first year so this result was almost inevitable.

That's when he saw Amari lift her hand up to weakly stop the blow, now catching something in the light and pausing his thoughts immediately.

On further inspection, the object looked to be a ring, and it was one that he knew all too well. Why did she have that wretched thing in the first place, what was she trying to accomplish with that piece of garbage anyways?

Just then, a voice stopped him suddenly, Dabi's brow twisting as he recalled the very familiar words of his mother on the day he received the gift.

**_"Toya, this ring is very special so keep it safe okay? Your father gave it to you for a reason. It's because he believes in you. I know it seems hard now, but you just have to keep fighting, keep fighting for your goal, okay? I know you can do it."_**

Shaking his head, the man willed the words away before focusing back towards Bakugo, still trying to fight her way out of this situation.

He hated how similar they were, about how their ideals used to be the same. Back then he would've stopped at nothing, would've continued to be stupid like her in order to get what he wanted. It was foolish, she was foolish.

It was so obvious that the boy was already dead and Bakugo was wasting her time trying to fight him. She even was going as far as to hold back and get hurt just to save pathetic antics seemed to only grow and watching her now, Dabi felt a small bit of annoyance because of it. If she didn't start seriously fighting, then that thing would kill her first.

Although, that's what he wanted right? To be rid of his singular annoyance, the one that was plaguing his dreams with unnecessary thoughts and old feelings. The past needed to die, and that's exactly what had to happen.

He watched their battle with intensity, now seeing Kazumi kick the girl's ribs roughly as she cried out broken and useless attempts to bring back the life in his eyes. She was in denial, not wanting to believe that the boy was already gone, one look from her crazed expression could tell Dabi that.

Bakugo then closed her eyes for a moment and realization crossed Dabi's face. No, it wasn't that she was in denial, she already knew he was gone, didn't she? But if that was still the case, why was she still fighting?

She always did that, fighting for that broken family, fighting for him to return, fighting to stay alive, and fighting for Kazumi. Wasn't she sick of it, isn't she torn apart by the constant struggle and disappointment yet?

If she kept trying, it would surely swallow her whole, and it was, very slowly. So painfully slow that it ended up annoying the man. He hated it, he hated being annoyed by this small weak kid, and about how she wouldn't give up.

He couldn't help but flash back to his own childhood then, remembering that passion and hope that she had in his own chest. It was foolish, he was foolish, she was foolish...

Although when he saw Kazumi's hand raise up in order to strike the girl down with a final blow, Dabi suddenly couldn't help but think about his rigorous training with Endeavor, about how he would strike him even when the boy couldn't help but fight.

It was the same now, and he couldn't help but see a shy little red haired child behind Bakugo's eyes, with the same helpless look that he once gave all those years ago.

Feeling his hands ball into a fist, a sudden course of unknown emotions coursed through him, something he hadn't felt in years as Dabi's…

No, Toya's voice echoed before he even had a chance to process what he was saying, carrying over the entire warehouse and stunned everyone in the room. "Stop!"

Almost immediately, Kazumi raised his hands down at the order and Amari immediately turned towards the man, confusion on her features. Did he just, help her? No, impossible.

Yet that was short lived as the hollow shell of the boy stood silent for a moment, also probably trying to process what happened when Bakugo realized this was now or never.

If she hesitated now, then that meant an eternity of Kazumi suffering, it meant having him forced into committing terrible crimes and having his brother see him a broken, lifeless corpse for the rest of his life.

And for that reason, Bakugo closed her eyes in pain before reaching her hand up and placing it onto Kazumi's face roughly.

This was her only chance, the only way he could be set free from those villains and herself. She knew Kazumi didn't want his brother to see his corpse, and didn't want to become a puppet for anyone to use.

She understood, and that's why she had to make the choice. Amari would help him this time, she wouldn't fail him again.

Feeling a tear drop down her face, Amari then gritted her teeth before letting out an agonizing scream, one that Hawks recognized as filled with utter pain and agony for her next decision.

Then Hawks watched as that small shaking girl used her inhuman Nomu blood to create an explosion so powerful that it killed Kazumi almost instantly, what was left of his body now dropping to the floor in the lifeless lump after doing so.

The boy's blood splattered onto her face as the girl stood silent, staring at the life she had just ended, at the mistakes that she could never fix. At least he was free, at least he wasn't a monster anymore. She would gladly take the burden instead of him.

Hawks stood in utter silence, gazing at the girl before him. She had just killed someone, but even he understood the torment and pain behind the action. It wasn't out of anger. No, she obviously didn't want to, she was forced to, to set him free.

Glancing to the side, he stopped when he saw Dabi's face in an expression new to the hero. He didn't look proud or happy about the result. No, instead the man looked rather lost, with confusion etched in his eyes. It must have been about his outburst earlier.

Then, the villain silently walked out the space without another word, almost like he needed to process what just happened. That was strange.

In all his time with Dabi the man had never seen him so emotional. Something must have really rattled him. It was odd.

Although, Hawks had little time to focus on that when the president's orders slammed into him once again. Now was the time to finish everything, the girl was distracted, and she had just killed someone. It was easy, he just needed to think about her as a monster.

Yes, that's right. She was a monster, something created by All for One, something just killed a high school kid, a monster that didn't deserve to live. He needed to create that picture, to repeat those words in order to continue.

Lifting his feather sword up slowly, Amari's back was still turned around, still staring at Kazumi's broken body in front of her, almost like she was in some sort of trance or lost in thoughts.

Now was the moment, for society, for the hero world…

Hawks then cleared his throat once as his tone lowered. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you.."

He waited for her response, for the girl to turn around and attack him or say something that would make this far easier, but he was only met with utter silence.

Watching her lips push together, Amari then whispered back, although he soon realized it wasn't to the hero, but rather to herself. Her gaze moved down towards her hands, seeing Kazumi's blood all over her palms. "I have to clean it…"

Hawks twisted his brow in confusion but tried to remain his intimidating stance, taking a step closer while replying. "Bakugo, you know what I have to do.."

Yet once again, she didn't reply, only staring back at the blood once more, a small shake in her body as she repeated brokenly. "I have to clean it off…"

Her tone was so delicate and fragile, almost like the kid would break given the smallest push, the glass like tamper of her voice cracking on each word and causing the hero to falter slightly.

As much as he wanted to paint Bakugo as a monster, he couldn't deny the utter hurt and devastation in her tone, now recalling her breakdown just hours before.

Perhaps a couple weeks ago, he would've been able to block out all of his annoying feelings, but now, now it was impossible.

She had blindly trusted him, used his shoulder to cry on, bought him chicken nuggets and thanked him more times then he could count. He was sent to kill a monster but the kid in front of him was so incredibly human, that the hero felt his own hand shake on his sword.

What was wrong with him?! This girl had just killed and it would be incredibly dangerous if she was dropped into the villain's hands. It's just as the president said, having Bakugo alive could be the downfall of the hero world.

It was better to keep his distance now, to not see just how damaged she was. Yes, that would make things easier, that would allow him to fulfill his orders. He needed to keep that blind mindset, to not truly see what was in front of him.

But even as he said that, Hawks could already feel his feet move on their own, closer to the girl in question. He couldn't help it, the hero was concerned for her. "Bakugo?"

On closer inspection, Hawks could now see just how broken she was, with hollow sunken eyes, only glued to the coating of blood on her hands robotically. It was like she was in shock, unable to process what had happened, and what crime she had committed.

Feeling devastation built up in his throat, the hero then shoved it down before lowering his feather sword without thinking, his eyes saddened.

No, he couldn't do it. At least not now, not when she looked so helpless and in need of rescue. What kind of a hero would he be if he ignored that?

Call it selfish after everything he had done, but Hawks couldn't help but lift up a shaking hand before placing it on Bakugo's head, his voice defeated and small. "Come on, let's get you out of here kid."

Amari didn't respond, which worried the bird even further, now reaching forward to gently gather her in his arms. How ridiculous is that, being gentle with someone you're supposed to kill..

Luckily, the girl only leaned against his chest, obviously too out of it to understand what was going on right now. He was thankful for it though, knowing she probably would've refused if she was thinking logically. He did screw her over after all.

Lifting his wings out, Hawks took off into the sky, first going towards the hospital, only for Amari to immediately start to have a panic attack in his arms. It was so intense that the hero almost dropped her a couple times.

Realizing that was out of the question, the hero then settled for his penthouse apartment, knowing he at least had medical supplies in there and it would be much easier to hide her distressed state for the moment.

He looked down at the girl then, her eyes sullen and lifeless as Hawks absentmindedly hugged her tighter to his chest in order to offer a small bit of comfort.

Why did it have to be her, why did this small child have so much responsibly?

Dabi was right, this was far deeper then he could've ever imagined.

* * *

You're gonna hate me but I gotta cut this short. My parents are coming to visit me for the week so I have to get up early. I'll get the next update out when I can though. It will be like a part two.

But oof oof, this was a lot. Poor Amari had to make a tough choice. After Kazumi's few words to her, he was officially gone forever so she either could end his suffering or let All for One control him forever. She took the first choice, wanting to set him free from his chain and give him what he wanted. Heartbreaking stuff right there.

Also I cried while writing this oof. Thank you so much for the heartfelt comments on last ch btw. It made me happy :)

Next Chapter: Aftermath of the battle. More feels and hurt to come in part 2!


	83. S5 Chapter 11

Landing on the railing of his balcony, Hawks lifted his wings out before firmly planting his feet against the tiled floor. He carried Amari in his arms who neither stirred or moved during the entire flight which concerned the bird greatly, now at a loss with what he should do next.

Hawks had never wanted children, in fact just the idea of caring for someone else was something that the man couldn't even comprehend. He couldn't even take care of himself half the time so the bird knew that caring for another would only result in disaster.

But now in his arms was a terrified and traumatized little girl who he was sent to kill, yet was unable to for some reason. It was honestly cruel to continue holding her like this, considering what he was going to be forced to do and what he had already done to her.

The hero turned his head around the space a couple times before settling for the sofa, placing the small girl onto the cushion as she leaned against the back robotically. Still no response though.

Then Hawks noticed her bloodied and bruised appearance before clearing his throat rather awkwardly. "Hey, so umm how about we get you in the shower so you can clean up?"

His tone was rough and choppy, very un-Hawks like in every way, shape and form. The president of the commission had taught him many things, but dealing with children in a non "hero rescuing" sense wasn't one of them.

Amari didn't move though, her eyes still sullenly staring forward in a mindless blur. Maybe she didn't hear him? The girl did look pretty out of it. "Kid, can you hear me?"

Waving a hand in front of her face in hopes of a reaction, Bakugo only continued to stare, worrying the hero immensely. Her shock was really intense. Maybe he should've taken her to the hospital after all.

Hawks then let his arm drop before trying to remember his hero training and block out his personal feelings for a moment. What was it that the president taught him about shock again?

Then looking towards his kitchen, the bird immediately stood up before moving towards the sink. Maybe some water will help her with her voice, recalling her scratchy and rough tone from before. "Let me get you some water.."

Although as soon as his gaze left her sight, Hawks heard Amari's voice, her monotone expression carrying over to him like a ton of bricks. It was so surprising that he almost dropped the glass he was holding. "It was a lie…"

Quickly placing the cup down, the hero cleared his throat once more, trying to sound carefree and like his Hawks counterpart but struggling after every word instead. "Hmm, what did you say there?"

Although his eyes widened when he heard her reply, cold and plain. "It was really a lie.."

Shaking his head, Hawks placed his hand on the counter before playing dumb, hoping she hadn't just asked that question. "Sorry, I don't think I understand."

She seemed to be silent for a moment before continuing, her broken tone making the hero's chest twist and turn all at once. "You only approached me because of Dabi..."

Hawks remained silent at that, knowing he should've lied, should've said something to distract her from his true mission, but after everything that happened, he just couldn't do that. "You see kid, things are very complicated and I…"

Although he didn't have time to speak as Amari cut him off, already knowing he was going to try to work his way around the question. Except this time, she wouldn't let him. "You only wanted to get close to me to get to him.."

Quickly moving over to the sofa, Hawks' wings fluttered out in anxiety, knowing that she had completely figured him out and tried to explain himself. He couldn't help it, her cracked tone, her defeated monotone expression, it was tearing him apart. "Now hold on, I think you're misunderstanding something here…"

But she wasn't misunderstanding anything, and Amari knew it, now sounding exhausted and utterly destroyed. "All this time, you were only after my trust…"

Hawks shut his mouth at that, sweat appearing on his brow as the man lowered his head. He couldn't lie to her after everything, he just couldn't. "Chickadee..I…"

Knowing he wasn't denying it, Amari lowered her head, choosing to look towards the floor in heavy defeat. All of the times he encouraged her, all the kind words and actions he used, they really were all lies. "I really am an idiot, aren't I?"

The hero's chest filled with anxiety at that, shaking his head immediately. "Hey, hold on. You aren't an idiot kid. Why would you say that?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Bakugo's monotone expression cut through him all at once. "Dabi was right. Nothing has changed since back then, I'm still a stupid little kid who will believe anything, even you. I was stupid enough to believe you..I wanted to believe you..why did I believe you?"

Her responses were distant, almost like she was talking to herself in some respect. In fact, she hadn't answered Hawks once which proved his theory, the man at a loss of words for his evil deeds.

The hero knew this conversation was inevitable, but that certainly didn't make it hurt any less. He wasn't a good man, and the fact that Amari knew that now was devastating. "I..I'm sorry. I had to…"

He didn't have a quick response or distraction tactic this time. No, at this moment in time, the identity of Hawks was stripped away, leaving only the sins and vulnerability of the man he used to be, the one the commission always hated. Keigo was weak, and that was very evident now.

Although Amari still didn't move from her spot, her glazed eyes staring into nothingness as she muttered and repeated back to herself. "God, I'm so stupid.."

Catching the sight of blood on her hands, Hawks then watched as the girl paused, taking in the surface with vacant eyes. This made the bird want to speak up once more, distracting her from the eventual breakdown that would follow soon. "Hey, it wasn't for nothing, alright? I really liked training with you kid. Please don't call yourself stupid, it's not your fault. It's mine."

And then for the first time since he brought her home, Amari turned her head towards him, her lifeless eyes staring back at him with cruel and absolute power. "Is that another lie?"

Hawks eyes widened at that, taking an invisible step forward, pleading."N-No it's not, I swear it isn't."

Yet Bakugo didn't seem moved in the slightest, turning her head in a blank question before letting her expression fall once more, almost like she was saddened by his words. "I..I can't tell anymore.."

And this broke the man's heart, knowing that everything positive they had ever shared was now torn into pieces. Amari just couldn't tell what was lying from the truth, and that was valid. The hero didn't fault her for it, but that certainly didn't hurt him any less.

Shaking his head, the bird closed his eyes in pain before replying back low and quiet. "I don't blame you for that kid."

Then he noticed her rough exterior wanting to change the subject immediately, knowing he'd fall apart into Keigo if he kept this up, and no one wanted that.

Wait, what was he even supposed to do now? Amari clearly turned down the hospital but the hero honestly didn't trust her to be alone right now. The girl practically looked like a hollow shell now, she needed someone to care for her, someone better than him.

Turning away from her eyes, Hawks then pulled out his phone before trying to recall her interactions with everyone and coming to the conclusion of someone fairly obvious. "Who do you want to help you, do you want me to call your brother?"

But just as he said then, Amari absentmindedly looked down at the floor once, twisting her brow around and trying to process the words in her mind and connecting them slowly. "B-Brother..?"

Nodding back Hawks gave a forced smile to encourage her, although given everything it came out as more of a grimace. "Yeah, that's right. Do you want me to call him for ya?"

Although just as he said that, a metaphorical switch seemed to turn in Amari's head, flashing down to her blood stained clothes before her breathing started to pick up all at was sheer panic now, so sudden that it caught the bird off guard. "No...no…"

The hero noticed her tense body language before reaching to put a hand to her head, although he was soon reminded about his mistakes. That's right, he had no right to comfort her like this. "H-Hey...hey, it's okay. Calm down chickadee.."

Yet it seemed like Bakugo was too far gone, staring at Kazumi's blood before shaking her head and muttering back brokenly. "No, no...he can't see me like this...I don't want him to see me like this...what have I done..what did I just do…?!"

Tears began to line her eyes as Hawks gasped inaudibly, knowing that he had caused her panic once more, the man struggling to make it right. "Whoa whoa, hold on Bakugo...I won't call him, I won't tell him yet. Just please, please calm down.."

Reaching her hands up, Bakugo then grabbed onto Hawks hero jacket before pushing him back and forth with as much force as she could manage, although it wasn't even enough to move him. "I don't know if you're lying but..please Hawks...please..not yet...don't call him yet.."

Her hold was so utterly helpless and shaking that it tore an invisible hole in the hero's chest, his eyes crumbling with defeat. It would have been so easy to end everything, to kill her now when no one was around, but that annoying guilt kept creeping back, now staring at Amari's pleading expression.

Sighing heavily, Hawks then placed a light hand on the girl's head before replying back small and muttered, just loud enough for Amari to hear. "I won't, I won't tell him until you clean up okay? Just don't look at me like that kid, it's breaking my heart."

Then he lifted his wings up before wrapping them around Bakugo in hopes to bring her comfort like last time, to calm her down from the panic attack he had unknowingly caused. Some number two hero he was, when it came to Amari the man practically fell apart.

And it seemed to have worked, Amari's head burrowing deeper into his chest for any sign of comfort and safety, something that the hero wasn't sure if he could offer her but tried anyway.

To him, the girl still seemed not fully coherent, only heightening her emotions on certain ideas or phrases. It was like she was in a dream, not fully woken up to the horrors that she had to face. Right now Amari was like a doll, a broken doll that wasn't wound up just yet.

Her shaking body eased and Hawks was thankful, letting out a heavy sigh as she returned back to her normal monotone state. At least he had calmed her down some, that was a start.

Although before he had fully relaxed, Bakugo suddenly pushed her hands against his chest, forcing herself away from the comfort and warmth of his hug, her face full of tormented hurt and self loathing for some reason. Why did she look like that?

That's when it clicked in the hero's mind. She must've remembered his betrayal, his lies to her. That's why she pulled away, because she was slowly waking back up and recalling who he really was. Serves him right, he supposed.

Her clouded expression darkened for a moment before the girl stumbled to her feet and moved over to the bathroom on the left, causing Hawks to quickly move his arms to steady her. "Whoa, hold on where do you think you're going?"

Yet Bakugo only shoved his arm away, a heavy mix of hurt on her face before she muttered back half heartedly, entering the room and closing the door behind her. "Shower."

Hawks heard the water begin to run after a couple minutes and the bird began to pace back and forth, a frantic hand through his hair. Everything had fallen apart so quickly and now he didn't know how to fix them. Could he even fix this? Perhaps it was a lost cause.

He highly doubted that Amari wanted him around right now, but what other option was there? She clearly turned down the hospital and her brother when he asked, almost having a mental breakdown because of it. Who else, who else could he trust with her right now?

Quite honestly, Hawks didn't feel safe leaving her alone right now, so that meant he had to come up with someone who could support her better than he could and fast. _Shit, come on, come on! Hurry up Keigo. Stop being weak, stop being a little boy. She needs someone, someone better than me._

Just then, his feathers picked up on something concerning, the bird's wings flapping absentmindedly at the noise and recognizing it immediately. He knew that sound anywhere, it was crying.

Taking a step towards the bathroom door, the hero began to hear sound hiccups through the falling water, only for them to rise to loud and incoherent sobs and shaky breaths. It seemed that the damn that was holding everything together was slowly cracking, now that she had a moment alone.

That poor girl, just how much torture had she lived through, how much pain has she endured? He always thought All for One's masterpiece was something that followed the man, not someone that absolutely hated him.

Leaning against the wall, Hawks closed his pain in invisible pain before letting out a shaky breath of this own. Curse All for One and Dabi for dragging a child into this kind of war, curse the president of the commission for putting a price on her head, and curse him for ignoring this scared little girl for so long.

She was trying so hard to keep it together, so hard to not fall apart that it was utterly heartbreaking to see, and to make things worse now Bakugo had innocent blood on her hands. That fact would never change, it would haunt her forever.

Kicking himself off the wall, Hawks then lifted his phone again before scrolling through his contacts in hopes of finding someone to answer his prayers. That's when he found a very familiar name across his screen.

Hawks wasn't sure if it was a great idea but without any other options, the man quickly called the number before muttering to himself roughly. "Please answer, come on...come man...hurry up!"

Thankfully, a rough voice answered back a moment later, causing the hero's wings to flap in anxiety. He had to help her, he just had to, because otherwise he was out of options. "You need to come here, it's Bakugo. Something happened..."

* * *

Placing a clean white towel around her body, Amari vaguely recalled taking a shower but couldn't exactly remember when or how. In fact, everything after Hawks' training was a bit of a blur. She heard the sound of crying from someone far away. Was that her? Amari wasn't exactly sure.

Everything felt numb, from her hands to the rest of her body. The only way she was even moving was because of some kind of autopilot in the girl's mind, keeping her pushing forward. She had to keep moving, or else Bakugo knew she'd fall apart.

Bakugo then looked down at her clean skin before a flash of blood and devastation washed over her all at once. She had washed everything off but the girl could still hear the terrified screams of someone in her mind, the crimson surface covering her entirely. Yes, she was clean but Amari still felt tainted somehow.

She knew what happened, but it was as if her own brain hadn't realized the gravity of the situation and the panic that would soon follow. Amari was numb, inside and out, stuck in a temporary state of blank bliss and still not connecting her feelings to the situation.

It would've scared her if she could've actually processed any kind of emotion, now placing a heavy hand under her eyes to wipe some strange and random tears. Wait, was she the one crying? Why didn't she feel it, why didn't she know the cause?

Absent-mindedly putting on her old blood stained clothes once more, Amari then exited the room only to find Hawks practically racing towards her, his eyes filled with unsaid concern and panic. "Hey, so uhhh how are you feeling?"

She wanted to speak, to tell him about her current emotionless stare, but Bakugo couldn't find the words, only robotically moving towards the sofa instead. That was all she could do at the moment.

He followed her immediately and Amari recalled one thing about the night in part, Hawks' betrayal. It would've hurt more if she actually felt something but the facts were still there. This man didn't care about her, so why was he still trying to help her? He should've just stopped.

Just then, a loud noise echoed through the space only for Hawks to seemingly race away from her, probably to open the surface. Bakugo didn't even have enough strength to even lift her head though, only to stare forward in blank emotion.

A man's voice spoke then, sounding not pleased in the slightest. "What were you babbling about over the phone this time Hawks? It better be good.."

Hawks wings fluttered up in anxiety at the accusation, already making his way over to Amari who was hidden by the back of the sofa. "Sorry but, I don't...I don't know what to do.."

He sounded utterly lost, causing the man to scoff back. "You are the number two hero, stop acting so pathetic and show me already!"

Closing his eyes for a moment, the hero gave a shakily breath before pointing over to the sofa and seeing the man approach Bakugo. He knew this wasn't going to be pretty but the bird was clear out options right now.

Narrowing his eyes in frustration, the man then stomped over to the spot he had indicated before huffing out a breath. "What are you…"

Just then, everything became silent as Amari vaguely recognized a pair of angry aqua blue orbs, staring back at her in utter shock. She knew those eyes anywhere, now willing any words to her lips. "E-Endeavor?"

Her voice was rough and foreign to her own mind, causing Todoroki's father to blink in disbelief. It was obvious he had noticed her blood soaked clothes by now. "What happened?"

Hawks remained silent at that, only for the man to turn around to face him. It was obvious he wasn't pleased about his lack of response. In fact, the man seemed rather on edge and short with the bird. "I asked you a question Hawks. What happened?"

Feeling a sense of authority, the hero immediately took a step back in fear at the amount of power and seriousness in his tone. It was kind of scary. "Oh! Uhh well, it's a funny story really. You see, Bakugo ran into Dabi and before I could swoop in to help, a lot happened."

He was trying to play it off, trying to embody his Hawks persona but sadly Endeavor could see right through it, his eyes raised in question. "Explain, now."

Putting his hands up in defense, Hawks gave a half hearted laugh. "Right, well you see, Dabi was testing out a new drug on a U.A. kid and Bakugo..:"

Yet before he could finish, Amari's voice entered the conversation, monotone and distant. "I killed him."

Not fully understanding, Endeavor turned only to find the girl looking at her hands, and the blood that was once there. It concerned the man, taking in her abnormal behavior. "What did you just say?"

There was a small silence for a moment before Amari answered back brokenly. "I..I killed him. He was going to be like me, he was going to suffer, and it was my fault so I..I…"

She couldn't even finish the sentence though, causing her eyes to fall in devastation as her voice cracked on each word. "I'm sorry Endeavor..I'm sorry...I couldn't...I couldn't save him."

Placing her numb hands up to her face to cover her distraught features, Endeavor stood in utter disbelief. What had happened while he was gone, what had this girl been forced to do?

He was stopped when Hawks' voice echoed back, his tone sad. "Chickadee.."

That seemed to wake something up inside of Todoroki's father, his hands immediately balled into fists. He was calm, too calm. "And you, where were you in all of this?"

Not expecting that question, the hero couldn't help but stutter on his words, trying to come up with some sort of lie that wouldn't reveal his involvement. "Oh, well I.."

Yet before he could even finish, the hero felt himself being lifted into the air by his shirt, just like back at the hero's commission. Except this time, Endeavor was filled with much more anger. "You were supposed to watch her! You were supposed to make sure she was safe. What the hell were you even doing this entire time?!"

Shaking him back and forth, Hawks immediately switched into defensive mode, already trying to make light of the situation. "Whoa, hold on man. Let's just calm down for a second and.."

Although Endeavor was way past his calm stage, already aggressively pointing to Bakugo in question. "You call yourself a hero?! Look what you let happen! You better have a pretty damn great explanation for this Hawks..."

Yet he didn't have a good explanation, in fact he didn't have any explanation at all. What could Hawks possibly tell him? That he only took Amari on in order to manipulate her, that he willingly stood back as she had to murder one of her own classmates? The truth was, the hero didn't have any justification to his actions, and it seemed Endeavor knew that as well.

So much so, that his carefree attitude immediately shrunk. "I..this is my fault.."

Nodding back, Endeavor huffed. "Of course it is. I should've known better than to let a child watch another child. Is this what you meant when you said you wanted to help her?"

Hawks squeezed his eyes shut before speaking without really thinking about it. "I did want to help her! I know, I know I haven't done the best but Bakugo is strong, she'll pull through and..."

That obviously wasn't what the man wanted though, Todoroki's father narrowing his eyes in anger. "That child is an idiot, and an idiot that needs to be protected. Look at her! Does that look like protecting?!"

The man's words hit Hawks hard, causing his eyes to fall in devastation. "I know..I know and I realize that but..."

And once again, the hero was cut off, Todoroki's father dropping Hawks onto the ground all at once. "Oh stop trying to talk yourself out of it, she's been through enough without having to deal with your halfhearted feelings as well."

Letting his wings flap in anxiety, Hawks raised to his stand before letting his mouth hang out in shock. Sure, he first brought Amari on in order to spy on her but that didn't mean he didn't care for the kid. Hell, he was disobeying his orders with the president right now just for her. "Wait wait, hold on there. What do you mean halfhearted feelings?"

Endeavor only scoffed though, crossing his arms roughly. "You know exactly what I mean. You never take anything seriously, and now Bakugo is paying the price. You're still following those commission dogs, aren't you? Hell, I bet that's why you took her on in the first place. I wouldn't put it past that old lady to use a child."

Shutting his mouth almost immediately, the hero remained frozen. He knew? Wait, that didn't make sense, how did he put together the pieces about him and Bakugo so quickly? Unless, he was just guessing, but even still the words hit far too close to home.

Todoroki's father took in his silence for a moment before huffing out a frustrating breath. "You're silence is telling Hawks.."

Then he turned back to Amari before replying plainly, almost with slight regret. "I knew this was a mistake. Anyone trained by that commission bitch can't be trusted. Was this your plan all along, to make this child into another one of your mindless soldiers, to break her down? Well congratulations, you did it. I hope you're happy with yourself."

Hawks wanted to call out to him, to tell the man that he was lying, but unfortunately that wasn't possible. All those horrible words, they were true and the hero had to pay the price for them. He wasn't happy with himself for this, no he was destroyed.

Leaning down to his knees, Endeavor then took in his trainee's bloody surface before speaking low and short. "Bakugo, come on."

Yet the girl made no movement, causing the man's eyes to fall before placing a warm and light hand on her head. When he spoke once more, it seemed completely different, like all of the malice had disappeared. "Amari, let's go.."

Hearing her first name was enough for the girl to raise her head, using her strength to nod as Hawks took in the display. He had never heard Endeavor speak like that before.

Then he watched the man gather her up in his arms lightly, almost like glass. It was strange, seeing a well known brute carry a child with such kindness. It really showed just how much he cared about her.

Just then, Endeavor turned back towards Hawks before glaring and keeping the girl close. "Your training with her is finished. I don't want to see you and your halfhearted feelings anywhere near her again, understand?"

The amount of authority in his voice was telling, almost like Amari was his own child. It was so intense that the feathers on Hawks' back twitched in fear. "Endeavor..I.."

Yet the man didn't have any time to process anything else, now seeing Endeavor leave his apartment without another word. The lingering hurt and despair was still in the air as Hawks hung his head. Man, he had really messed up.

And this time, he knew it was impossible to fix.

* * *

Once he placed her inside the backseat of the car in front of him, Endeavor sat himself down before gesturing to the driver to move. She hadn't spoken once since then, and it was starting to worry the man. On the surface she looked fine, with just a couple bruises and cuts, but on the inside he had no idea.

Clearing his throat, the man spoke roughly. "Well, we can't bring you back to the dorms like that. Someone's bound to question you."

Amari lowered her eyes just slightly before replying back broken and sad. "I'm sorry Endeavor, I'm sorry I couldn't save him. I tried, I really tried but..I couldn't…"

She didn't stutter this time though, Todoroki's father breathing out a sigh of relief at that. "What did Dabi want, how did he find you? I thought you were supposed to be with that bird."

Although Bakugo already knew that she couldn't tell him the real truth, still vowing to keep his lost son's identity. No, it didn't mean anything unless Dabi told him himself. "He wanted me to fight a first year, to see who was stronger. Endeavor, they are making more...more of me.."

And that thought terrified the man, because he knew what Bakugo could do. She was only safe because her mind was still intact, but a mindless Nomu with her power? It could destroy the entire hero society in a single swoop. "What?"

Nodding back, Amari took in a shaky breath before speaking again. It seemed that she was a bit more responsive now, a sign that she was waking up from her numb state. "They hurt him, they wanted that boy to be like me so I...I…"

The words got caught in her throat then as a small bit of devastation creeped in the back of her throat, her emotions slowly coming to the surface once more. It seemed like her shock was wearing off faster now. "W-What did I do?"

Seeing her hands begin to shake, Endeavor immediately changed the subject, snapping his fingers in front of her face to bring her back from her own dark mind. "Bakugo..come on, snap out of it. This is important. Did Dabi say if there were any more test subjects?"

She blinked a couple times before that mind numbing sensation returned, shoving her feelings to the back in order to answer his question. "N-No, he said that no one could match me, like they couldn't get the drug right yet. It's not ready.."

As concerning as that was, it was a slight relief to know that All for One had not yet succeeded in creating an army of unstoppable Nomu, and if Amari did in fact kill that first year then that meant they were back to square one. Yes it was devastating, but it gave them more time to try and stop it.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari immediately began her spiral again, her breathing swallowing by the second. "It's my fault..it's my fault he's dead...I should've talked to him I should've done something...and now he's gone..how can he be gone?"

She began to ball her hands into fists as Endeavor spoke back, firm and plain with a hint of sadness in his tone. "Amari, this wasn't your fault. All for One created this situation, and it was a situation you couldn't win. He's to blame for this, not you. You gave that boy all you could."

His voice was far more gentle then Amari had ever remembered it to be, causing her shoulders to fall at his words. Something about them seemed to have calmed her down, just enough to regain her hold on reality for a moment. "I didn't though, I could've done more. If I did, then maybe..maybe he would still be here."

Looking down at her hands, she heard Endeavor sigh heavily, almost like he was having internal war with himself. "Listen, If anyone knows about regret it's me. You can spend your entire life wishing for a different outcome, but these are the cards you've been handed. We can't change them, but we can decide how to move forward."

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari then turned her head enough to see the man's face. It looked nostalgic and pained, as if he was recalling a memory from long ago. "Yes, there are things you could've done differently, but too late for that. You can't control the past, no one can, so stop trying to think about that. It's pointless."

That's when Endeavor's eyes locked with hers, absolute passion and determination radiating from them. "You can't control that, but you control right now. So, what are you going to do right now Bakugo?"

His words left her completely speechless, not knowing how to respond in the slightest. Sure, she knew that Todoroki's father regretted how he treated his family, but hearing him now brought new life to her eyes. This showed her that he was really trying, that he was really pushing himself to become better for everyone around him. It made her want to smile, even if her own lips didn't allow it.

Although that left a question in her mind, she didn't know what to do now. A boy was dead because of her, how could she possibly move on from that moment. She found it impossible, wondering what his words had actually meant. "I don't understand.."

Yet it seemed like he expected that, only crossing his arms before replying. "You will someday."

That didn't answer her question at all but it seemed like Endeavor was done speaking about it as Amari saw them approach the very familiar gates of Todoroki's house.

He must have noticed her confusion, only speaking a moment later. "You need to get out of those clothes before you go back to U.A. I think Fuyumi will have something in your size."

If Bakugo could feel emotions, she would've been touched, now seeing the car pull up to the main gates slowly. She was thankful for his care, and even more thankful that Todoroki himself was back at the dorms so there was no chance of them meeting. She wasn't sure if she could've kept it together in front of him.

They entered silently, Endeavor still carrying her as she was still unstable on her feet, much to her dismay. Although she stopped when a familiar voice echoed through the halls. "Dad, what are you doing back so late? I thought you were gonna be home for dinner..?

Yet Fuyumi paused when she saw the display, her eyes widening in shock. "Amari!? What happened?! Oh, that looks really bad and there is so much blood. Hold on, let me get the first aid kit!"

Then without another word, the woman hurried away causing Endeavor to sigh roughly only to come back with a very large medical kit, opening the contents immediately. "Come here, let me take a look.."

Pulling out an assortment of gauze and medical tape, the woman began to mumble to herself as Todoroki's father sat Amari down on the pillows that lined the floor. "Fuyumi, do you have clothes that would fit her?"

Fuyumi nodded back almost immediately before grabbing Amari's arms and looking at the damages. "Oh, yes of course I do. Let me just finish up there. It looks like you don't have any serious wounds, so that's good…"

Both of them already knew this, but let the woman work her way around every cut and bruise that lined her body before Endeavor turned toward the kitchen with an unknown look on his face. "I have to make a call.."

Then he hurried away, causing Fuyumi to start to dig into her questions. "Are you okay Amari, what happened?"

Placing a loving hand to her arm, a flash of memories clashed into Bakugo before she lowered her head slowly. "I...I…"

Yet thankfully, the woman could see her struggling, a sad smile on her face. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me. I guess I'm just worried about you, but it seems like you aren't physically injured much. It looks worse then it is. Thank heavens for that at least."

Fuyumi then slowly put the rest of the medical equipment away before pointing off to the far left. "Now, let me see what I can find for you. I think I have some clothes from my school days laying around somewhere. Just stay there for a moment, okay?"

Managing a nod, Amari then watched Fuyumi leave before staring down at her feet. So much as happened in the last couple hours. Kazumi's death, Hawks' betrayal and lies, Dabi saving her life and Endeavor's out of character kind words. There were things that she still hadn't wrapped her head around.

She then lifted her hands to grasp her own arms in some sort of comfort and warmth. It was something that she had wished for from her brother or Todoroki, but it seemed that wasn't possible at the moment.

Todoroki, just his name created a massive whole inside her stomach. Besides their rocky fight, Amari had no idea how to tell him about tonight's events, or what happened during them. He had enough to worry about already with her lies, how could she even begin to tell him about the blood on her hands?

Letting out a shaky breath, Amari closed her eyes for a moment before hearing the door open next to her signaling the woman's return. "Did you find anything?"

Yet her words were quickly stopped when she realized the person in front of her wasn't Fuyumi. No, it was the one person that she wished to have avoided, it was the one person she didn't want to see her covered in another student's blood.

It was Todoroki Shoto.

* * *

Hello, I am back! This chapter took so long because I wanted to do it right. I really hope I got all the emotions correct and everything. I always tried to handle shock and trauma realistically so that was a challenge.

Poor Hawks, he did some shady things and now Amari doesn't trust him. And we have good boi Endeavor? Who would've thought. I suppose Amari is changing him. We can see some results here.

My head canon for Hawks is that he's a pro that's really good at hero work but anything revolving around real human emotions and helping someone in a non hero sense, he freaks out and doesn't know what to do. We saw that when Amari and him first trained with her quirk defect and we see it here. I wonder what he's gonna do now.

Also I feel like Endeavor would give Amari that speech about regret seeing as he knows how it feels, wanting to change the past and wishing to stop things when they aren't in your power anymore. I think it really shows his growth in the story here. Dabi should really see it.

Next Chapter: Todoroki is here and Amari can't hide anymore.


	84. S5 Chapter 12

There were very few things that had accomplished the feat of making Bakugo Amari speechless. It had only happened a handful of times in her life, the girl usually sharing the explosive personality of her twin more times than not. Call it a negative or positive trait but she always seemed to have something to say, yet somehow this wasn't one of those times.

Because staring now at the boy she loved, Amari was in fact speechless.

Her lips suddenly ran dry as Todoroki stared back at her, equally stunned, now taking in her blood soaked clothes, her hollow expression and her lack of speech. It was as if his mind hadn't fully processed the sight before him, and it was the same for Bakugo as well.

Why, why did it have to be him?! Why did he have to see her like this?! If it was anyone else, if anyone else had walked through that door then Amari knew she would have kept it together. But him, she always seemed to fall apart when it came to him. "S-Shoto?"

Her voice sounded foreign, unlike her own as the girl's brain tried to piece together this reality, a reality that was crashing down around her all at once. "H-How, h-how you are here.."

After noticing her shake on each word, Todoroki woke up from his trance, choosing to answer that question as it was the easiest to process right now. "My old man called, he said I had to come home..that something had happened..."

The boy's voice sounded equally robotic, causing Amari's eyes to fall slowly before placing her head in her hands. She didn't want him to see her like this, so broken, so fragile. It would surely worry him. "W-Why..why are you here..why did it have to be you...why?!"

Her utter and complete distress slammed into Todoroki all at once, taking a step closer as he noticed her own shaking hands. He wanted to help her, but was unsure on what exactly was going on, trying to tread lightly. "Why do you say that?"

He watched her pause for a moment before slowly lifting her head as the boy saw her eyes glisten with tears, utterly and completely destroyed. "B-Because...because I can't lie to you...because with you I can't...I can't lie to myself anymore…"

Todoroki's eyes fell on each word, his chest twisting in pain as he looked down at the girl he loved, the girl that was now completely broken. What had happened, and why hadn't he been there? Why did he turn away from her when she needed him most? "Amari, I…."

Yet the girl seemed too far gone, speaking once again as she cried, pouring out everything that was plaguing her mind from the past couple days . "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for not being able to tell you the truth, I'm sorry to have you think that I doubted our relationship. It's all my fault, I know that..I do..but I'm just...so scared.."

Taking in her words, the boy could see that she was losing herself and unraveling by the second, getting lost in her own panic attack as she continued. "I'm scared Shoto, I'm so scared...I'm scared of everything and I...don't know what to do.…"

A choked sob escaped her throat as Todoroki raced forward without a second thought, now grabbing the poor shaking girl under his arms and holding onto her for dear life. He didn't know what had happened, but was terrified to see her in such a state. "Shhh it's okay, it's okay."

Yet the girl only shook her head under his warmth, locking her trembling arms around his waist and smearing the blood on his own shirt. "No, no it's not okay. Nothing is okay."

Twisting his own brow in pain, Todoroki immediately shook his head, his eyes squeezed tight as he recalled their argument. She was still trying to be so strong around him, still trying to do so much, and that broke his heart.

He then lowered his head down before humming in her ear slowly. "Yes, it is. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to not know what to do, it's okay to cry. Go ahead and let it out, I'm right here..."

The boy felt her hand tighten on his clothes then, her voice raspy. "I can't, you've already dealt with so much. I don't..I don't want to cause you trouble..I don't want you to experience anymore pain so I can't..."

Although she was stopped then Todoroki ran a couple fingers through her hair, coaxing her to calm down silently. He didn't know what to say but her statements couldn't help but sound utterly familiar to him. "Do you remember what I told you in the infirmary last year when you said the exact same thing?"

Not fully understanding, he replied a moment later, feeling slightly nostalgic from the words. "Seems like you'll always cause me trouble. That's what I agreed to after all."

Amari's eyes couldn't help widened at that, now remembering what he was talking about almost immediately.

Back then, she had twisted her ankle after combat training and Todoroki had checked up on her only for the girl to grab onto him in her sleep. Thinking back now, she was still embarrassed about that.

She was taken out of her thoughts as Todoroki pushed her even closer before planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Silly girl, I've already agreed to this, do you not remember? On the day you asked to become friends, I knew you'd cause me trouble for years to come."

His lips lingered for a moment before repeating the action a second time, showing her that he was in fact, not going anywhere. "You can always tell me anything Amari, if you need to cry then I will lend you my shoulder, if you need to scream then I'll listen, if you don't know what to do then we will figure it out. When will you realize that you're not on your own, you've never been...it's okay...it's okay to be afraid…"

His words hit her hard, causing Bakugo's eyes to fill up with tears before lifting her head up to look at the very familiar monochrome eyes she had come to love. Why was he being so kind to her after everything? Why was he still holding her after she withheld information? He was too kind to her, she didn't deserve it.

Twisting her brow down, Amari blinked away her tears before speaking once again, her voice cracked and uncertain. She couldn't hide from him anymore, she just couldn't. "Y-You're right, there are things I haven't told you yet. I'm..I'm sorry.."

Already knowing that though, the boy only nodded his head, quieting down her apologies and staring at her blood soaked clothes. "It's alright, you can tell me now. What happened to you?

There was a hard silence then, causing Bakugo's eyes to fall immediately. "I..I..I killed someone."

Todoroki's eyes widened at that, his grip loosening on her arms just slightly. He must have heard wrong, he had to have heard wrong. "W-What?"

Suddenly a flash of Kazumi's lifeless eyes reached her mind, his shaking arms grasping her shoulder just like Todoroki was doing now, it was too much, she couldn't take it.

So much so that the girl pushed the boy away before turning away in utter fear. "I can still feel it...his blood on my hands...it won't go away...why won't it go away?! I didn't want it..I didn't want it to be this way...!"

Staring at her hands robotically Todoroki had no choice but to let her continue, her breathing more shallow than before. "I had the chance to talk to him...to make everything right..but I didn't..I didn't and now it's my fault...All For One got to him..he hurt him...I hurt him…"

She was stopped by the strangling sob, putting her hands back up to her face to hide them from the world. Why did it have to be like this, why did people have to suffer because of her? She hated it, she hated it so much.

Todoroki on the other hand was speechless, taking in her broken appearance, absolutely lost on what to do. He wanted to comfort her, to reassure her, but what was there to say in this type of situation, what could he even do?

From her description it seemed like she was forced into this decision somehow, and he already had a guess on who it was. From the look on her face and he already knew All for One must have been involved somehow "Amari…"

Another sob escaped her throat then as Todoroki quietly approached her once more, slowly moving his hand to touch her shoulder. "Amari, look at me."

Yet she only shook her head, her voice breaking after each word. She didn't want to look up, to see the disappointment in his eyes, to hear the disgust for what she had done. She was a monster, he shouldn't even be touching her. "N-No, I can't…"

Frowning, Todoroki then reached up before touching her hands lightly, his voice warm and incredibly gentle. "Yes, you can. It's alright. You're safe, no one is going to hurt you. I'm right here Amari, just like I've always been."

She felt his tone, so reassuring and smooth, as he placed his hands over hers. It was so inviting, now feeling the overwhelming desire to uncover her eyes, to show him everything she was trying to keep from him. Yes, Bakugo was still terrified, but the warmth in his tone made her falter, just like back at the sports festival. He always seemed to do that.

And it didn't lessen when he spoke again, his breath only a couple inches away from her trembling form. "Now, let me see, let me see all of you. No more walls, no more hiding. Look at me, I'm right here."

There were a couple moments of silence before Todoroki felt her grip loosen on her eyes just slightly, only to push them down a second later, utterly lost and destroyed. She wanted nothing more than to believe his words, to be comforted and loved, even if she didn't deserve it.

Forcing herself to look up into that familiar monochrome gaze, she let him see her devastation, the tears pouring down before she could even process them. "S-Shoto.."

Todoroki's eyes crumbled in unknown pain before immediately wrapping his arms around her, pulling the broken girl close to him as she cried. "It's okay, it's okay. Let it out.."

And she did, crying until her own voice was hoarse as she clung onto him for dear life. It terrified him but Todoroki was also relieved that she was finally opening up to him and showing him her scars. It was a double edged sword, but he was thankful for it in a way.

It was seemingly forever before she spoke again, raspy from all her crying. "I'm such an idiot. I walked right into their trap. It's my fault…"

She was being incredibly vague, causing the boy to quickly speak over her. He needed to know, he needed to know what monster made her do such a thing. "Who made you do this?"

Recalling a familiar pair of crimson wings, she couldn't help but close her eyes in pain. "Hawks and Dabi. I thought Hawks cared about me but they ended up luring me to a warehouse and forced me to choose between that boy and myself. I had to...if I didn't then he would've ended up like me…"

Her tone was robotic, almost like she was tumbling out the events without really thinking about them. Todoroki soon realizes that it must be another coping strategy for her.

He had only met Hawks once but Todoroki couldn't help but feel a hard ball of rage appear after hearing about how he manipulated the girl he loved, only because she was an easy target. That bastard, he better never see him again.

Although that's when his brain caught on something particular, his tongue catching on to specific a word, or rather name. He couldn't help but feel betrayed because of it. "You went with Dabi again, why?"

Todoroki then watched as Bakugo closed her eyes for a moment, almost contemplating her response before speaking. She couldn't tell him about Toya, but she couldn't lie to him anymore either.

Call it selfish but she didn't have the heart or strength anymore. "This may seem strange, but since I was kidnapped I've noticed something about him...I don't think he's a villain...not fully…"

Well that, among other things but unfortunately that's all Amari could tell Todoroki right now. It was up to Dabi to tell him the rest someday.

Rightly so, the boy looked completely and utterly confused with her explanation, trying to piece together the information he did have. "You're trying to reform him? Amari, come on I don't think that's possible. He's killed people…"

Yet she only lowered her eyes, the monotone in her voice shocking him immediately. "So have I. Do you think I am a villain?"

Widening his eyes, Todoroki immediately denied himself. "What, of course not. How could you even say something like that? You two are not the same."

Although Amari immediately knew that wasn't true. She knew first hand how similar the two of them were. If only he knew that. "You'd be surprised, and perhaps it's a lost cause, but I have to try. I just have to.."

Todoroki didn't know why she was trying so hard for those villains, but the amount of passion in her eyes couldn't be ignored. It was obvious that she had some kind of drive to complete this impossible goal.

And as much as he wanted to continue to grill her on that, there were more important matters to take care of right now, like her bloody clothes. "You didn't have a choice, did you? They made you.."

Nodding back, the boy's stance crumbled before squeezing her body tightly. He couldn't even imagine the amount of grief and devastation she was going through right now. It was like she couldn't catch a break, only falling further and further, deeper into despair.

Amari nuzzled herself into his warmth, still feeling rather hollow about the entire situation, although his arms seemed to bring him at least a moment of comfort. "You're not disgusted?"

Almost immediately, the boy's arms tightened once more. "I understand how those villains can be, what they can make you do. I'm sorry Amari. If only I was there...if only I could've helped.."

The girl only frowned though, slightly feeling lucky that he wasn't there in that horrible moment. "I'm glad you didn't. I didn't want you to see me like that...I never want you to see me like that…"

And the boy seemed to understand that, remaining silent as he began to rub small circles on her back into order to offer a moment of comfort. "Is there anything else you want to tell me? It's okay, I'm listening.."

It was almost as if he had read her mind, staring back at him with devastation. He was right, she was hiding something else from him, and it was eating her alive.

She was silent for a moment, almost like she was contemplating on whether to tell him the truth or not, her tone lowering sadly. "Before Sir Nighteye passed away, he told me something, something about my future…"

Todoroki remained quiet although after another bit of silence the boy started to think the worst. What was she holding this entire time, what was she so afraid of? He needed to know, no matter how much it hurt him.

Shaking her head, Amari then broke eye contact as she finished, scared to see his devastated eyes. "He said that if I face All for One again, that I won't survive."

The boy felt his own heart plummeted into his chest at that, each word slapping him across the face all at once. After all this time, after an entire year she was still trying to run from her own death? First the pills and now this? It was cruel, it was so incredibly cruel for both of them.

She was happy and he had finally found someone to love, to cherish. It couldn't be gone like that. It just couldn't. He refused, he would make sure of it. "W-What..?"

Bakugo felt his arms loosen from her body in shock, Todoroki immediately trying to make sense of the situation. "You said that's only true "if" you face him. So, in order to keep you alive we just have to make sure you never meet. That's all."

Although even Amari knew that his plan wasn't possible, her lips twisted together in pain. "It's not that easy Shoto. He's...he's been sending me messages. He knows I can't run forever…"

That came to another reality for Todoroki, shaking his head and not believing her words in order to keep it together.. "Yes you can. I'll make sure you do, because you are not giving up that easily. I won't let you."

He was panicking, Amari could easily tell, her eyes falling slightly at the sight. "Shoto, it's inevitable. I'm going to have to face him someday, and when that happens I..."

Although the boy immediately cut her off, slightly angry for what she was suggesting. "Don't even finish that sentence. Is this what you want? What about being a hero, what about your future? You can't just give up.."

Balling her hands into fists, Bakugo replied roughly. "Do you think I wanna die? I want a future, I want to open an agency with Katsuki, I want to get my license but what if, what if that's not possible? I have to be logical here, I have to be realistic. That's what I've always done, you know that."

He did know that, he knew how she never sugarcoated her fate, even back then. It was like some kind of coping mechanism for her, and he utterly hated it. It was like she had already accepted this. "Sir Nighteye could be wrong…"

Yet once again, Bakugo shook her head. "He hasn't been wrong before."

And that utterly crushed his heart, knowing that the possibility of Amari's death was most likely already set in stone, his eyes falling in despair as tears lined the corners. "No.."

Shaking his head once, the boy continued sadly, the liquid falling onto his cheeks now in a single line. He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to. " It's, it's just cruel."

Nodding back sadly, the girl placed her still shaking hands on his head before trying to calm him down before herself. She hated seeing him cry more than anything, now rethinking her decision to tell him all of this.

She patted the surface once before replying gently. "I know, I know it's cruel for you. I'm sorry, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have tortured you like this. That's why I didn't want to tell you..."

Todoroki's brow turned down at that though before reaching forward to wrap her into his embrace once more, his tone far more annoyed and on edge than before. "Stop thinking about me, that's not what I meant. Of course I want to know this, I want to know anything that hurts you Amari."

His voice lowered then, sadness clearly evident. "I meant that it's cruel for you."

Amari couldn't help but widen her eyes as Todoroki pushed her body closer to his, holding onto her like she was going to disappear in a moment. "Why, why does it have to be like this? Just when you're told you can live, the universe takes it away. It's not fair, it's cruel."

She felt his own arms shake now as well, causing Bakugo to close her eyes in devastation, now clinging to the boy all at once.

She hated it, she hated being the cause of so much pain for him but she was too selfish to walk away. It was too late now, Amari was already utterly attached to him. "I know...I know it is…"

A hard moment of silence passed through them after that, taking in each other's sorrow as Amari thought about her cruel reality that Todoroki had described. She always said that she never wanted him to be ruined because of her, but it seemed like that was impossible now.

From the way he was crying to the death grip the boy had to her shoulder in his moment, Amari knew that he would indeed be ruined by her death, and that broke her entirely. "I'm sorry Shoto, I'm sorry…"

He only clung even tighter at that, causing more tears to spill out from under her eyes. "S-Shoto, just promise me that if this happens, you'll be okay…"

That seemed to wake the boy up, Todoroki's red eyes staring back at her in disbelief. "No, we are not having this conversation. You are going to live. I will make sure of it, no matter what I have to do. All for One is not going to take you from me. I won't let him."

His words had a sense of passion to them, causing Amari to recall the rest of Sir Nighteye's prophecy. _Forgive me Shoto, but I can't tell you about the sacrifice. You have to be safe, you just have to be. You are the most important thing to me, I hope you understand._

And although Bakugo knew that her words were indeed pointless, she still said them anyway, hoping that they could actually come true. "Yeah, I won't let him take me either. I'll fight with everything I have Shoto."

It seemed her declaration brought some life back into his eyes finally, Todoroki blinking away his own tears. "Good. Remember our promise?"

Nodding back, Amari knew their promise almost immediately, voicing the words like a mantra in her mind. "Yeah, No matter what, I'll always come back to you."

A sad smile appeared on his lips then, causing the boy to lean down and kiss her forehead lightly, hoping to be enough to keep her here forever. "That's right."

Closing her eyes at the sensation, the girl took in his warmth before wearing a sad smile of her own. She forced herself to recall everything about his moment, everything that might possibly be gone in the future. If she did die, then she wanted to remember this scene exactly, him loving her, her feeling safe.

It was so relaxing that Amari started to feel drowsy, Todoroki feeling her weight push into him all at once. He looked down in concern only to feel her soft intake of breath. "Amari?"

He lowered his eyes then before trailing a finger across her cheek lovingly, staring back at the girl he loved with sadness. He was happy that she was finally opening up to him but the information Amari had just given him was disheartening to say the least.

Todoroki loved her, he loved her so much and yet it seemed that everything and everyone was trying to take her away from him. Back when they first met, he was very aware of her time limit, but learning about it now, he couldn't help but feel destroyed all over again.

Vowing to protect her, he began to gather her in his arms as Fuyumi rounded the corner, her expression equally worried for the girl. "Dad cleaned the guest room for her."

He nodded his head before lifting Amari off the floor, the girl nuzzling into his chest sleepily as he did so before heading to the location that his sister had instructed. "Thank you Fuyumi."

Entering the room, Todoroki then undid the covers before gently placing her into the bed and covering her body with the closest blanket, planting a kiss on her forehead lightly.

Although just as he turned away, the boy was stopped as Bakugo's arm reached out, clinging to his shirt in her half asleep slumber. It was just like that day in the infirmary when she reached out to him. So much had changed since then, yet he could still see the remnants of the carefree girl she once was.

Except this time, instead of her usual silence, it came with a slight mumble, her tone sad. "Don't leave.."

Letting his eyes fall, Todoroki looked down at her hand before placing his own up to her forehead lovingly, silently telling her that he wasn't going to anyone. He couldn't, not after the information he had learned. "Of course not. I would never leave you.."

Just then, he heard the door open across from them only to lay eyes on his father, a bundle of clothes in his arms as he leaned across the doorframe.

Todoroki remained silent as he spoke, plain and simple. "Give these to her. They are some of Fuyumi's old clothes for when she wakes up."

Throwing the clothes onto the bed roughly, the two just stood there, unsure how to even converse with each other. In that moment, all of the past rushed back to him suddenly and Todoroki couldn't help but glare back silently.

Endeavor seemed to have gotten the message though, already moving to to turn away when Todoroki spoke again, small and plain. "Wait.."

And he did indeed wait, now turning back around to see his son at war with himself. It took a couple more minutes for him to finally reply. "Is what she said really true, did she really kill someone?"

The man was silent for a moment before sighing roughly. "Bakugo has been through a lot, so it wouldn't surprise me.. She seems to think it's true, so I suppose it is. I'll check into it tomorrow to be sure."

Letting his eyes fall, Todoroki then began to question his father. "Why did you call me? It's not like you to care so much."

Endeavor only sighed though, glancing towards Amari before replying. "I thought you wanted to know. That's all. Besides, that child looked broken. She needed someone."

And that was strange to say the least, especially to the boy. Throughout his entire life, Todoroki had never seen his father show concern for anyone other than himself. Even when he was passed out and crying from his training, Endeavor never showed compassion or sympathy, not once.

So he certainly had to look twice, now very clearly seeing a sense of worry behind the man's eyes, almost like he cared for Amari. It was odd to say the least, and the son didn't know how to take it, he also certainly didn't know what to say towards it either.

Recalling her tear stained face, Todoroki's father waved his own comment away before continuing. "Also I've revoked her training with that bird brain idiot. I'll be taking back over for her provisional license."

This caused the boy to raise an eye, seeing something wrong with his sentence. He didn't really care about his father's schedule, but if it would affect Amari then he needed to know. "Will you have the time, being number one and all? You better not neglect her. She trusts you."

Todoroki then watched as his father's eyes dropped, almost in shame at the boy's tone. Wait, why did he look like that, why did he look so sad when he said that Amari trusted him? Could it be because no one else trusted him in that why? Maybe he felt like he didn't deserve that trust. Whatever it was, the boy couldn't figure it out.

Although what Todoroki didn't know is that Endeavor felt partly responsible for the events that happened a couple hours ago. He knew that Hawks was shady. In fact, he had his concerns about letting Bakugo train with him, but the man never acted on it.

Because of the influx of calls and concerns with being number one, Endeavor just assumed that it would be alright. How wrong he was about that.

If he just paid a bit more attention, if he had taken time out of his schedule for her to train instead of passing her off, then maybe this wouldn't have happened, maybe her heart wouldn't have been broken again.

He couldn't help but think that even now, seeing the bruises and cuts along her face. It was just like the past, neglecting and being ignorant to those around him. He hated it. Bakugo trusted him alright, and he wasn't there for her when it mattered. That's what hurt the most.

Glancing towards the girl, Endeavor's brow lowered before replying back a moment later, his tone serious and plain. "I'll make time."

And for some strange reason, Todoroki believed him. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, staring at Amari with such sadness and regret, he didn't know. "She has to pass her exam. She needs something to look forward to, a future to believe in.."

It broke his heart but Endeavor knew his son was right, only crossing his arms in an invisible challenge. Yes, that girl needed to have a future, she needed to get out of this terrible cycle before it destroyed her. "You underestimate me Shoto. My trainee will not fail. I won't allow it."

His passion was enough for Todoroki to nod silently, now placing a couple fingers to Amari's cheek before smiling sadly. He hated to ask this of his father but the boy was out of options, knowing that she would be with Endeavor a lot in the next couple months. "Please take care of her, she's everything to me."

Endeavor took in his son's pleading tone before scoffing roughly, a frown upon his face. "I don't recall being a babysitter Shoto."

Already feeling his lips turn down into a frown, he was just about to return his rude remark when his father spoke again, this time with an air of care to it. "That child is an idiot but she's not hopeless. If I've learned one thing since working with her it's that she won't break that easily."

Widening his eyes in surprise, he then turned only for Endeavor to mutter under his breath. "She's a pain, but All for One is a fool if he thinks he can easily burn out that stubborn spark she has. As much as I hate it, that trait she has is as admirable as it is stupid."

It almost sounded like he was praising her, causing Todoroki to stare at his father in disbelief. For so many years he had only seen Endeavor as selfish, cruel and a monster. That's always how he knew him.

But standing here now, this man didn't look monstrous at all. No, he looked human.

No matter how much he disliked his father for the past, the boy couldn't help but soften his eyes at those words, quietly tucking in Amari further without another word.

Then he planted one last kiss before moving towards the door, Endeavor clearing a path for his son to get through. The man wasn't expecting anything from his son, knowing about his clear mistakes and accepting them. That's right, Shoto hated him, and rightly so.

Although, he couldn't help but notice Todoroki stop in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face as he stared towards the ground. It seemed like he was at war with himself for some reason, unsure and silent.

It took a couple moments, but when the boy finally spoke, it was small and muttered, causing Endeavor to widen his eyes all at once. "Thank you."

Not fully understanding, the man went to open his mouth when Todoroki continued, the glare still present on his face. Although this time, it was now mixed with slight uncertainty. "For looking out for her, thank you."

Then he twisted his brow down before narrowing his eyes just slightly. It was like he couldn't believe he was saying his next words. "And I'm sorry, for thinking you were trying to use her. I was wrong about that."

Endeavor stood shocked at his son's confession, not knowing how to respond when Todoroki left without another word, retreating back to his room quietly and without a sound.

Even after he left, the man couldn't help remain frozen, replaying his son's words in the back of his mind on repeat. Had he really just apologized to him? No, that was impossible. It couldn't be. It was too good to be true.

Shoto had never even spoken that softly to him before, never mind apologize. It was new, and Endeavor didn't know how to take it.

So much so that he couldn't help but place a hand to his chest a moment after, feeling a sudden wave of emotion from the action.

Perhaps there was hope for the two of them after all.

* * *

Not gonna lie, I love writing Endeavor in this fanfic. His slow character development into being a better person and realizing his mistakes is just AHHH so good. Endeavor is such a tough character so I really wanted to make his reformation justified.

Also I just read the entire book over to prepare for this chapter (cause it has themes and dialogue from previous seasons.) and he has come so far from Amari and his first encounter. It looks like she is changing that family, very slowly.

Also poor Amari and Todoroki. Their romance is so tragic. We just have to wait and see how that plays out.

Next Chapter: Sad Hawks is sad and we got more angst of course


	85. S5 Chapter 13

Taking another swig of alcohol, Hawks lazily lowered his hand to the ground before using the other to cover his eyes. The events of the last night played in his mind for the hundredth time and the bird couldn't take it anymore. How long had it been since he laid down and how many bottles had he emptied now? These were questions that he didn't have the answer to.

He groaned as the sunlight began to peek through his windows, signaling that it was a new day, full of new regrets. Just great. What kind of horrible things would he have to do today in order to please the president?

The hero couldn't even close his eyes without that terrible image of Amari's betrayed expression in his mind. It seemed to be running on repeat now, tormenting him for the choices he had made.

A loud sound echoed to his left yet Hawks didn't even move, already knowing that the person on the other end of the line was the commission president looking for an explanation on why he had remained silent the entire night instead of updating her like he should've.

It looked bad to say the least but the hero was still in turmoil. He was ordered to kill All for One's creation, and if he told the president about his findings then Hawks already knew the results that would play out.

It had happened time and time again throughout his life. Whenever he was concerned about a certain aspect of a mission, she didn't care. He was sure it would be the same now as well.

In fact, she most likely wouldn't have any reservations about killing a child for the sake of the hero world. And quite honestly, he shouldn't either. That's what his training taught him, that's what should have happened. He had even seen her murder in front of him, that should have been reason enough to complete his orders.

But along the way, Hawks got attached. He saw firsthand the tragedy and pain that had fallen upon Amari's life, felt her trembling and shaking body underneath him as she cried, and that couldn't be ignored.

And that's why the hero was in turmoil, wanting nothing more than to end this cycle he had so willingly placed himself in.

The phone began to ring for the hundredth time and a moment of clarity snapped into the hero then. Shit, he had completely forgotten about the mission until now. She was going to be so pissed at him for this. Why hadn't he just picked up the phone the first time, it would've saved a lot of trouble.

Slumping over to the object, Hawks took a breath before finally answering the call, his voice still thick from the alcohol in his system. "Hey pres! Sorry for the delay, I couldn't find my phone anywhere. Seems I left it back at my agency so I just went to go get it. What's up?"

He knew it was a terrible lie, one that the president wouldn't be so quick to believe but somewhere he hoped she would just let it go this once. Too bad that's not what happened in the slightest. "Hawks, do you honestly expect me to believe that? I think you are forgetting who taught you how to lie, little boy."

The hero closed his eyes at that before giving a halfhearted chuckle, trying again except this time with a very thin layer of truth. "Alright you got me. I just decided to have a couple of drinks and the time slipped away from me. My bad."

She hummed in response, testing his words on her tongue before replying. "I see. Well, would you like to inform me on why you haven't given me your report yet? Last I heard you were going to meet Dabi and Bakugo to find out if she was indeed a traitor."

Cursing to himself immediately, the bird regretted telling her this information because now it placed Bakugo at that boy's murder. It would look suspicious. _Come on Keigo, you have to lie better. At least until you figure out what to do about that girl. _

He then forced his voice to become as even as possible before mentally shrugging his shoulders. "That's because there wasn't anything to report. They just talked and then left. The only thing that interaction showed me was that she's been in contact with him, but we already knew that information."

The line was silent after that, Hawks praying internally that she would buy his story. Although when the president finally answered back, it sounded skeptical. "I see. Well you should also be informed that a body was found last night belonging to one of the missing children. Do you know anything about that?"

Feeling his breath catch in his throat, the hero tried to even his voice. "Wait, really, where was it found?"

Of course he already knew this information but Hawks let her retell it, his heart sinking lower and lower in the process. "If you should know, while you were drinking recklessly, he was found at the Kokusai warehouse. Although that's not what you should be focusing on right now…"

Twisting his brow in confusion, he let the president continue, a sharp shiver running across his spine at her words. "We found that the body has the same markings and signs as those american commission members from years ago. Do you know what this means? All for One's weapon is closer than we first anticipated."

Invisibly gulping, the man managed to stutter out. "Yeah but that doesn't mean that All for One has them yet. There could still be time to.."

Yet he was immediately cut off. "Hawks, do you not understand the position we are in right now? There is no time, that monster is already revealing itself and we need to figure out it's next move before it's too late. Find it and kill it Hawks. Those were your orders. Why are you instead standing around and doing nothing?"

Hawks shut his mouth at that, the sweat already started to appear on his brow. "I'm not.."

Although that woman was quick to reply. "Yes you are. Quit being a scared little boy and figure it out Keigo. The world is counting on you, they are counting on you to be a hero. So do as you're told and get it done."

And there it was, her manipulation tactics. Calling him by his real name, saying those phrases that made it blood boil. It was like a trigger in his mind, immediately switching into the soldier version that she had created. He realized it was happening, but it was never enough to stop it.

Just to drive the point further, the president added coldly. "You know, perhaps I was wrong about you little Keigo. Maybe you can't be a special hero after all. I put too much faith in a scared little boy. I should just find someone else that can get the job done."

Widening his eyes in slight fear, the hero quickly flapped his wings in anxiety before seeing his career fall apart ever so slowly. She trusted him to complete this mission, she specifically chose him to get the job done, so why was he hesitating, why was he ruining everything he ever loved?

Hawks knew that the woman could take away his hero career in a moment's notice, the blackmail always ever present in her tone. It's what kept him going, it's what always made him believe such horrible orders.

And sadly, it was the same now. "N-No, I won't disappoint you. I can do it."

There was a small silence before the president spoke up once again, her tone lighter. Well of course it was, she had won. "I should hope not Hawks. You know what happens to people who disappoint me."

He understood exactly what she was saying, not wanting his future to be ripped away because of one foolish mistake. It was a choice between himself and Bakugo now, his career for her life, it was the most terrible type of blackmail and he was sure the president knew it.

In this instance, in this never ending choice, the hero had always chosen himself, but this time he couldn't help but falter, his mind flashing back to that crying and broken child once again.

When Hawks did answer though, it was cold and robotic, the picture perfect image of a soldier that she wanted. "I won't."

The present seemed happy with that, her tone smooth and plain. "Good. Now, pull yourself together. I want you at the commission in twenty minutes. Don't be late."

He opened his mouth to question her only for the line to go dead a moment later. Hawks had no idea what she wanted him for but he already knew it couldn't be good.

Shaking his head, the hero then threw the phone onto the sofa before covering his face in his hands and groaning.

Any other time, Hawks would've easily picked himself over whatever terrible immoral crime he would have to commit. But this time, this time it was far different.

The president had made it clear after all, it was either his future or Bakugo's life.

There was no in between.

* * *

After putting on the clothes that were left for her, Amari stared at herself in the mirror for a long unnecessary amount of time, her colorless eyes mocking the girl all at once. It still didn't feel real, everything that had happened. It was like it was all some kind of terrible dream.

Yet even Bakugo knew that was a lie, only placing a hand to the reflective surface before sighing heavily. When would the suffering end, when could she finally relax? Perhaps it will be never, who knows.

Amari paused when she heard the door open behind her, the girl very clearly seeing Todoroki through the reflection. He looked to be carrying some sort of drink on a tray, his voice just soft and just as warm as she always remembered it to be. "Good morning, how are you feeling?"

That was the question wasn't it? How was she feeling, how was able to handle such a mistake on her part? Why was she alive when others suffered for her? "As good as I can be. It still feels like a bad dream."

He eyes saddened before placing the tray on the bed next to him. "I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now. Would you like to talk about it?"

This caused the girl to lower her eyes, staring back at her reflection once more. "I just don't know how to go back to normal after this. I don't deserve to go back to normal, not after what I've done.."

Amari paused when she felt his hands touching her from behind her back, signaling that he was still with her, regardless of what happened. "It's not as if you wanted this result. You set that boy free, that's what he wanted, right?"

Even though he was right, the girl couldn't help but feel the bile in the back of her throat. "That was the first time I….I did something like that willingly. And the worst part is, I don't regret it, I don't regret saving him from this terrible nightmare."

Recalling her past in America, Amari closed her eyes, sadness etched in her voice. "I wouldn't wish what I've had to go through on anyone."

She felt Todoroki's hand squeeze hers before using his other hand to hug her body, offering her any kind of comfort he could muster.

Most of the time he acted like he understood her past, but that just wasn't possible. No one could understand her suffering, no one could relate to her scars. It just wasn't something that he could fully grasp.

Todoroki then realized that she must have known what Kazumi would face if All for One had gotten him, knew what kind of tortures would await him in the future.

Because of that, Bakugo had to make the hardest choice, something that even he wasn't sure he would have the courage for. She saved that boy, in the worst way possible.

Yes, it was horrible but thinking back, the boy admired her for this terrible choice. If it was Amari that was doomed to live this fate, would he even have had the courage to save her, to set her free? Todoroki wasn't sure.

Placing two fingers up to the mirror in front of them, the boy spoke small, directing her attention to the reflection. "Amari, what do you see here?"

She followed his instructions, staring back at herself before sighing heavily, not understanding where he was going with this. "It's just me."

Although that's when Todoroki shook his head, a small smile in his lips as he lightly placed his hands on her shoulders. "That's not all, I'm here too. See?"

Refocusing her eyes, Bakugo stared back into the mirror that had occupied her mind for the last couple minutes, now seeing Todoroki's silhouette behind her, strong and certain.

Amari stared back in confusion as the boy continued, placing a light kiss on top of her head, purposely making sure she saw it. "Whatever happens, whatever you have to face, I'm right behind you the entire time, just like this, understand?"

Feeling her heart flutter in the back of her chest, Bakugo's face couldn't help but fall at that, recalling his crying expression from the night before. "Even if it's painful, even if I don't have a future..?"

Although Todoroki couldn't help but squeeze her shoulder in reassurance. "Nothing has changed since the sports festival. The circumstances may have but my words have not. I'm not going to run away from you, and you shouldn't run away from me."

Widening her eyes, Amari recalled the conversation the two of them shared after the sports festival. She had tried so incredibly hard to push him away, to make him understand the tragedy that would follow, but it was to no avail.

No matter what Bakugo told him, now matter how she had tried to convince him, it was already hopeless. Because at that point in time they had both utterly fallen in love with each other.

Hearing Todoroki continue, her eyes couldn't help but soften, already knowing where he was going with his words, the nostalgia from them striking something in her almost immediately. "It doesn't matter if you have one year of fifty years left because…"

So much so that Amari felt her lips curve into a small smile of her own, finishing his words in her own voice, remembering how it felt to hear them for the first time. "Because that's not going to change how I feel about you."

Nodding back, Todoroki then felt her body turn towards him, away from the mirror as she continued. How could she be so stupid, how could she be so blind to forget that the conversation they shared after the sports festival?

Amari grasped onto his shirt in the process, her voice slightly cracked. "Shoto, I..I'm so scared of the future. I know it would be better if you had nothing to do with me but, I don't think my heart can take that reality.…"

Staring back in surprise, the boy's face then melted into a small smile before lifting a hand to her face, tracing the lines like he usually did for her.

He knew that only danger and tragedy awaited them if they continued, but the choice seemed obvious, wanting nothing more than to savior the time they did have together. "Then you don't have to take it, not ever."

Widening her eyes in absolute emotion, Amari couldn't help but let her expression fall. "But with me, you'll only continue to be hurt. I shouldn't ask this of you, I shouldn't force you to relive any more painful memories. That's what I've been trying to stop this entire time…"

Yet the boy only shook his head, his eyes boring into hers. "If that is what it takes, if this is the condition to stay with you forever, then I will accept it in a heartbeat. You're not forcing me into anything. You've never forced me into this."

Tracing his fingers down to her chin, Bakugo narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why, why would you willingly agree to that?"

Although that's when Todoroki then lifted her chin before his warm gaze poured into her all at once. "It's simple. It's because I love you Amari."

A red hue started to fill her cheeks as Bakugo stared at him dumbfounded, his voice reaching her once more. "Is it not the same for you?"

A hard ball of emotions coursed into the back of her throat then, causing Amari's words to catch in her throat. She knew exactly what he had meant by that. If he was in her position, then Amari already knew she'd give up everything for him. It was as simple as that.

Nodding back once, Amari's hands found their way towards his lips, silently telling him that it was indeed the same, and that she also loved him more than anything.

She rubbed her fingers over the surface, now coaxing her further to touch them herself, to experience the amount of love that he was so openly displaying right now. She was desperate for it, wanting it more than anything.

So much so that Todoroki barely had time to process as Amari quickly grabbed onto his shirt before pushing his lips onto hers deeply, immediately feeling the warmth from them as she did so.

She wanted to give him an answer larger than words, something that he could truly believe. She loved him, she loved him so much and the girl wanted to express that to him fully.

He seemed surprised by the action, tensing for a small moment as if he was afraid to push her further then her limits right now. She had just experienced a large amount of trauma after all.

Although he was paused when Todoroki felt a loving hand on his face, signaling him that it was okay to deepen his kiss as well, to show her how much he really cherished her.

Groaning back in pleasure, the boy quickly grabbed hold of her waist before hoisting her up into the air, that way he didn't have to lean down anymore because of her height.

Amari didn't seem to mind though, running a hand through his hair as the boy plopped her on the bed next to them, giving their height difference a bit of an advantage as the mattress was raised.

Wrapping his arms around her, he heard Bakugo stifle out a quick breath as he continued to kiss her, showing her just how precious she was to him. When was the last time they had done this, when was the last time they truly felt alive like this? It seemed it was so long ago.

It felt so good, so freeing in this moment after everything that had happened. It was like the two of them were normal, just worrying about silly frivolous things rather than death and despair. How they wished things could've been like this all the time.

Placing his hands on her hips, Todoroki stopped for a moment when he felt the bare skin of her back, immediately pulling away a moment later with an embarrassing expression. "Sorry, that was an accident. I didn't mean to.."

Amari stared at him in her hazed state for a moment before her lips curved up into a small smile, already reaching for his hand. He was always so considerate of her, always so gentle. "Shoto, it's okay. I don't mind."

Turning back to her, the boy couldn't help but be dumbfounded. He had taken it too far and she was being so kind, why? He didn't understand. "But, I want to respect you. You deserve to be respected."

He seemed really serious about that, causing Bakugo to chuckle at his flustered face. He was so cute sometimes. "You do respect me, you always have. That's why I'm okay with it, because it's you."

Then she carefully grabbed onto his hand before placing it on her bare lower back for him, the warmth of her skin flowing into him all at once. "See? It's alright, I'm alright. I love you Shoto, and I trust you."

His fingers began to run across her lower back at Amari's words, his face turning red as she pulled him back into the kiss, signaling that it was okay for him to continue.

Todoroki paused for a moment to really make sure she was comfortable before continuing to trail his fingers across her back, now feeling every scar and burn mark that was littered across the surface.

He hated that this was her reality, that this was her past. He hated so much, now feeling the bumpy ridges from her wounds, one after another. Todoroki couldn't even believe she was letting him do this right now.

Somehow this felt far more intimate than anything they had ever done before, Amari silently trusting him with her past, and her imperfections all at once. She was unafraid of him fully seeing her now, and Todoroki was grateful to have earned that kind of trust from her.

Not letting that newfound trust go in vain, the boy leaned closer before pressing his palm in the middle of her back, snaking her closer and Amari groaned back at the sudden heat. This felt so different, so natural, having her this close to him.

It made him want more…

Just then, the phone began to ring on the table next to them causing the two to break apart, now breathing heavily from the thick atmosphere. "W-What?"

Scrambling to the phone, Amari looked down at the caller ID before sighing roughly, opening the surface all at once. "Katsuki, what's up?"

He said something after that but the girl's mind was still reeling from the previous moment, staring at Todoroki as she responded blackly. He wanted something about a study guide or something. "O-Oh! Uhh yeah you can borrow mine. It's in my drawer on the left hand side."

Then she quickly hung up, still breathing heavily as she glanced towards the boy she loved. She wanted to moment back, she wanted that feeling of absolute bliss back, although even she knew that was too good to be true.

That just wasn't the type of life she had after all.

Almost on cue, the door opened once again to reveal Endeavor, his arms crossed roughly in front of him. "Bakugo, someone wants to see you."

Twisting her brow in confusion and slight anxiety, Todoroki answered for her. "Who is it?"

Endeavor shook his head at that, obviously annoyed about the question. "I tried to get them to leave but it seems they won't until they speak with you."

Knowing that he hadn't answered the question didn't calm her down in the slightest though, already making her way towards the door. If Endeavor wasn't happy then this couldn't have been good.

Amari made her way through the house to meet this mysterious man before Todoroki's father suddenly put his hand out to stop her, his voice rough. "They are outside. I don't want those dogs anywhere in my house."

Not fully understanding, the man then pointed to the door before huffing. "I can already guess what they are here for, and it can't be good. Don't let that bitch get anything out of you Bakugo."

His tone was less than joyful which caused Amari to narrow her eyes in even more confusion. What could possibly be behind that door? She was kinda curious now. Who was he even talking about?

Following his finger, Bakugo slowly opened up the surface before a group of three suited men greeted her. They looked intimidating to say the least. "Are you Bakugo Amari?"

Twisting her brow, Amari held onto the door frame before answering short and skeptically. What did these men want with her? They didn't know about her connection of All for One, did they? "Who wants to know?"

Although she was certainly surprised when the men began to bow a moment later, the words catching onto the girl immediately as she widened her eyes. "The Hero Public Safety Commission wishes to see you Miss."

* * *

After waving to a couple people on his way to the president's office, Hawks began to think of the possible reasons why that woman would've called him in the first place.

Usually she just summons him to scold the bird, but this time seemed different. She had already done that on the phone after all. Something about this wasn't right.

He reached the door a moment later, giving himself a metaphorical breath of courage before pushing open the surface.

Hawks then tried to throw on his usual attitude all at once, giving a toothy grin. "Heya president, what did you want me to see me for?"

Although the hero was stopped dead in his tracks when a very familiar blonde haired girl stood in front of him, his eyes howled at the sight as the woman replied plainly. _Oh no, why was Bakugo here? What the hell was the president thinking?! _"Welcome Hawks, we were waiting for you to begin."

Unable to hide his shock, the bird immediately turned to Amari who was equally stunned at his presence before she tore her gaze away. Ah, that's right, she hated him now. "O-Oh, I see that. I didn't know we were having a party."

The president hummed in response before letting her lips curve up into a small smile, something that Hawks hadn't seen in awhile. "You two already know each other so let's get right to it, shall we?"

Feeling an unknown chill down Amari's spine, she spoke back. "I'm sorry but am I in trouble or something? I don't really understand why I'm here."

The woman nodded her head before crossing her hands together politely. "Not at all dear. In fact it's the exact opposite. But first before that…"

Standing from her seat the woman then began to circle Amari, her eyes boring into her in order to see every response. "I'm sure you've been made aware of the tragedy that was reported recently, about the U.A. students that lost his life last night?"

Hawks watched her widen her eyes in anxiety before turning her head towards him with a glare. She probably thought that he was responsible for the information, and usually that would have been true. Although, he was drinking last night so that wasn't the case.

Just then, the reason why the president had summoned her suddenly became clear. It was because the woman didn't believe his words this morning, so she's finding out herself. The horrible realization slammed into him all at once as the birds eyes hollowed. The reason that Bakugo was here, it was all his fault.

Bakugo began to struggle at that though, her tone forcing itself to come out even._ That's good chickadee, make her think you're just feeling the grief._ "Yeah, I know. It's all over the news. Why are you asking about that?"

Narrowing her eyes, the president then stopped in front of the girl, her stare boring into Amari's soul. "You two were rather similar if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure that makes it far more personal to you, doesn't it not?"

Not really knowing where she was going with this, Amari replied back plainly. "I guess so."

Humming back, suddenly the woman's eyes turned cold, causing Bakugo to freeze immediately, her tone cruel and sharp. "His death, you wouldn't have had anything to do with it, right?"

She couldn't help but widen her eyes at that. This woman, she suspected her, didn't she? "W-What?"

Although the woman showed no mercy, digging into her ferociously. "Don't act coy Bakugo, it's unbecoming. I'm just curious, giving your past connections with All for One."

At her words, Hawks immediately began to panic, knowing that Bakugo wouldn't stand a chance against that woman. He needed to pull her out and quickly. "Come on pres, I don't really think.."

Yet he was quickly silenced as the president hissed back cruelly. "Did I give you permission to speak Hawks?"

Flinching slightly at her tone, the bird screwed his lips shut before turning his head away. It was useless. He couldn't help right now, he didn't have the strength to go against the one that held his chains. Hawks hated it, but Amari was on her own here.

Almost on cue, the president turned around after that, her eyes still boring into Bakugo silently. "Now Bakugo, go ahead and quell my suspicion. Did you or did you not have something to do with Sato Kazumi's murder?"

Her question was so specific, so much so that it was impossible to talk her way around it. The only way out of this was to lie, but even Amari knew that it wouldn't be easy. This woman seemed really good at interrogation.

Hawks on the other hand was incredibly distressed. There was no way she would convince that woman if Bakugo lied. She even saw through his lies. That girl was done for..

Closing her eyes for a moment, Hawks closed his eyes as well before she replied as smooth and plain as the girl could muster. "I didn't."

Luckily it sounded convincing enough, the woman boring into her for a couple more moments before her lips turned back into that light smile. "Very well. Apologies for being so forward. Now that that's all cleared up.."

Blinking in confusion, the president then started to back away, her voice lighter than before. "I must say, I read through your file at U.A. and you are truly special Bakugo. I mean, going undercover for the league, helping in a Yakuza raid, that incident in Kyushu. It seems like your reputation precedes you."

Feeling whiplash from this conversation, Amari seemingly tried to keep up. First she was threatened and now she was admiring her? "I don't really understand what you're trying to say.."

Yet that's when the woman placed her hands on the desk behind her before giving the girl a knowing grin. "I would like to offer you a spot in the commission once you graduate from U.A."

Widening her eyes in utter shock, Hawks seemed to do the same thing, except it wasn't in excitement. No, it was in horror. That woman, she was trying to cage Bakugo, wasn't she? "W-What?"

The president only nodded back though, her voice cunningly smooth. "We need people like you in our organization, the type of special heroes that can really change the world. I think you are more than qualified for that, don't you?"

And that's when Hawks did something uncharacteristically for himself, he spoke back. "Wait wait wait, hold on there president. Bakugo is impressive, sure, but do you really think she'll be able to fit with the rest of us?"

A look of hurt crossed Amari's face at his words, causing Hawks' eyes to fall. _Don't look at me like that. I'm trying to save you kid. _

Although the president didn't seem to have a problem with his outburst, using it to her advantage. "Don't underestimate her Hawks. I fully believe that she is capable of great things. So, what do you say dear?."

Amari began to look away from the woman before muttering. "Well I..I.."

The president smiled back at that, immediately going for the kill. "Whatever you desire can be yours my dear. Whatever dream you have, the commission can make it a reality. You must have one of those, don't you?"

Feeling her throat run dry, Bakugo ran an anxious hand through her hair. "I guess I haven't really thought about that.."

Reaching behind her, the woman then pulled out a piece of paper before replying smoothly. "Of course you have. Whatever you wish, for you and your brother both."

Then she read the contents all at once, causing Amari's eyes to widen. "Such as opening up a joint agency, for example."

Focusing her eyes, Bakugo stuttered back, dumbfounded. "Wait, how do you know about that?"

Yet that's when she showed Hawks and Amari the paper she was holding, now recognizing her brother's handwriting from that questionnaire. "I keep it in my best interests to get to know our future heroes. Your goal is quite impossible, that is without my help."

And Amari knew this quite well, already explaining her concerns to Katsuki a couple days ago. Without the support of the people, they weren't ever going to get anywhere. What she was saying could offer them a chance to succeed, a chance for her brother to succeed.

Knowing the woman had hit Amari in her weakness, Hawks felt his hands ball into fists. He hated this, he hated just having to stand there and watch the president so obviously use her manipulation tactics on her. He needed to say something, need to help her so that she didn't end up caged like him.

That's when the hero opened his mouth once again, the words pouring out without a second thought. He needed something to get that woman off her back. "Hold on there president. I think you're getting ahead of yourself there. I've seen it myself. Bakugo is reckless and unable to follow orders. I promise you, she won't be a good addition to the commission."

Bakugo couldn't help but turn to him in disbelief at that and the bird already knew what she was thinking. She probably felt betrayed that he was insulting her but now wasn't really the time. Hawks needed to get the president disinterested, and quickly. It wasn't like he actually believed those words.

Scoffing loudly, Amari's eyes narrowed to a glare before shaking her head. "With all due respect, I disagree with Hawks' words."

That caused the hero to point towards her in accusation. "See, this is what I'm talking about! I warn you president, she's not an easy person to get along with. You'll surely have problems. I should know, I've been training her myself."

He silently begged her to shut her mouth at that, but unfortunately his prayers never reached her, the girl only laughing bitterly. "Oh really? Isn't that a little hypocritical for you bird boy? Given your track record after all."

Pleading back immediately, the hero began to speak again before the president decided to cut him off, already over this little display. "I agree with Bakugo. I know potential when I see it, and this child has a great amount of it.

The woman's eyes then immediately turned into a glare, signaling the hero to shut up or else. It was most definitely a threat in all senses of the word. "Or you are saying you don't approve of my judgement, Hawks?"

Taking an invisible step back, the hero silently cursed to himself before being forced to withdraw, his eyes falling slightly. "No, of course not."

Once realized she had tamed him, the president then reached into her suit pocket before holding a small business card out to Amari. "We will be hosting a small press conference in a couple days about Sato Kazumi and I would love to introduce our possible new agent to the world. I thought you'd like to be there, given your similarities to the victim."

The girl slowly accepted the card before the woman continued, low and smooth. "Think about my words and call me if you'd like to participate. I will await your response. That is all, you may leave now."

Looking down at the business card, Amari found the woman's number staring back at her, causing the small girl to bow once before leaving, much to Hawks' dismay.

This was bad, this was so bad.

He needed to fix this and fast.

* * *

Following her out of the building, Hawks noticed a familiar shade of blonde before using his wings to catch up with her, his voice pleading. "Bakugo, wait! You need to hear me out for a second!"

His voice caused Amari to stop all at once, her voice serious and hurt. "Just go away Hawks. I don't want to talk to you."

Although he followed neither of those instructions, instead deciding to speak out again. "I know..I know...but you need to listen to me! You can't join the commission…"

His words poured into Bakugo all at once before giving her enough strength to turn around, those painful mistakes rushing back to her all at once. "Right, because you think I'm not cut for it, right? It's nice to finally know how you really felt about me.."

At that, his eyes widened, recalling the cruel things he said about her in order to get the president to reconsider. "Wait wait wait, it's not like that okay? I only said that to get that woman off your back. You don't know what you're signing yourself up for, alright? I was trying to help you…"

Yet Amari could only laugh at that, dry and sarcastic. "It's funny that you think I will ever believe a word you say again. Go manipulate someone else, I'm done with your games Hawks."

Cursing to himself, the bird flapped his wings in anxiety. "Okay, I know how you feel but I'm not lying, okay? I'm really trying to save you this time. I didn't mean those words back there."

This caused Bakugo to narrow her eyes, cruelty in her next words. "Of course you didn't, because you never mean any of your words, do you? Everything you've ever said was just to get me to trust you, so you see how believing your words now would be kinda impossible?"

Nodding back sadly, the hero then began to lift his hands out towards her in exasperation. "I get that, I really do but you gotta understand chickadee..."

Yet Amari only hissed back a moment later. "I already said don't call me that anymore."

Hawks flinched at her tone before replying back sadly. "Bakugo, you just can't join the commission. I know it sounds great and everything but.."

Shaking her head, the girl huffed. "I don't think you have the right to tell me what to do anymore. First All for One and now you. I'm sick of it, I'm sick of your empty words. I'm sick of falling for it again!"

At that villain's name, Hawks stood dumbfounded. "I know you're hurt, and I fully understand that but you are really frustrating me kid! Back then, I just did what I had to do and..!"

Staring at him with disbelief, Amari echoed back mockingly. "Did what you had to do? You've got to be kidding me with that self righteous bullshit. Someone is dead Hawks! You could've done anything to help him but instead you stood by while I had to….!"

Not even being able to finish the sentence, Bakugo decided to start another. "This is ridiculous, why am I even talking to you about this? You obviously don't care."

The amount of hurt that coursed through her eyes after that created a sharp hole in his chest, having no choice but to allow her to continue. "You know, I was really happy when you believed in me as a hero. Every empty lie you said really meant the world to me, you know that?"

That's when she bitterly chuckled to herself. "I guess that just shows how stupid I really am, doesn't it? I know it didn't mean anything to you, but even still, I couldn't help but be happy when you at least pretended to like me. That's more than I usually get anyways."

Shoving her hand in her pockets, she heard Hawks' pleading reply, the girl closing her eyes at the sound. "Chicka...Bakugo, I'm sorry, I really am but it wasn't all lies, okay? I really do care about ya."

Bakugo only turned her head away at that. "Well if that's true, you have a pretty screwed up way of showing it bird boy. Too bad I can't tell what's true or not anymore."

And that hurt the hero, watching the dejected and sullen eyes he was responsible for.

No, he couldn't think about this right now, there were more important matters to worry about.. "I..I'm really serious here. Forget everything that's happened for a moment. Just give me that card, okay? It's better this way."

Feeling the card in her pocket, Amari began to wrap her fingers around the paper before huffing. She hated that he was trying to coax her into this. Whether it was a lie or not, she didn't want to believe anything out of his mouth again. "Don't tell me what to do Hawks."

The hero's wings began to flap in anxiety before stepping forward. He needed to get that card so the president couldn't wrap her claws around this girl. "Just give me the damn card Bakugo. Stop being difficult and listen to me..!"

Reaching forward, Amari immediately pulled the object back. He was really starting to piss her off with his demands. "Don't you dare. It's my decision, not yours!"

Hawks shook his head at that, speaking back roughly. "No, you can't. You are not calling that number. I won't let you."

Ticking her brow in annoyance, the girl hissed. "Don't you dare act like you care right now! I see through your lies. That's bullshit and you know it."

Over his pompous and demanding attitude, Amari then reached into her pocket before quickly dialing the number in front of him, a knowing glare on her face as she spoke into the phone. "The press conference. I'll be there."

Widening his eyes in disbelief, Hawks then watched as Bakugo hung up the phone before ending the call and turning away, hurt in her expression as she left.

"Sorry but my choices are not yours to control anymore."

* * *

Oop, welp we have the commission president trying to use Amari for something. And poor Hawks is trying to warn but it's like a "the boy who cried wolf" situation where she just doesn't believe him.

Also points for anyone that remembers what's in Amari's dresser, the same dresser she told Katsuki to look in for her study guide. That will come into play later.

Also points to Todo for respecting his girl. We stan.

Next Chapter: The press conference.


	86. S5 Chapter 14

Hello! Ashley here! The press conference will be next chapter cause I underestimated how long this setup would take. Don't worry, this one is a mighty spicy meatball of the chapter as well though. Aright, I'll see myself out. Enjoy the angst!

* * *

Sighing heavily to herself, Amari ascended the steps of the dorms quietly, careful not to wake anyone as it was still early morning.

She did end up passing Deku on the way though, the boy working on his usual weekend training. Luckily he didn't pester her for too long though, obviously seeing the heavy bags around her eyes.

So much had happened in the last twenty four hours and Bakugo was grateful to finally go back to her dorm and distract herself from her own incoming doom and roaming thoughts.

After really thinking about the events from last night, Amari had already tried to contact Dabi multiple times due to his uncharacteristic behavior that he displayed before. He had even saved her life. It was strange to say the least and she really wanted answers.

And then there was that bird..

Hawks was most certainly pissed at her for agreeing to attend the press conferences but she honestly didn't really care how he felt. That man had broken her heart into a thousand tiny pieces after all, still trying to coax her decisions like he always did. That action itself couldn't help but pissed her off even more though.

Although, that was a topic for another day.

Opening the door to her room, Amari began to take off her shoes before taking one step in. Ah, home at last..

Just then, a small rustle of movement was seen on her bed, causing the girl to immediately panic. Who the hell had broken into her room?! Was it Dabi, All of One, a combination of the three?

She wasn't sure but the terror was multiplying by the second, now jumping out of her skin and letting out a shrill scream along with a string of profanities. She couldn't help it, this stranger had completely caught her off guard. "AHHH what the hell, who do you think you are, breaking into my room?! You..!"

Already gripping her shoe in order to throw it at the attacker, she was suddenly paused when the light clicked on next to her, revealing Katsuki staring back at her. "O-Oh, Katsuki, it's you. What the hell, you gave me a heart attack."

The girl began to laugh at her own worry when she quickly noticed that her brother was not doing the same. In fact, he was just staring back at her with a heavy frown, his legs dangling over her bed in silent wait. That was weird. "Uhhh Hey, are you okay? I don't think I've ever seen you this quiet before..."

He only continued to stare though, causing Amari to rub the back of her neck in anxiety, finally hearing his voice for the first time. It was smooth, so chillingly smooth. "Would you like to explain this?"

Twisting her brow in confusion, she then watched as Katsuki pulled something from behind him back in order to show her. Although her confusion turned into pure terror the moment she recognized the objects in his hand. They were her pills, the ones she had hid yesterday.

Katsuki gripped the bottle in his hands, his fingers running along the top as his teeth clicked together, an obvious sign that he was trying to hold it together. "I need you to fucking explain why you still have these damn things…"

It was obvious he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, causing Amari's eyes to fall. He was going to misunderstand if she didn't straighten this out. "Why were you in my drawers?"

Yet it seemed like the boy was too unhinged for her to logically answer, his brow turning down. "You told me the wrong drawer for the study guide, so I went looking in the others."

Silently cursing to herself, Amari recalled her conversation after her moment with Todoroki. She was so scatterbrain that the girl didn't even bother to think of that possibility. She told him the wrong drawer so naturally he would start looking in others.

Placing her hands out in defense, she shakily replied. "K-Katsuki, it's not what you think."

Although that seemed to be the snapping point for the brother, the boy's pent up rage and grief overtook him without a second notice as he clutched the bottle. She didn't even know how terrified he was seeing these things again, she didn't understand just how useless it made him feel.

Amari moved to open her mouth again, causing Bakugo to growl before throwing the glass bottle next to her right shoulder, the object shattering to pieces just a couple feet away from her as she jumped. "You got to be fucking kidding me Amari!"

Seething through his teeth, her brother stood from her bed before replying, fast and slightly terrified. "I swear to God, if you're using them again...What ever happened to being stronger then these damn things, whatever happened to not letting that bastard control you, huh?!"

He was taking things way too far, causing Bakugo to snap out of her blurred reality in order to reason with him. "Whoa, hold on. I already said it isn't like that, okay?! Let me explain myself for a minute before you start freaking out, will you?!"

Yet it seemed her brother was too far gone, only snapping back. "What, so you can justify that asshole using you again?! Are you going to tell me the same thing you did at that training camp, cause I don't wanna hear it.."

Grunting in frustration, Amari shook her head. "No, you idiot, that's not it at all…"

Katsuki was quick to reply though, recalling the objects that were shoved in the bottom of her drawer. "If that's not true then why were you trying to hide them, huh?! How much of a goddamn idiot do you think I am.."

He wasn't listening to her, and although that was normal Bakugo Katsuki behavior, a tick of annoyance catching in the back of her throat. "Apparently a big one because you're not listening to a goddamn thing I'm saying! I'm not justifying shit, stop putting words in my mouth!"

Amari knew it was wrong to escalate his anger but the girl couldn't help it. She was very clearly trying to tell him the truth and yet he was too stubborn to even take the time to hear her out. Call that a twin flaw though as she knew she was guilty of the same thing sometimes.

Taking another step forward, Katsuki then reached down before grabbing his sister by the collar lifting her up in order to quell his hate. "Tell me, what did I even fucking do wrong..?"

Amari widening her eyes at that, she heard her brother's voice waver just slightly, showing the true pain behind his words. "Was I really not good enough, so much so that you would really trust that bastard villain over your own damn brother again…?!"

And in that moment, Amari saw the true meaning behind his outburst. He wasn't pissed like she had originally intended. No, he somehow felt like her pills were his fault, because she couldn't rely on him.

It was enough for the anger to completely dissipate from her eyes, sorrow taking its place immediately. "Katsuki, I need you to listen to me for a second, okay? It's not what you think, I didn't hide those pills in order to hurt you.."

Not fully understanding, her brother began to tighten his grip on her shirt, a thousand of unsaid words passing between them. "What the hell are you saying?"

Sighing back heavily, that's when Amari averted her eyes. She couldn't lie anymore, not to those who loved her. Todoroki had taught her that much. "All for One, he's been contacting me the last couple months, sending me things in order to make me go back to him. The pills are just one of his tactics. Yesterday you knocked on my door before I could get rid of them so that's why they were in the drawers.."

Katsuki took in her words one by one before a look of pure devastation crossed his face, now placing his sister back onto her feet without a single thought. "That bastard is still contacting you?"

Nodding at his question, Amari replied plainly. "I've just been ignoring it, but it seems that his threats are only getting worse as time goes on. His last gift was even placed in front of my door yesterday.."

She watched her brother face morph into one of horror, then his hands balled into fists. Just what that bastard succeeded in doing while he wasn't paying attention? He needed to protect her better, he needed to be stronger for her. " And why the hell am I just hearing this now?! If that crusty face bastard is trying to get to you, don't you think I wanna know?!"

Although that's when Amari smiled sadly, for the first time trying to be more open with her own feelings, to honestly portray her thoughts and fears to him.

It felt foreign, and unnatural to say the least. "I just didn't want you to get hurt, that's all. I know you Katsuki, if I told you about this then you would've stopped at nothing to track All for One down, right?"

Bakugo then began to grumble to himself, his eyes twisting into a frown. "Can you blame me? I don't want that asshole anywhere around you again."

Recalling back to her own kidnapping during the sports festival along with Dabi's words, the girl answered back sadly. "And it's the same for me. They know that you're my weakness Katsuki, they know I'd do anything for you. So that's why I have to be careful, to make sure you don't end up hurt. I won't be able to stand it.."

To most people, her words and logic seemed silly but to Bakugo, he knew his sister better than anyone. He knew that she never trusted easily, given the physiological torture from her childhood and that she always felt the need to save everyone and everything she could.

That's just how her brain worked and as much as he disliked it, Bakugo just couldn't be mad that she was trying to open up to him finally.

Katsuki paused then, almost like he was taking in her words before sighing roughly. He hated it, but she was right. "I get it, but that doesn't give you an excuse to do everything yourself, alright?"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, the boy continued. "I know how you are also you damn brat. You always try to carry the whole goddamn world on your shoulders. I hate it, always have..."

Then he gave her a knowing look before lowering his voice just slightly. "And I know I'm hotheaded, loud and a pretty shit brother after everything that's happened but I'm not that damn fragile."

Amari's eyes widened as she felt a warm hand to her head, gentle and light. "So if you're going through something then I wanna know about it, alright? I can't promise I won't get mad or pissed about it but I can promise that we will work through it together, you got that?"

His words were so immediately gentle, something that she had only seen from her brother a couple times. In fact, a couple months ago he wouldn't have been caught dead saying these kinds of things. But now, now they fully understood each other as twins should have.

It was overwhelming, finally being able to express her feelings so openly and having them accepted. This was so new and strange, almost like it was too good to be true.

Although that's when the events from last night poured into her mind, the weight of her reality crashing down all around her as her expression dropped

She needed to tell him, she didn't know how he would respond but he needed to know how much she was hurting. "Katsuki, there is something I have to tell you…"

And so she did, she told him about everything that happened last night including All for One, Dabi and Kazumi's untimely death. When she was finished, the air was simply silent, wondering how her brother was going to take it.

He looked to be taking in her words, a blank expression across his face and Amari almost began to regret the decision to tell him. Perhaps he would hate her now, perhaps he would never touch her again.

Although that's when he reached out his arms, wrapping her in his embrace as his gentle words echoed through her ears, the boy's voice breaking on each word as he spoke them. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Widening her eyes, his apology wasn't something she would have expected from Katsuki, in fact it was one of the last things she would've guessed would ever come out from his lips, but here it was plain as day.

On Katsuki's side though, the boy was just utterly heartbroken after hearing about the things she was forced to do. Bakugo had always promised to protect her and yet he had instead had only let her life be filled with tragedy and sorrow.

He needed to be better, he needed to make sure things like this wouldn't ever happen again.

Amari then placed her hands on her brother's chest, the warmth calming her immediately and wanting to give him the same. "You're here now."

Although her brother only responded by squeezing her tighter, willing to protect her from anyone or anything in future. "Yeah, you're damn right."

* * *

The next day, Amari walked into Endeavor's office only to see the man preoccupied with some paperwork at his desk, far too busy to even notice her presence in the slightest. Being made the number one hero was really taking a toll on him, huh?

It honestly made her slightly guilty, knowing he would have to take even more time away in order to train her. If only that bird had screwed her over, then she could've given him a break. "Things are busy as always I see."

This made him look up, placing his pen down for a moment in order to answer. "There you are Bakugo. I'm just finishing up here."

Although the girl only put her hands up immediately. "Oh no, don't worry about it. Take your time. I know you have a lot on your plate. I'm sorry that you got stuck training me again."

Yet Endeavor only frowned at that, slamming the reports he was working on with the other stacks. "It's what I agreed on in the first place after all. I wouldn't have brought you back if I couldn't handle it. Now be quiet so I can finish."

Although his actions seemed otherwise, the girl noticed the heavy bags under his eyes as he spoke. That's when she noticed a single blue flower on his desk, sticking out from the rest of his plain attire.

Moving up to it, the girl smelled the flower before smirking. "I never thought you were a flower person Endeavor. How cute."

The man couldn't help but groan at that though, answering half heartedly. "Would you stop that, it's not mine. I just haven't had a chance to deliver it yet."

She watched him scribble down another word as Amari's eyes turned in confusion. Who could he possibly be buying flowers for? Did he have some kind of new girlfriend or something?

Although that's when she noticed the tag on the flower pot along with Rei's name printed in the center. Wait, these were for Todoroki's mother? She didn't know he was seeing her now.

Seeing the carefully placed flower, Amari couldn't help but smile, a course of emotions entering her at the same time. He was really trying to patch things up with everyone huh? "These are for Todoroki's mom, right?"

The look on his face was utterly priceless at her words, the man himself turning his face away in slight embarrassment. It was something she hadn't seen from Endeavor before. "Stop sticking your nose in everyone's business, would you?"

So much so that the girl couldn't help but smile even wider. "Aww come on Endeavor. You don't have to be embarrassed. It's just me. I think it's really sweet that you bought her flowers."

Yet the man seemed less than pleased at her response. "I don't care what you think, just drop it already. If you can't shut your mouth then I'm going to kick you out."

Amari didn't really take his threat seriously though, now looking towards the large amount of papers on his desk. That would take a couple hours and the hospital's visiting hours were far less than that. He'd never deliver them on time at this rate.

Because of that, Bakugo decided to open her mouth again, pointing to the flowers in question. "If you want, I can deliver them for you. Seems like it's gonna take you some time to finish all that paperwork anyways. That way you don't have to rush."

The words flowed into Endeavor immediately, causing him to put down his pen in order to scold her for speaking out again. Although once he actually heard her words, he couldn't help but stop.

She was expecting him to thank her or be grateful for her help although it seemed like the girl imagined too much, now watching Endeavor sigh roughly. "If it will get you out of my hair, fine. "

Ticking her brow in annoyance, Amari immediately gathered the flowers before frowning. That tsundere asshole, he could at least thank her for doing this for him. "Just for that I'm taking the long way."

She knew what he was doing already though from the small amount of sadness in his eyes. Endeavor obviously was still thinking about last night and how she literally broke down in front of him.

He was probably just trying to offer her a little bit of their usual banter, so that she could somehow feel normal again for a moment. One look of his face could easily tell her that, and somehow she was grateful for it.

Although she couldn't help but smile under her breath at the interaction. Sure his words were rough but she also knew he was grateful as well. That's just how he was. "See ya old man."

Amari then made her way towards the door only for Endeavor to call back roughly. "By the way, what is this I hear about you joining the commission? You better not be falling for that woman's blackmail.."

Yet that's when Bakugo could only smirk, a knowing and cynical look on her face at his words. "Oh Endeavor, it's like you don't know me at all."

* * *

Opening the door to Todoroki's mother's room, Amari took in the usual crystal clean format of the room before noticing the woman herself seated in the corner. She looked to be writing some kind of a letter with a small smile gracing her lips. She looked well, and for that Amari was thankful.

She gently closed the object before holding the flowers up in her hands, smiling softly towards the woman as they met eyes. "Delivery!"

Rei seemed to brighten up at that, processing her words before putting her pen down lightly. "Bakugo, what a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you."

The softness in her tone caused the girl to take a step forward in question. "Hello Mrs Todoroki, sorry for bursting in on you like this. I just came to deliver these flowers to you."

Although that's when Amari noticed the very same colored flowers sitting on Rei's window sill, slightly wilted and losing their petals. Had Endeavor given flowers like this before? She thought it was the first time..

Rei's eyes followed hers though before voicing her questions. "He's been sending them to me every week, right when the petals start to wilt so I can replace them. You know, these are my favorite flowers."

The smile that ghosted her lips was so sweet that it made Amari's eyes widened. Endeavor was really trying to patch things up, wasn't he? He was even going out of his way to bring flowers to Rei every single week. The dedication was admirable to say the least.

Turning her head, the girl replied. "That's really sweet of him. Actually, when I asked about them he seemed to get all embarrassed. It was really a sight to see."

Rei couldn't help but giggle at that, slight nostalgia in her eyes. "Yes, he used to be like that. In fact, when we were first arranged by our quirks, Enji would always bring me flowers. He used to be so gentle.."

She spoke about him so sweetly, almost like all of the torture and abuse she went through was just a distant vivid dreams. It made Amari want to learn more, although she was afraid to cross a line. "What made him change so much, if you don't mind me asking?"

The woman was silent for a moment, taking in her words before Rei's eyes saddened slightly, replacing the old flowers with the new words. "I suppose he just got lost along the way. I didn't know much about his family but they were very strict. They put a lot of pressure on him to be number one, so much so that it changed him to be like that…"

Trailing off, Rei's expression dropped as Bakugo immediately snapped her back out of it, not wanting to cause a panic attack. "It's okay, you don't have to talk about it. I didn't mean to push you.."

A small silence echoed then before Todoroki's mother closed her eyes, an apologetic look on her face. "I apologize Bakugo. I'm still afraid of him in a way, but I also know how hard he's been trying for his family."

It was like a constant generation of hate and she was lucky that Shoto never went down that path.

Yet she was taken out of her thoughts when Rei turned back towards her, a knowing look on her face. "You as well, I know how hard he's trying to for you also.."

Amari began to think about her words after that, seemingly starting to make sense of their situation. If Endeavor's parents were really that strict then that would have instilled those same ideas into him as a boy.

Just then, Amari felt a light hand cup her cheek softly, now meeting the concerned eyes of Todoroki's mother. "Are you alright, dear? You look tired."

Blinking his surprise at the action, Rei then immediately retracted her hand, a look of embarrassment and shame crossing her features at the same time. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just something I used to do for Toya, that's all.."

At Toya's name, Amari brightened up, letting the woman continue softly. "It may be silly but, you remind me of him sometimes…"

Although Bakugo didn't think it was silly at all. If only she knew how similar they were half the time. "I don't think it's silly at all. I mean, that's why Endeavor likes me so much anyways.."

Yet she was surprised when Todoroki's mother frowned back. "I don't think that's completely true Bakugo. I've seen him on TV, how he cares for you, and I think it's more than just a simple resemblance."

Amari had other ideas though, already knowing that the only reason Endeavor liked her was because he didn't have Toya. If his son returned, then he would have no use for her anymore. It would certainly make dying easier though. "Yeah, I don't know about that.."

Then taking the opportunity, Bakugo changed the conversation to something she could possibly use. "Anyways, you used to do that for Toya, how so?"

Rei seemed to notice her desperation to get off the subject though, her hands now touching one of the blue petals. "That poor boy went through so much, he had a lot on him and tried to shoulder it all himself.."

Feeling that familiarly in her words, Amari remained silent as the woman continued with sadness. "So whenever he was upset or angry, I would place my hand on his face and ask if he was alright. I know it wasn't much and it probably didn't help but, that was all I could do…"

Amari then remembered the cool feeling of Rei's hand on her skin, about how it calmed her down almost immediately. Perhaps this is what Toya felt as well, why he was so close to his mother.

In fact, Bakugo herself had never felt a motherly touch like hers before. She loved her own mom sure, but Mitsuki was never one to do anything gently, unless it was out of pity. "I'm sure it did help."

That seemed to bring a smile to her lips, hoping that Amari's words were indeed true. "Well, I'm not sure about that but thank you. Hearing you say that makes me want to believe it's the truth."

Just then Amari's phone buzzed in her back pocket only to receive a text from Endeavor to come back to his agency. He must have finished all that paperwork and had finally made some room for her training.

Placing the phone back, Bakugo then bowed to the woman. "I'm sorry to cut this short but Endeavor wants me back for training. It was nice seeing you Mrs. Todoroki."

Although the woman didn't seem to have any problems with that. "Not all all. As I said before, it was a lovely surprise. If you don't mind, please tell Shoto I said hi as well."

Nodding back, Amari couldn't help but smile at that. "Of course, I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

This brought a bit of life into Rei's eyes, watching Bakugo leave as she called back lightly. "And Bakugo, continue to take care of them, alright?"

Widening her eyes, Amari took in Rei's words before fully realizing her words. She meant to take care of the rest of her family, to continue to watch over them like she had been doing.

And because of that, Bakugo couldn't help but smile, already knowing that she would do anything for not just Shoto, but the entire Todoroki family as well. "I will."

* * *

Sighing to herself, Amari walked back towards the agency silently, staring at her phone as she did so. Still no response from Dabi, but that was to be expected. The man never liked to answer on her terms, did he?

She began to play his words from last night in her head over and over before twisting her brow in confusion. Sure, at first glance he just looked like some sick bastard who took joy in torturing her, but she wasn't sure that's all it was.

In fact, all throughout her fight with Kazumi, Dabi always seemed to have something to say, like he was trying to prove some kind of messed up point to her or something.

And then, when he had the chance to kill her, he stopped it instead. It was strange to say the least, Amari not knowing how to take it. Perhaps he felt bad about his choices, she wasn't completely sure though. Whatever it is, she needed to speak to him again. He wasn't going to scare her away that easily.

Although she was suddenly silenced when a large hand wrapped around her mouth, immediately pulling the girl against her attackers chest. What the hell, she should've paid more attention, what was going on?!

Struggling against the large presence, Amari tried to use her quirk only for the stranger to beat her to it, already seemingly knowing her power and twisting her hands behind her back and away from him. Shit, his person knew who she was, that couldn't be good.

Just then, her body was rammed face first into the nearest alley wall with max force, the girl gritting her teeth in the process. Whoever they were, they were pissed.

Going to kick their legs Bakugo was stopped when they tightened her arms in even more discomfort, almost daring her to try to make the first move. His height and build had already completely incapacitated her.

And that's when she heard his voice, his very familiar voice. "Remember when I said that someday your pathetic attempts would stop being amusing. Well, it looks like you just ran out of luck sweetheart."

This was obviously supposed to intimate her, but after hearing who was actually holding her, a breath of relief escaped her lips. "What's with the sudden violence Dabi, is that supposed to intimate me?"

She laughed to herself as Dabi slammed her face back into the wall with no mercy, shutting her up right away. "Keep laughing little Bakugo, because this is the last day for you. My enjoyment has officially run out."

Amari didn't fully understand why he was acting this way, mostly because her usual view of Dabi was so chill and uncaring. But this, this was something else entirely. No, he seemed unhinged here, what had gotten into him?

Muttering loudly against the brick, Bakugo called back. "Wow, who spit in your coffee today.? You're acting more edgy teenager then usual Dabi.."

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat though as Amari's body was then seemingly ripped away from the wall before he slammed her body on the ground just as forcibly, knocking all the air out of her lungs in the process.

Gasping out a painful breath, she didn't even have a moment to think before Dabi placed a forceful foot to her chest, now towering above her with absolute intent. "I don't think you understand the position you're in right now sweetheart. You see, this is where you die today.."

Amari fully knew she could've used her quirk on him at any moment, yet she chose to withdraw instead, wanting to know just what was making him act this way. If she fought back then it would lead to nothing. "Really, and why is that?"

She got her response when Dabi pressed his boot even deeper in her chest, causing the air in her lungs to escape. "Because, I refuse to play your game anymore. Your annoying constant goal, it's really pissing me off, you know that? I can't even think anymore without having your irritating voice in my head."

That's when Bakugo paused. Wait, was he getting affected by her words, was it actually working? She wasn't sure but at least he was thinking about them. "Toya.."

Although at his old name, the man seemed to snap, moving his boot up to her face before bringing it down forcefully on her head. If he kept this up, he was going to crush her skull, and Amari knew it.. "Stop it, stop with that goddamn name, would you?! It's nothing, it means nothing to me…"

Pushing further into her skull, Amari gasped in pain before immediately letting her hands glow with gold matter and placing them onto his leg,

This caused his nerves to restart long enough for her to back away a couple feet. Shit, was he really trying to kill her this time?! This wasn't good.

Dabi's shoulders began to slump at her defiance before letting his hands erupt in blue fire, welcoming the challenge. "I should've known this wouldn't be easy. No matter, I don't mind having a little fun before we end things."

Scrambling to her feet, Bakugo prepared her quirk before huffing back. "Come on Dabi, it doesn't have to be like this.. Can't we just talk like normal people?"

Although that was shortly silenced when a wave of scolding blue fire made its way towards her, Amari had to put up a shield in order to block it.

Yet, right when the flame made contact, Bakugo's shield shattered. Crap, his quirk was really strong, and Dabi seemed to know it, only smirking back. "Oh please, you and I both know we're far from normal. Who's fault do you think that is, huh?"

Twisting her brow in confusion, Amari took in his uncharacteristic words before wanting to push further.

She was curious to see what this Dabi would do, considering how he was locked up most of the time in Toya's own mind. "I don't know, you tell me since you think you know so much."

And this caused the man to growl before spitting back. "You know exactly who's fault it is. It doesn't matter how much you try, there will always be more Kazumi's, there will always be more of you and me sweetheart. People like us were only made to be stepped on and used time and time again. That's just how the cycle goes..."

The amount of utter hurt and pain in his voice didn't go unnoticed to the girl, Amari speaking out in reason. "That's why I'm going to stop it, stop the cycle.."

Yet that only got the villain to chuckle, his voice full of spite as he readied another attack. "This is why you're an idiot. You can't stop it. It's been going on for years. They say that they are so righteous and yet push away the people that don't meet their damn standards. To them, you are either used or thrown away."

Trying to process everything about this moment, it was almost like Dabi didn't have a filter anymore, like he was just bluntly speaking out how hurt he was and Amari didn't know how to take it. This kind of Dabi was new to her. It was rough, childish and foreign, almost like Toya was in her mind.

Although in her desperate need to process his actions, Bakugo didn't have time to react as the man himself raced up to her, his height towering over as he placed a burning hand on her arm, pulling her roughly towards him. "They all should just go away, they all need to disappear. And that's why you're going with them sweetheart. I'll send a message that will clearly turn that godforsaken hero society upside down.."

Struggling against his tight grip, Amari cried out in pain before answering back quickly. "D-Dabi, I understand what you mean but killing isn't the answer. There has to be a better way to go about this.."

This only earned another chuckle from the man though, forcing his grip to become even tighter on the girl, almost as if he was threatening to break a bone. "What are you saying, this is the only way. This is the only way we can change anything! Those heroes, they made us into this, do you not understand?!"

He lowered his voice then, the eyes of a Todoroki boring into her. "Burn it down, I'm going to burn it to the ground so that everyone knows what kind of mistakes they've made. They won't be able to sweep us under the run anymore, I will make them realize that, no matter who I have to cremate to do it.."

Lifting a hand, Dabi placed his blue flames incredibly close to her face, the heat from her skin twitching immediately. It was like he was daring her to say a wrong word now. "S-Stop it, this isn't you, somewhere deep down you know that. You're hurt and it's overtaking you. I would know.."

Although that seemed to be the wrong answer, Bakugo feeling her head getting slammed into the ground once again in a single moment, the man's voice course against her face as he leaned down over her. "See, this is why I hate you."

Amari wasn't finished though, firing back with a groan. "Do you really hate me, or do you hate what I remind you of?"

Dabi's face seemed to drop in surprise then, his cynical expression melting away as she guessed his true intentions. He just wanted to get rid of her because she was attached to Todoroki, because she was making him think about his past. That meant it was working, he was listening to her..

And even though she had figured out the reasons for his sudden change in attitude, it certainly didn't stop his burning fingers from forcefully gripping her face, the sting ever noticeable now.

Lowering his eyes, a lazy smile appeared then. "That's right. I hate everything you represent Bakugo. If I get rid of you, I get rid of everything. Now don't you see why you have to die?"

Yet Amari couldn't help but push further, realizing that whether it was good or bad, Dabi was being affected by her attempts after all. "Oh please, all you're trying to do is run away again Toya.."

And that seemed to be the breaking point for the villains, his scolding hands now gripping her throat with no mercy, the emptiness in his eyes ever telling. "Shut up, I already said not to use that name! That name is dead, that boy is dead…"

Feeling the air leave her lungs agonizingly slow, black spots started to appear in her vision as Bakugo fought consciousness. It couldn't end here, she was finally getting somewhere with him.

Dabi on the other hand felt his strong hands between her throat, along with the slight shake that came with it. Finally, finally he was going to be free, he was finally going to kill that last part of himself. Just a bit more…

Although when he blinked again, he couldn't help but notice his mind shift from Bakugo laying there to his old self, crying out as he desperately tried to end him. No, he couldn't be weak, not this time. That part of him was dead, it had to be dead.

He vaguely heard Amari's voice whisper out to him in desperate plea, although all he could hear was his own voice, the voice of a small red haired child that was clinging onto him. Why did she have to be like him, why did she have to tear him apart in this kind of way?!

It had to end, it needed to end..

Suddenly, his thoughts were silenced immediately as a warm gentle hand reached up and cupped his face, the fingers lovingly placed as he recalled his mother doing the same thing so long ago.

Blinking once, Dabi's eyes then refocused before recognizing Amari's shaking hand reaching out to him, a small smile on her face as she did so.

Even though his hands were around her throat, even though he was about to kill her, why was she smiling so gently? Why wasn't she fighting back, why was she looking through his soul?

He hadn't felt this kind of contact in years, the loving touch of his mother such a far distant memory. Because of that, all of his anger and frustrations seemed to disappear almost immediately, just like when he was a child.

Feeling his fingers loosen around her throat, Amari gasped out a breath before Toya removed them completely, now utterly lost and confused at this sudden wave of emotions. It was just like back in that warehouse.

Bakugo coughed roughly before trying to use her blurred version to see the man, wondering why he let go so suddenly. She had tried the same thing his mother said in a desperate attempt, but maybe it really worked?

Testing her voice, the girl called out quietly. "T-Toya.."

She expected another hit or punch at his name but Amari didn't receive any of those things, the man just staring down at her with an unreadable expression. That girl, why couldn't he get rid of her, why couldn't he ever follow through? It was impossible, he just couldn't do it...

Just then, Amari's phone began to ring in her pocket as Dabi ripped it out of her hands, now noticing the name across the top and glaring. Why out of everyone did it have to be that bastard?

It would've been so easy to have smashed her phone on the floor, to finish her off when no one knew her location. Amari's life was basically in his hands right now considering she couldn't move. He could have ended it right here.

So if that was the case, why did he instead accept the call before speaking to the man he hated more than anyone? "Hey Endeavor, if you're looking for your trainee she's not looking so good. You better get here fast before something unfortunate happens."

Then he hung up the object, already knowing that the man was more than capable of tracking her number. It was only a matter of time till that asshole showed up so he needed leave.

Walking over the Amari, Dabi then placed her phone back in her hand before walking away silently, the girl tried to call back with her raspy voice. "W-Wait, if I change it...if I change the cycle...will you listen to me..?"

This caused the villain to stop, his head looking towards the sky as he sighed roughly. Even still, she was still fighting. It was ridiculous, nothing would change. "Don't waste your breath sweetheart."

And that was the last words between them as Dabi disappeared into the shadow as Bakugo closed her eyes in pain. He really did a number on her, didn't he? The man must've been seriously tormented if he took it out on her like this..

Coughing back, she suddenly felt a hand to her back, lifting her up slowly as Endeavor's voice drowned in her ears, far away and distant. "Bakugo, Hey Bakugo. What the hell happened?! Where's Dabi..?"

Despite her throat being on fire, Amari was able to get out one word, struggling as she did so. It seemed the adrenaline had worn off with her last comment to the villains. "G-Gone."

She felt herself being lifted up, the man muttering something under his breath that sounded like a curse. "I knew I shouldn't have let you out alone. That villain was probably waiting for you.."

Shaking her head Amari rasped back. "I'm okay, r-really.."

Yet Endeavor had other plans, frowning back. "Stop speaking. You might have damaged something. I'm taking you to the hospital, and I better hear no complaints."

This caused Bakugo to shut her mouth, complying with his words as they moved away from the scene quietly. Well, that could've gone better.

Although, what they didn't know was that Dabi couldn't help but watch the interaction with his hands gripping the side of the wall in disbelief at the display of the man he was sworn to hate.

He was just using Bakugo, right? That had to be it, that's all he ever did. The way he held her so gently, the obvious concern.

It was all a trick, wasn't it?

It couldn't be real, he wouldn't believe it.

* * *

Ooooh this one was spicy oof. Dabi is really starting to turn, ever so slightly. The reason he acted so crazy in the end is because after the warehouse scene with Kazumi, the man was going in between his carefree Dabi persona and his real self so this whole meltdown was Dabi on the very edge of Toya, seeing his mask cracking ever so slightly. And when Amari put her hand to his face like his mother, Toya came through for a brief moment.

Also I like giving Endeavor the headcanon that his parents were really abusive and pushy and that led to his change in personality. It doesn't justify his actions but seeing Endeavor's parents turn Endeavor and then Endeavor turn Toya, I think the cycle is interesting.

Next Chapter: Now we have the press conference. Had to set things up and foreshadowing first oops. Also we see how Kenji is taking all this.


	87. S5 Chapter 15

The day of the press conference was widely spoken about around the community and everyone was eager to talk about various crucial events from the past couple days.

Even the president of the commission was going to come out in order to address the recent disappearances that have littered everyone's mind's lately. It was an incredibly sought out day, with hundreds of reporters and journalists circling the scene already.

It was something Amari was not looking forward to, now entering the common area of the dorms quietly in order to grab a quick snack before she left. Being a part of the press conference had led her to get up earlier than usual and the girl was beginning to feel it, now yawning in the process.

There were so many thoughts swirling around in her mind that Bakugo couldn't help but stew about all of them, knowing what kind of day was ahead of her already. It was going to be interesting, that was for sure.

Although she was quickly stopped by a very familiar voice to her left. It was rough and short, causing her to jump almost immediately at the noise. "Oi, stupid, did you hear me?"

The girl held her heart in panic before quickly turning to find her brother staring at her, his hands buried in his pockets and a large duffle bag around the center. "Oh, Hey Katsuki. Sorry I guess I was just spacing out a little bit."

Oh, that's right, he still had his provisional license training going on. That meant that Todoroki would be here soon as well. Ah crap, now she really wanted to see him.

At the thought, Amari couldn't help but look over her shoulder, causing Katsuki to slap her upside the head, immediately knowing where her attention was. "Would you stop looking like a lost puppy, icy hot isn't even here yet. I swear, you two are so freaking annoying."

A light red started to fill her cheeks as the girl immediately pushed his hand away, pouting her cheeks in a huff. "Whaa come on, I wasn't looking for him..."

Yet the boy knew better, already crossing his arms over his chest so that she couldn't reach them. "Bullshit, I know how you both are. I swear, whenever someone even mentions your name anymore, that half hot half cold bastard immediately starts looking around. It's ridiculous."

His explanation about Todoroki couldn't help but bring a look of surprise on his face, not knowing how often the boy actually did that. Perhaps they were kinda the same after all. "Wait, really?"

Nodding back, Katsuki could only scoff. "Yeah, and now I gotta deal with both of you on a regular basis so cut the crap already. You're gonna make me sick."

Her brother's words were rough but Amari couldn't hold back a chuckle, teasing her brother by poking him in the stomach. "Ah come on Katsuki, the future number one hero can't even handle a little flirting? Don't worry, someday you'll find someone that can handle your angry Pomeranian energy…"

At that, she watched Katsuki's face turn into one of absolute rage, his iris's shining with pure annoyance. "Ha?! What the hell did you just say..you better rethink those words, you brat!"

Immediately widening her eyes, Amari began to turn on her heel before sticking her tongue out to her brother roughly. "Sorry, that's not my style.."

Her brother then balled his hands into hard fists before chasing around his sister around the common area, his palms threatening explosions. "I swear, when I get my hands on you..!"

Amari couldn't help but smirk though, dodging his glowing hands with amusement. "Come on, Kacchan, is that the best you got?"

Ticking his brow in fury, the boy growled and threw down another hand causing Amari to squeak in response, just barely missing his attack as he smirked "Oh, now you're dead.."

Running even faster, the girl noticed a familiar head of green hair before immediately pushing him in front of her in order to hide behind his tall shoulders. "Deku, hide me!"

The boy couldn't help but stumble on his feet as he looked over to the scene he just walked into, now seeing his childhood friend with explosions at the ready. "Ahhh, Mari-chan, Kacchan, what is this all about?!"

Although he quickly realized the mood was indeed playful as Amari stuck out her tongue again, mostly to Katsuki's displeasure as he tried to hide his own smile. "Hiding behind that damn nerd isn't gonna help you. I'm gonna make you regret those words."

Deku still seemed slightly afraid though, wondering how Mari-chan could handle such an angry Katsuki, and what led them to this point. "Kacchan, please don't kill your sister."

Using his words to her advantage, Amari began to bat her eyes before giving her best soft voice and "damsel in distress" expression. "Yeah Katsuki, be careful I'm fragile."

Yet her brother could only chuckle at that, already making his way to his sister with full intent, causing another squeak to escape her lips. "Fragile my ass, come here..!"

Then before she had a moment to process it, Katsuki lifted his sister off the floor, much to her displeasure before hearing her gasp of surprise. "Wait wait Katsuki, hold on...you wouldn't dare..!"

Yet just as she said that, her brother plopped her on the sofa before aggressively tickling her sides, causing Amari to let out loud giggles as she tried to slap his hand away. That jerk, this was such an underhanded move. "Okay...Okay….I cave..I cave…I take it back...!"

Almost immediately the torture stopped, causing the girl to huff out a breath as Katsuki triumphantly smirked above her. "I thought so."

Deku couldn't help but watch the scene with amusement, knowing how far the two had gone since the start of school. They really seemed like twins now, and for that the boy was grateful. After everyone that has happened to Amari, the green haired student was happy to see her laughing so joyfully.

Taking another breath, Amari paused when she saw her brother's hand reach out to her in order to help her up, a knowing look on his face. "There, now you don't look all depressed and shit anymore."

The girl couldn't help but blink at that, now fully understanding why her brother had chased her around playfully. He must have wanted her to stop thinking about all that stuff earlier.

She accepted his hand before smiling back softly, a small mutter to her voice. "Thanks.."

Nodding once, the boy then began to turn away before shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's the conference right? That's what got you all damn spacey.."

Amari recalled the conference before letting her eyes fall. She had told Katsuki about the opportunity and offer that the president had offered last night so it must've been obvious to tell she was nervous about it. "Yeah.."

Looking up towards the ceiling, Katsuki then took a breath before crossing his arms. "Listen, whatever you decide, make sure it's your choice, you hear me? No matter what, I'm still going to be number one and you'll be next to me, got that?"

Widening her eyes, the two were suddenly cut off as Aziawa's voice entered the space, his tone low and bored. "Bakugo, the bus is here. Let's go."

Katsuki then uncrossed his arms before placing a warm to her head, turning away from his sister without another word, leaving the girl in shock and confusion. What did he mean by that? Of course this would be her choice.

Then she lowered her eyes before going on the plan in her mind, already knowing what was going to happen today.

_Sorry Katsuki, but I'm about to do something stupid._

* * *

Straightening out her hero costume, Amari sighed heavily as she made her way towards the back of the building where the press conference was being held, The nerves in her system were clearly getting the best of her already and she hoped this would be over quickly.

Although one look from the numerous reporters could tell her it wasn't going to be, now shoving her hands in her pockets before quickly trying to dodge the large group of people. The less she had to deal with before the conference the better. It seemed crowds still weren't her strong suit.

Successfully dodging the flashing lights, Amari slowly slipped into the building before letting out a heavy sigh of relief. Oh good, it seemed she avoided everything for now.

Yet that was short lived as Bakugo suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, her heart dropping into her stomach at the action. Crap, had she missed someone, did she get caught up with another reporter? This was bad, she was gonna freak out.. "Hey.."

Immediately slapping the strangers hand away, Amari flinched before turning around, fear clearly etched in her eyes. She couldn't help it, after the girl's encounter with Dabi, she was still jumpy about these kinds of things. "Get your hands off of me..!"

The hand seemed to retract into his body at that, concern and surprise filling his eyes as Amari recognized his obnoxious red wings already. "Whoa whoa, it's just me kid. I didn't mean to scare ya. Seems that's a bad habit of mine, huh? Sorry about that."

Very quickly, Amari's stance changed from one of fear to one of annoyance, the girl running a hand through her hair in order not to seem as freaked out. "What do you want Hawks?"

Blinking in surprise, Hawks then lifted his wings before his eyes scanned towards a slew of reporters to his left. "Oh, uhh well I came to pick you up. Thought you might've gotten lost with the crowds and everything..."

Bakugo twisted her brow in confusion at that. Why did it sound like he actually cared for her right now? He shouldn't be doing that, given that she already knew his real intentions.

The girl then placed a hand to her chest before trying to calm her nerves at the same time. She didn't like the hero seeing her in this kind of state, not anymore at least. "So you came to help me out of the goodness of your heart? Yeah right, what's the real reason?"

Hawks' heart couldn't help but twitch in hurt at her words. Yes, he deserved every bit of them that didn't make it hurt any less. Even if he told her that he really was concerned about her, he doubted Amari would listen. "There's no reason really. I just thought you'd be afraid of the crowds, given past experiences."

Although that wasn't the right thing to say as Bakugo's lips quickly twitched in equal hurt, now thinking about his brave rescue a couple days ago that turned out to be fake.

Staring to walk away from the uncomfortable situation, the girl bitterly muttered under her breath "Oh, was that in your file on me as well?"

The hero couldn't help but cringe at that as well, already knowing that's exactly where he had that information. In fact, he used that fear in order to make her break. How terrible he was indeed. "Ah well.."

Yet before he could finish, Amari turned back around to face him, her hands grasping her arms in a clear sign of nerves. "Listen, if you want any more information about Dabi, you're out of luck. Just give it a rest, bird boy, I already know your game."

Widening his eyes at her sharp words, Hawks' wings couldn't help but deflate. Of course she would mistake his kindness for manipulation. That's what his track record was after all. "Come on kid, it's not like that.."

Bakugo couldn't help but grit her teeth together at that, already slowly losing herself to this man. "Then what is it like Hawks? Please tell me, tell me how you only got close to me because of Dabi, tell me about how you used my weaknesses to get what you wanted, tell me how I should trust you again?"

At her words, the hero couldn't help but take a step back in shock, now seeing the utter turmoil under her expression, the pain that he had so clearly caused. He wanted to give her an answer, he wanted to tell her about his double spy mission for commission but that just wasn't possible.

And it's not like it mattered, he betrayed her trust and it was now utterly impossible to get that back, Hawks knew that. He knew how much he had broken her. _You shouldn't kid, you shouldn't trust me again. _

So much so that his silence was telling, causing Amari to scoff under her breath. He wasn't denying it, he knew exactly what he had done. "I thought so.."

Just then, another voice stopped their bickering immediately, the president's voice cutting through any tension that was there a moment before. "There you are Bakugo. It seems like Hawks has failed to bring you to the hall in a timely manner."

Dipping her head to a bow, she watched Hawks roughly slap her back in a playful tone, now trying to erase their hatred for each other. "Sorry pres. I was just catching up with Bakugo. We haven't seen each other in a couple days after all."

Glaring back, Amari coughed once before replying back. "Yes, sorry president. It seems I got a little lost getting here as well."

The president stared at the two for a couple moments before curling her lips into a light smile, one that caused the hair on Hawks' neck to stand straight up. "Seems like you're enjoying yourself. No matter, the press conference doesn't start for another hour or so anyways."

She then lifted her hand before her eyes bore into the small girl. "Now come on my dear, you must prepare yourself for the conference. I've already set everything up for you."

Not fully understanding, Amari couldn't help but turn her head, already following the president down the hall. The woman just told her to wear her hero costume, maybe she had done something wrong. "Wait, prepare?"

The woman only nodded her head though before pushing open the door to her left, revealing a line of dozens of women with various workers who bowed upon entry. Wait, what the heck was going on?

Although Amari shortly got her answer when the president spoke again. "Yes my dear. You are going to be part of the commission which means that image is everything. You have to look presentable to the public, I'm sure Hawks has taught you that much as least…"

Almost immediately, the woman started circling the small girl, making her uncomfortable as they wrapped the tape measure around her waist and hips aggressively. "Whaa, wait hold on.."

Yet they didn't stop, causing Hawks' wings to twitch in anxiety. He knew how she was with crowds and large groups of people so this mustn't have been fun for her.

So much so that the bird couldn't help but speak out, already using his wings to will the very touchy women away from her. "Whoa hey, the kid here doesn't like crowding that much. How about you give her some space, yeah?"

The president didn't seem pleased with his response though, her sharp tongue causing the hero to stop immediately. "Oh please Hawks, she has to get used to it. Stop acting like a little boy."

Seeing him flitch her word choice, Amari then watched with insanity as the heroes' wings deflated before the women continued their work, much to her dismay. He didn't even notice her staring as he slowly took a step back in order to be quiet, immediately noticing the familiarity in the situation.

The women finished a moment later before handing Bakugo a pair of extremely high boots in order to make her seem taller, along with another group of people immediately putting heavy amounts of makeup on her face. "Is this really necessary?"

Although the president only nodded once. "Of course my dear. A hero is a symbol to the public, and we must all look our best to fit that image. That's just the way things are. You want to be a capable hero, don't you?"

Staring down at the heeled boots, Amari couldn't help but let her eyes fall in an unreadable expression. The president took this as acceptance, knowing that she was right. "Yes, I do."

The woman smiled back as she waved her hand for the makeup artists to finish causing Hawks to close his eyes in shame. He knew exactly what she was doing to Amari.

He knew exactly how she was manipulating her, and yet he couldn't do anything but watch. It was toruture to say the least, like some sort of punishment for his crimes. "I'm going to check on the attendance of the crowds."

Then he shuffled away, not wanting to see another moment of the president's tactics.

No, he couldn't bear it.

* * *

Once everything was finished, Amari looked at herself in the mirror before placing a hand to the reflection before her. The girl that had come into the building a couple hours again was suddenly no more, now replaced by the fancier, more fake model of herself.

From the thick amounts of makeup to the large boots that now graced her body, giving another foot of height, the girl didn't seem to recognize herself anymore. Was this what a hero was supposed to look like, because from here it seemed like anything but Amari.

After looking at the clock, Bakugo realized that there was another ten minutes before the start of the conference, causing the girl to take a shaky breath. It was almost time.

Then she decided to go for a small walk in order to calm her nerves, struggling to stand from the heavy boot on her feet. Perhaps she should get used to these as well before the girl face planted in front of the entire country of Japan. Yeah, she didn't need anymore public embarrassment.

Opening the door to the room, Amari aimlessly moved around the hallways before hearing a loud shout coming from the left side of the stage. It seemed like someone was making a scene over there.

Curiosity soon got the best of her as the girl made her way over to the sound, now being able to pick up on a few words from the man. "You can't do this, I have to speak to the president right now! Get your hands off me!"

That voice, it sounded so incredibly familiar, so much so that she decided to step closer before making out the features of someone she wasn't fully ready to face. It was Kazumi's brother, Kenji.

Widening her eyes, Amari stood silent as she watched the boy struggle against the guard's arms, his expression frantic and angry as he did so. Out of everyone in the world, why did it have to be him? "I said, let me through damn it!"

Bakugo then balled her hands against her side before walking closer, her voice doing it's best in order not to seem afraid. "Kenji, what are you doing here?"

The guard turned his head at the noise before seeing her backstage pass around her neck, causing the man to step back and allow the boy to speak freely. "You, you're that Bakugo girl, right? Don't tell me, you're the new member they are talking about.."

His brown hair couldn't help but make Amari's eyes drop, recalling the deep crimson between her fingers as she ended his brother's life in selfish desire. "Uhh yeah kinda."

Noticing her apprehension, Kenji narrowed his eyes before pointing behind him roughly. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. You have to tell them to let me through. I need to speak to that deadbeat ass president of the commission!"

Amari took in his tone before turning her head. He seemed angry, really angry. And that was saying something as the girl already knew he wasn't the nicest person to begin with. "Wait, what's going on?"

Balling his hands into fists, the boy then spat out venomous. "They are trying to write off Kazumi's murder by saying it was his fault! I know that idot and he's not that stupid!"

His words caused Bakugo's eyes to widen, her breathing starting to pick up immediately. She had no idea about this. "W-What?"

Kenji could only nod back though, raising his voice even more. "They can send my family as much blood money as they want but I'm not going to let them do this!"

The words slammed into Amari all at once, causing her to take a step back in shock. "W-Wait, but isn't the conference to talk about his death? That doesn't sound like they are covering it up to me.."

Yet the boy only scoffed before waving his hand around the space. "That's what they want you to think. I already know what they are going to do, and it's not going to happen. Kazumi was a person, not a damn number they can just try to cover up!"

He then began to push through the guard once more, causing the man to shove the boy even further back, obviously having enough of this kid. "That's enough kid. Leave the premises before I call the cops."

Kenji wasn't having it though, struggling against the man before the guard activated his quirk, pushing the boy out of the door roughly. "You can't do this, you can't just pretend that everyone is okay when it's not. What kind of heroes are you, you are supposed to protect us!"

He continued going until the man and Kenji were out of sight, probably going to report him to the police as instructed. Although, that wasn't what stuck in Amari's mind.

Placing a hand to her head, the girl began to stew about her thoughts before hearing the commission president approach the girl from behind, her voice ringing with confidence. "Alright Bakugo. it's almost time. Are you ready?"

Hawks couldn't help but notice her sunken eyes, wondering what had caused that kind of expression before the woman repeated the question, obviously upset that Amari wasn't answering. "Ember?"

Jumping at her words, Amari seemed to snap out of her trance before nodding back absentmindedly. Hawks seemed to notice this as well. "Oh, uhh yeah. Sorry."

Although the president seemed to ignore it, now reaching into her pocket before pulling out a stack of plain white note cards and handing them to the girl. "Now, I've gone ahead and created notecards of the presentation. Just read from them and you'll do wonderful.."

Amari took the objects quietly before reading over the cards and recognizing a very formal introduction on the top, something that she normally wouldn't have been great at.

Yet when she quickly turned the card over, the girl's eyes began to hollow, reading the words she was supposed to say in her mind. Wait, this wasn't right, this was..

Letting her voice come out, Amari's tone lowered. "President, this presentation.."

Although she was shortly cut off by the woman herself. "Yes, it is quite informative, isn't it?"

Baukgo seemed to have other ideas though, her words pouring out without a second thought. "No it isn't that. Why are you trying to cover up the missing kids? You are telling me to say that everything is fine but that's not true at all. This is a real problem and.."

Yet once again, the girl was cut off from speaking as the commission president narrowed her eyes at the displeasure. "Bakugo, do you remember what I told you when we first met, what the job of the hero public safety commission is?"

Twisting her brow in confusion, the woman replied a moment later. "We are in charge of keeping the peace and order in this country. The public don't want to live in fear, they want to be reassured and protected."

Amari couldn't help but shake her head at that, already feeling something wrong with that stance. "Yes but isn't that the same as giving them a false reality? What if their child is next, what if they are in danger? Don't you think they should know that.."

Taking a step further, the woman answered plain, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All we know is that all of the victims have been weak or quirkless children like yourself. We need more information about the situation before being able to apprehend the villain responsible."

Bakugo couldn't believe what she was hearing though, balling her hands into firsts as she gritted her teeth. "So you're saying that you would rather let more kids die instead of trying to protect them like a hero is supposed to do?!"

Not liking her tone, she only narrowed her eyes even further. "As a child you do not understand but I can assure you. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. A couple of sacrifices are necessary for the greater good of society."

Twisting the notecards in Amari's hands, the woman spoke again, her cruel words striking the girl immediately. "And besides, the weak were never meant to become heroes in the first place. The world doesn't need such fragile children after all."

That phrase stuck in Bakugo's mind immediately, knowing the insanity behind it. She was really going to let more kids die just because they weren't strong enough, because they didn't fit the ideal image of a hero.

Although, she already knew this, she knew that this kind of society did to the weak. She had seen this time and time again..

Yet she paused when the woman placed her hands on Amari's shoulder with a bit of pressure, causing her to push the small girl further into the ground. "But you Bakugo, you aren't like them. You are a special kind of hero, one that has beaten the odds and the impossible.."

Squeezing her fingers into the girl, the president continued into her ear. "That's why you have to be the one to tell the public. You have to tell them that there is nothing to fear, that the public can be at ease with their worry. Only you can complete this task Ember, everyone is counting on you.."

The amount of pressure both physically and literally pushed into the girl, thinking about what exactly the president wanted from her, and about how wrong it was to do so. What she was basically saying was to lie, to deceive the public into believing a fairytale.

Shaking her head, Amari began to walk away from the woman before taking a step back. No, this was wrong. This was so wrong. "I'm not going to lie, they deserve to know."

Bakugo then watched as the president's smile curved down into a frown, her heels clicking as they made their way towards the girl in question. "Really? And what if it costs you and your brother your career?"

Widening her eyes, the woman stopped in front of Amari before her eyes bore into the small child's soul, cruelty taking its place. "You know how hard it is to start up an agency nowadays? Without the commission's endorsement, it will be impossible. You don't want to waste this kind of opportunity, do you?"

At the sound of her words, Amari couldn't help but feel a sharp shiver appeared down her spine. "A-Are you blackmailing me?"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Oh no dear, I'm just explaining what could happen to your brother if you aren't careful. The hero world is a tough business, you'll need all the help you can get. Don't waste your future Ember."

Feeling the stutter in her own voice, Amari spoke back small. It was obvious the woman was playing her cards right, knowing it was indeed practically impossible to achieve her and her brother's dream alone. "But I can't…"

And once again, the girl was cut off, a thick venom replacing it immediately. "As much as you dislike it, this is just how the world works, little girl. So my advice is if you want to have a future as hero then you should start doing as you're told."

Stunning her into absolute silence, Hawks then watched as she broke that poor child, seeing her stance shrink immediately. He couldn't blame her, knowing just how good that old woman was at her job.

Using her and her brother's career was something that was second nature to the commission, already knowing that they used similar tactics on him as a child, things that forced him to agree.

It was the same here and Keigo hated seeing the president create another "Hawks" right before his eyes.

If only he wasn't such a coward, if only he wasn't such a little boy. But the man knew better than anyone how tight her chains were. And now, it seemed like Bakugo couldn't break free anymore either.

Suddenly one of the stage hands entered the scene before telling the group that they were ready to start, causing the president to walk away from the small child, enough to let her breath for once. She must've already known that she had won.

Seeing the unreadable expression from his past trainee, the bird then walked up to the girl before speaking with sympathy, knowing it wouldn't change anything. "Sorry kid. I really am."

* * *

The crowd for the conference was marginally larger than usual, large flashing lights taking up the entirety of the space as Hawks and the president walked to greet the public.

Although the only thing the bird could really focus on was how much Bakugo would hate this suffocating crowd. He hoped this would be over soon in order to avoid a panic attack from the girl.

Yet he stopped himself a moment later. He didn't have the right to be concerned about her, not after what he had done in the past. It was foolish, trying to protect someone he was supposed to murder. _Stop it Hawks. You know how this is going to end already. Don't get attached._

Just then the president appeared to the camera's, a sickening smile on her face, almost like she hadn't just threatened a child a moment ago. "Thank you all for coming today, I know there is some unrest within the community regarding the last couple days. But before that, the commission has a wonderful announcement."

Lifting her hand, the audience seemed to eat up her words, causing Hawks to internally scoff. She was only trying to get attention off the case, like per usual. It was obvious to see in his eyes.

The woman then turned her head before speaking proudly. "We would like to welcome a promising member of the next generation of heroes, one that the commission will fully accept with open arms after graduating from U.A."

Narrowing his eyes, Hawks really dreaded those words. Another commission member, another mindless soldier. He hated the idea itself.

Finishing her words, the president then lowered her eyes before giving a knowing look. "Everyone please say hello to our newest hero, Ember!"

The crowds began to clap loudly as Bakugo appeared before the light. On the outside she looked calm and collected but Hawks could easily tell she was immediately uncomfortable by the large number of people.

Amari moved up to the podium before taking out her pre-written notecards from the commission, causing the hero's heart to fall in his chest. Of course she would listen to that woman, she does make a good argument most of the time.

Taking a breath of courage, the girl then began to read the cards, just as the president desired. "Hello, it is an honor to be able to accept such a wonderful opportunity from the hero public safety commission. Allowing to take someone under like me under their wing has truly been a blessing and I am very thankful for their generosity."

She stopped for a moment and the hero held back the need to roll his eyes. _"Geez pres, could you sound even more preachy there? It's obvious you're gloating now. _

Bakugo then turned the card around only to look at the content for a moment, obviously dreading what she was going to say. "Now I am sure you are all very concerned about the unrest in the community given the recent disappearances. But may I assure you, that everything is…"

Stopping in the middle of her sentence, Amari looked at her next words before feeling the words catch in her throat. She read them over and over until they filled her mind entirely, knowing what would happen if she spoke them..

_Everything is alright, there is nothing to worry about._

_Everything is alright, there is nothing to worry about._

_Everything is alright, there is nothing to worry about._

Amari then shook her head before really thinking about those little words. If she uttered them, then that meant she was pushing Kazumi's life away, it meant that she was agreeing to the president's beliefs that the weak weren't meant to survive.

Going back to that alleyway with Dabi, she finally understood what he truly meant by his past words, and the hatred behind them. **_This is why you're an idiot. You can't stop it. It's been going on for years. They say that they are so righteous and yet push away the people that don't meet their damn standards. To them, you are either used or thrown away." _**

And that was true. Everything wasn't alright, everything needed to change. But the problems laid with those that stayed silent, those that pushed everything under the rug to save themselves, those that didn't object, even if it was wrong.

Even now Bakugo was frozen, knowing what was right and yet still terrified of her own future. This is why nothing ever changed, this is why people like her and Kazumi and Toya lived in fear and tragedy. Because no one spoke out..

Balling her fists to her sides, Amari closed her eyes once more before fully recalling Endeavor's words, the tone reminding her almost immediately. **_You can't control the past, but you control right now. So, what are you going to do right now Bakugo?"_**

That was right, she couldn't control her past decisions that led her to All for One, she couldn't control Kazumi's death, she couldn't control Toya's hatred of heros but she certainly could stop the cycle...

She could protect them.

Taking a heavy breath, Hawks mistook it for nerves, causing his eyes to fall in desperation and guilt. She must have been having a really hard time up there.

Although that's when he watched as the girl lifted the pre-made notecards in her hands before ripping them right down the middle, her voice full of malice and spite. "You know what, everything is bullshit."

The collective gasps around the area was marginally noticeable, causing the president's eyes to widen with disbelief as Amari continued. "I can stand up here, and lie to you, saying that I've never been bullied or criticized for my health and everything has been sunshine and rainbow my entire life but then that would be bullshit also."

Already taking a step forward to cut her off, Hawks immediately put his wings out to block her, extremely interested to see where she would take this. "Careful prez, you know you have to maintain your image."

Grumbling back, the woman remained silent causing the hero to smirk. Did that girl know that the president couldn't do anything after she was on stage? Well if she did, it was smart.

The camera's began to flash in Amari's face as she continued. "I think we should stop sugar coating everything and realize that there is a big problem in this society. That if you don't fit the perfect image in everyone's mind, then you are cast out, never to be heard of again."

Balling her fists, a flash of Dabi appeared in her mind. "And we can say that these missing kids are just the cause of their wrong choices in life, that they deserve it, but do we ever think of what leads them to that choice? Do you ever think about how fine the line between hero and villain actually is?"

Another gasp appeared in the crowds as Bakugo nodded. She already knew this wouldn't be a popular opinion but it needed to be said. "Someone once told me that "the many outweigh the needs of the few" but what if **_you_** turn out to be that few? Everyone turns a blind eye until it's you that's on the chopping block, until it's you that must pay the price, and then suddenly we care, right? That's always how it works."

Gritting her teeth, the girl then looked down at her discarded speech. "These kids, these kids that were forced into villainy, into horrible decisions just to be accepted, it needs to stop. The cycle needs to stop. The truth is, they deserve to be heroes just like everyone else. We deserve to have a voice, we deserve to be respected.."

Then she threw the notecard into the audience before narrowing her eyes in absolute power and determination. "So no, unlike what those notecards claim, everything is not alright, and I think it's time you realize it too."

A heavy silence appeared after she was done speaking, causing Hawks to drop his jaw in utter shock. She didn't just...did she..?

But it didn't seem to bother the girl, Bakugo only turning her back before exiting the scene quietly, causing the president to follow her roughly. Oh shit, she was going to get murdered!

Quickly hurrying as well, the hero flapped his wings with anxiety before following the two as well, a mix of disbelief and fear in his features.

Just what did that crazy girl do?!

* * *

Hearing a piece of glass shatter on the ground, Twice and Toga turned only to find Dabi staring at the television screen with absolute insanity as the press conferences played through the screen.

The glass he was holding seemed to be the victim of the crash, it's pieces scattered around the area as the purple skinned man didn't even react to the object, almost as if he hadn't realized it actually happened yet.

The man himself still stayed glued to the screen, taking in Amari's words one at a time before processing them all at once. **_"These kids, these kids that were forced into villainy, into horrible decisions just to be accepted, it needs to stop. The cycle needs to stop. The truth is, they deserve to be heroes just like everyone else. We deserve to have a voice, we deserve to be respected.."_**

When he heard about this conference he thought it would be just another way for those heroes to manipulate her, to make her a true dog of their fucked up society. That's always how it was.

But hearing her now, it seemed like he was wrong. The chains they were forcing around her, the chains that he had experienced himself many years ago, they were breaking ever so slightly.

No one spoke out, that's just what the hero's did. They loved to live in their glass houses of security, ignoring the lives they destroyed one by one. Sure people have noticed the problems but they were always silenced as well, wanting to keep their own careers in place of others. They were selfish and hypocritical.

But not Amari. No, she was risking everything, fully knowing that the hero's could banish her, toss her aside. She wasn't using her voice to hide like the others.

No, she was really trying to break the cycle, just like him.

He knew nothing would come of it but that didn't stop the man from widening his eyes in shock, her words striking something he had never felt before, something he had given up on a long time ago.

Something he used to refer to as hope.

* * *

Quickly tossing away her boots, Amari huffed out a breath before hearing the president's voice. It was clear she was upset, that much was obvious. "You, how dare you! Do you know what you've done, you've made a mockery of the commission and me!"

Although that's when the girl turned around, a cynical smirk on her face. "Yeah, that was kinda the point."

The woman began to seethe at that, now seeing the broken down girl now spring to life once more. She needed to stop this, she needed to control her. "Foolish child, I hope you know that your offer to join the commission has completely been revoked!"

Hawks expected the girl to shrink at that, to get on her knees and apologize for losing this opportunity. Although, that's not what happened in the slightest.

Instead, he watched as Amari only narrowed her eyes. "And I hope you don't think I'm actually that stupid. You see, I wasn't ever going to accept your offer in the first place."

Both the hero and the woman couldn't help but widen their eyes at that. But that didn't make sense, she fought the bird about it, she very clearly seemed interested.

Voicing his concern, Hawks gasped. "But what you told me.."

Narrowing her eyes, the girl scoffed. "I never said I was going to join the commission, you just wouldn't let me finish what I was trying to tell you and assumed that."

He opened his mouth to disagree with her sentence only to recall the conversation. Wait, she never did say she was going to join. The commission assumed it so he did as well. Man, he was really stupid, wasn't he? "But..the conference..."

Although that's when Bakugo placed her hands on her hips. "Actually, to be fair I was going to reject the offer right after I left the office but then you wouldn't stop trying to tell me what to do so then I had to agree to the stupid conference..."

Hawks couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she really only agree to go to this press conference out of pure spite, because she was pissed at him for telling her she couldn't go? That was so childish and petty.

Yet that's when he quickly remembered the only reason Amari agreed to intern with Endeavor was because he said she wasn't good enough for his son. He supposed given the track record it made sense.

That's when the president pipped in, seemingly confused as well. "You were going to reject it, why on earth would you ever do that? We could've given you everything you ever wanted.."

Amari snapped her fingers at that, silencing the woman just like she had done to the girl a couple hours ago. "You see, right there. That's why I didn't agree, because the words you used right now are exactly the same as someone else I know…"

Laughing slightly, the girl then eyed the two before glaring and recalling the similarities between all for One's treatment and theirs."You know, it's funny really. You mark yourself as heroes and yet I don't see much of a difference between you and the villains you claim to fight."

Her glare couldn't help but stun Hawks into silence, All for One's creation shining through her eyes as she looked at them with such disgust and hatred.

The president didn't seem to have a problem speaking out though, her rough voicing cutting through the space. "How dare you, I am nothing like those scum of the earth. You bite your tongue Bakugo."

Yet that's when the girl's eyes lazily turned into one's of amusement. "Oh really? So you don't prey on the weak, give them false promises and manipulate them to do your bidding, no matter how awful and cruel it is?"

Scoffing back, the woman huffed. "Absolutely not."

Smirking under her breath, Amari then turned her head over to the winged hero himself before speaking three words that stunned him into absolute silence. "Then explain Hawks."

The hero couldn't help but widen his eyes at that, locking eyes with the girl before the president spoke over him. "What exactly are you accusing our agency of doing, young lady?"

Bakugo only shrugged her shoulders though, refusing to leave the hero's gaze, almost to let him know how serious her words were. "It's just, I've been watching you this entire time, and if I know one thing, it's brainwashing."

As the bird blinked in surprise, Amari finally turned away as she recalled every time that woman cut Hawks off, or used trigger words to silence him into her demands. It was familiar, too familiar, and as much as she hated the bird for what he had done, she couldn't ignore this.

Because that is exactly what All for One did to her.

This seemed to cause the president to snap, now taking a step forward in absolute fury. "You insolent little girl, you know nothing! I suggest you shut your mouth before you regret it."

Yet Amari didn't move from her spot, a challenging smile on her face as she did so. "Yeah? Well unfortunately I don't take orders from you so you can't silence me. Too bad, right? You almost had me.."

Shaking with fury, the president then lifted her hand in order to strike Amari, only for her not to even blink, just stare straight in a teasing glare like she was daring her to lay a hand on her.

Then the woman brought her hand down only for someone to grasp her wrist before it reached the girl, now stopping the movement entirely. "That's enough from you."

Looking up with fury, she turned only to find Endeavor standing behind her, a heavy frown on his face at what she tried to attempt. It was a good thing he came backstage in time.

Amari on the other hand looked at him dumbfounded. "Endeavor, what are you doing here?"

At her words he released his hold before taking a step closer to the girl, silently daring the woman to come any further. "After you made a mockery out of yourself I wanted to make sure that woman wasn't going to murder you. It seemed I was right to come here. What were you thinking?"

Letting her head fall, Hawks then watched as all the malice escaped her tone immediately. "It just kinda happened…"

He couldn't help but shake his head at that, already ushering her away from the president and Hawks, not trusting either of them. "Can't say I'm surprised anymore."

Although just as they were leaving, the president called back roughly. "You will never be a hero, I will make sure of it. I will make sure you never gain your provisional license and get expelled from U.A. entirely!"

Yet that's when Endeavor turned around before smirking under his breath, already knowing what those threats would actually do. "If you are trying to scare her it isn't going to work. You see, those words are like a challenge to that girl."

Then the two left, causing the president to stomp away steaming with hatred as the bird couldn't help but stare in utter disbelief.

Throughout his entire life, Hawks had always felt trapped in his own decision, already accepting that no one would see through his facade, through his entire cry for help to finally be free.

But Amari saw through it, she saw through everything.

* * *

Amari is such a badass. I simp for her. And here we see Dabi and Hawks both getting changed by her actions as she speaks up for those that are getting abused in this messed up hero world.

Throughout this story I've received a couple comments saying that Amari is a Mary Sue and that she's too perfect but I think she's really struggled to get here. Yes she is changing the game, but only through hard work and character building. She didn't start out like this, she had to fight through her own trauma, ideals and experiences to get here so I think it's justified. She's far from perfect, but she still wants to do her best for everyone that's ever helped her. 3

And now she's using her experiences and feelings to help others that are in the same position. It's been a long time coming with me planting seeds throughout the book, showing how people treat Amari because of her size and health. Now she wants to change that, for the future generation as well. She's growing up. *cries in proud weeb mom*

Next Chapter: Hawks tries to make amends


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